Best motorcycle suspension upgrades and tools

Forget about engine tuning or performance pipes if you want to make a dramatic change to your bike’s performance. If you’re looking for something that’ll affect every aspect of your riding, pound-for-pound, suspension upgrades make the biggest difference.

Whether your bike is brand new or a 20-year-old hack, a touring machine or naked, there’s always something that can be done to the suspension to either improve it or make it work better for you.

The trouble is, suspension is also something of a black art and commonly misunderstood, which is why so many turn instead to experts such as K-Tech or MCT to do it for them.

If you don’t want to go that far, however, there are a number of relatively simple things you can do – or buy – to upgrade your ride.

Related: Best brake upgrades for your motorcycle

If you’ve a relatively new, quality machine the first thing to do is to check the standard suspension is working correctly and, if adjustable, set up correctly for you and your type of riding.

However, if your bike is older, perhaps worn, or with more basic suspension, there are plenty of things you can do such as upgrade your front forks via a kit or even replace your rear shock with a higher spec, adjustable item that can give a dramatic improvement to your bike’s handling and ride – and your enjoyment and safety.

Here’s our pick of some of the best:

Yes, there are cheaper alternatives but we’d recommend only recognised brands and be wary of shocks costing under £100. Quality – and safety – costs. This STX 46 model is the perfect upgrade for sporty street bikes, comes with an internal or external gas reservoir and with a 46mm main piston.

Depending on the application, the shock absorber features hydraulic preload adjustment as well as adjustable compression and rebound adjustment.

These are for a Yamaha FZ8. Lowering the height of a motorcycle can be the difference between love and hate. Riding your bike at an optimal height for you is a must and will not only provide comfort but also increase the control and stability of the rider, especially at higher speeds. You can sometimes also get the reverse; linkages that raise the rear end.

Pull up to two inches out of the front end of your bike without the hassle of disassembling the forks or even changing the oil and the whole process can be done with basic tools. Shorter springs and Progressive's new secondary compensation spring make short work of the formerly complicated act of lowering your front end. No special tools required.

Too little and the air gap alters its effectiveness. Too much and you risk blowing your fork seals. This British-made tool is a quick and accurate way to set and adjust fork oil levels on motorcycles.

It has a CNC-machine aircraft-alloy body, 50-click rebound adjustment, optional high/low-speed compression damping adjustment and an optional hydraulic preload adjuster. Hyperpro’s rising-rate progressive springs are used worldwide, as are its shock absorbers.

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