Touring Spec - Preload Setting

G'day all, I was curious about my fork adjustment, so I counted the number of turns to full clockwise and discovered mine had been set to 9 turns out.

This setting on my 04/2014 build (new in Feb2015) has been brilliant and it was only curiosity that tempted me to confirm the setting (standard is 5 turns).

So if it's too harsh a ride at the front end....try 9 turns out!

Ps I've got 11,000kms on it, forks up 1 ring in clamps, PR4 190/55 rear and it is just so perfect I almost don't want to ride anything else.....weird eh?


From static testing I thought 9 turns out was firmer than 5, but I was wrong (others have road tested and advised fully in clockwise is hard and full out is soft), also page 112 of the owners handbook confirms this....... I'll try the standard setting next ride, but most likely will go back to the 9 turn setting because it has been great.

Ps Still haven't been out to test the difference (been showery in the mornings......) but have set it to 5 turns and have committed to a Ducati Club ride tomorrow.....got my tester hat in the top box, and a 19mm spanner.....

New Tyres Are Nice

Hi all, There's been plenty of discussion on the other forum, but the main point is that Aprilia must be setting the fork preload on the Travel Pack ADD bikes at 9 turns out anti clockwise (fully out is 0.6 turn past the marker). So most bikes must have been set this way at the factory or at the last service update.... I was trying the fully 'off' position while the front tyre was nearing replacement (ie it was hard/thin/harsh feeling), but once I installed the new PR4 front the smooth, plush feel was back and I'm on the 9 turn setting again. (note - grease the wheel bearings - one of mine was dry!!)

It's amazing how much nicer 'new' tyres feel compared to the thin, hard, scrubbed out old tyres.... Also noticed how much the hand protectors caused the front end to wiggle when riding into a blustery head wind - anybody complaining about high speed wobbles will need to remove hand guards and mirrors, because those w-iiide bars have a lot of leverage! (the other bike I rode was "bare-barred" and not wind affected - it also had 20,000km up, and was fabulous, so they keep getting better as the kms accumulate!).

Cheers Zencra. Hope the warranty claim resolves the gremlins with your Capo.

I'm running a stiffer setting fork preload these days - the springs must have settled in a bit more......and I read in the big workshop manual that the preload must be wound off to nil before the forks are dis-assembled for oil changes etc - which means that the factory didn't "set" them to anything special, that's where they left them when assembled.......which is fair enough anyway as we can set them to wherever we want as we clock up the kms.....

The air filter is a dry foam type but I've heard of DNA (ie similar to K&N washable/re-oilable). Not sure if it will give a Hp boost as the airbox is most probably the biggest limiting factor - and the standard pipe is mostly open (except for cat converter) after 5k rpms. Weightt loss is probably the biggest win if you swap the heavy oem muffler for a lighter unit......might help with suspension too (I can notice a difference with the fuggly removed - suspension feels a tad firmer without that thing swinging on the end of the s/arm!).

Hey, I just got a re-call notice on the front brake master cyl........they advise to set the hand lever adjuster to position 1 or 2 and be careful until Aprilia dealers can change the part. (my brakes feel fine, so it's prob just a precaution, but the parts aren't in Aus yet).

Cheers all.

They get better and better with heaps more kms riding

G'day Nifty, as you get stuck in to it the motor will begin to free up and settle in around 10,000kms to 15,000ks. Don't baby the thing, just get on it or it will take 20,000ks to seal up.

I don't mean abuse type revs, using full power now and again is good for the motor.

I used semi synthetic and changed every 3,000ks because I was scared of how black the oil went after 2,500kms, but looking back with 30,000kms under my belt (chain?) I'd recommend using motul 5100 15w50 (10w50 is ok too) and do the change at 5,000kms. (the reason the oil went so black was because the motor was so new and hard to scrub in, it allowed combustion gases and fuel past the rings and valves until it had 10-15,000kms of wear).

The 10,000 service is the official warranty oil change and check over and for $400 bucks you get a stamp in your book.....gotta do it, that's life with a new bike .

If you want to stop the centre stand scraping on mid corner dips, fit a 190/55 rear as soon as possible (the oem Dunlop will only last 8,000kms anyway).

Just got my phone call advising the Brembo bit is in stock and they can do the re-call fit for me on Saturday while I sit and have coffee with my bikie scum bag mates....

Cheers from Brisbane

Ps nearly forgot, I'm using Motul 7100 20w50 now at 30k kms and I've not done enough kms to properly evaluate it, but it is looking like that's the stuff to use from the 20,000km major service........

G'day Hairy one, I assume you have digested most of this thread and put a 19mm spanner on your RH fork top and checked if you have mininal spring preload or whatever. I found mine was at full soft (I think that's all the way anti clockwise....) from new which was great for the first 10,000kms, then as the springs settled in and I got more aggressive (?) I found I liked 6 turns out for cornering and braking.

I use the Auto setting all the time and it works a treat (I have Ohlins on my Blackbird) and I have always modified bike suspensions over the years as the Jap stuff used to be set for comfort from new - they have gotten better these days.

Make sure you haven't overinflated the tyres (I use 34f 36r solo)......oh, that's a big point......the 180/55 OEM tyre is crap - wear it out asap and get a 190/55 profile fitted and Capo will be transformed (no more scraping centre stand etc).

Remember, ADD cannot 'see' the bumps coming.....it does work but it is designed for riders around my weight (say 70-90kg) and if you are two up and errr fairly solid in build, you may want to go up a spring rating. Capo is only really a sporty tourer - all that marketing/magazine hype is *****.....it's a great road bike, and it has a punchy motor (only makes 105rwhp) that incidently will take 12-15,000kms to fully wear in and give it's best. Most owners have changed sprockets to either 16-42 or 17-46 to lower the stupidly tall gearing - do this Asap.

That crappy little tyre size (180/55) is most probably your biggest negative point to deal with......Capo was originally spec'd with 190/55 in early 2013, then it appeared with the little tyre stretched over that 6" rim and everybody complained about scraping stuff and 'falling off the edge of the tyre'..........so 190/55 ASAP.....

Ps Not sure if I imagined this or not....but.....if you take the fugly fender off the ADD might react better with that heavy thing no longer swinging off the end of the swingarm..

errr, me agin.....

Just re-read Hairy's thread again......those manual suspension settings should not feel the same - I have used them all and can verify solo is nice and plush 1+gear is firmer, etc etc right up to max (2up+gear) which should feel quite stiff........I was doubling another bloke with this (me 80kg, him prob same...) and it felt too stiff.......should have tried the Auto on the return trip but must have had brain-fade...

Ithink the setting change proceedure is in the owners manual but it requires fumbling around with one button to get the suspension panel blinking, then rotating through the settings with the other button, then getting out of the screen with the first button.......a bit silly, but it is what it is.....might have to have the motor going too! I haven't played with mine for a while....

While ure at it, set your ATC to 2 unless you feel gung ho enough to be an eggspurt using '1'. I leave it on 2 so I don't need to change it for rainy roads and it seems pretty good for spirited blasts - lazy sod, eh!

Cheers