Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

Province of Sorsogon
Municipality of Donsol
DONSOL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tres Marias, Donsol, Sorsogon

AT-222
MODULE 11
SERVICING MOTORCYCLE
SUSPENSION SYSTEM

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

MOTORCYCLE AND SMALL ENGINE SERVICING, REPAIR AND

MAINTENANCE
SECOND SEMESTER : AY 2020-2021
AT-222 : MOTORCYCLE AND SMALL ENGINE
SERVICING, REPAIR AND
MAINTENANCE

MODULE 11 : SERVICING MOTORCYCLE SUSPENSION

SYSTEM

Republic Act 8293, Chapter IV, Section 176-Works of the

Government, Paragraph 176.1 states that, no copyright shall subsist in
any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval
of the government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be
necessary for exploitation of such work or profit. Such agency or office
may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.
No prior approval or conditions shall be required for the use for any
purpose of statues, rules and regulations, and speeches, lectures,
sermon, address, and dissertations, pronounced, read or rendered in
courts of justice, before administrative agencies in deliberative
assemblies and in meetings of public character. (Sec. 9, first par,.P.D.
No.49)

176.2. The author of speeches, lectures, sermons, addresses, and

dissertations mentioned in the preceding paragraphs shall have the
exclusive right of making a collection of his works. (n)

173.3. Notwithstanding the foreign provisions, the Government is not

precluded from receiving and holding copyrights transferred to it by
assignment, bequest or otherwise; nor shall publication or republication
by the Government in a public document of any work in which copyright
is subsisting be taken to cause abridgment or annulment of the
copyright or to authorize any use or appropriation of such work without
the consent of the copyright owner. (sec 9, third par., P.D. No.49)

Development Team

Prepared by: MARLON A. MARCAIDA

Reviewed by: ARLENE B. ONTORIA
JOAQUIN G. ATAYZA, MATEA
Layout Artists: GLADYS S. MENDIOLA
ALBERT S. LLAVA

This module is a property of Donsol Community College. No

portion/s of this instructional material may be reproduced or used
in any form without the permission of Donsol Community College.
This module is not for sale.

DISCLAIMER

The use of trade names in this module (if there is any) is to identify
examples only and is not meant to endorse these products or discredit any
similar product.
 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Module 11 Servicing Motorcycle Suspension
System! This module contains information on the principle of
servicing motorcycle suspension system. It also includes
discussion on the parts and operation of shock absorber.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After finishing this module, you are expected to:
1. describe the suspension system;
2. name the components of shock absorber; and
3. state the importance of motorcycle suspension
system.

VOCABULARY OF TERMS
To clearly understand this module, the following terms are
defined:

Bushing. Bushings are shaped like a tube or sleeve, and help with
motion by sliding, as opposed to the rolling motion of most bearings.1
Shock Absorbers. Shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or
hydraulic device designed to absorb and damp shock impulses. It does this by
converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typically
heat) which is then dissipated.2
Suspension system. Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs,
shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows
relative motion between the two.3
Viscosity. Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It
describes the internal friction of a moving fluid. A fluid with large viscosity
resists motion because its molecular makeup gives it a lot of internal friction. 4

PRE TEST
Directions: Select and write the letter of the best answer to
each question in your answer sheet.

1. Which of the following system provides comfort when hitting bumps and
cracks on the ground?
a. Suspension system
b. Brake system
c. Steering system
d. Charging system
2. Which of the following items are the types of motorcycle suspension
system?
a. Dependent and independent suspension
b. Shock and spring suspension
c. Rear and front suspension
d. Left and right suspension
3. The following may result to faulty suspension system EXCEPT
a. Oil contamination
b. Oil viscosity
c. Damaged sprocket
1
www.reliance-foundry.com
2
www.monroe.com
3
www.wygul.com
4
www.princeton.edu
 d. Damaged Bushes
4. The following are parts of motorcycle suspension system EXCEPT
a. Spring
b. Hydraulic oil
c. Piston
d. Caliper
5. Which of the following components contains an elastic potential energy?
a. Spring
b. Hydraulic oil
c. Piston
d. Caliper

LET’S WARM UP
Directions: Search for the word related on servicing
suspension system in the puzzle below.

READ AND STUDY

The Importance of Servicing Motorcycle Suspension

Much like cars, motorcycles need regular service maintenance to reach
its optimum performance and maximum lifespan. Without proper servicing,
small unnoticed problems can build-up over time and lead to bigger, more
expensive issues. And we are not just talking about the engine here, but all of
the parts, including the motorcycle suspension.

What is Motorcycle Suspension?

The motorcycle suspension is the collection of parts and accessories
tasked to manage the weight on the motorcycle chassis. It also helps bikers
maintain control when the motorcycle hits bumps and cracks, or when
accelerating, turning to corners, and breaking. The suspension keeps you on
your seat and the wheels on the ground no matter what the road condition may
be.
 Motorcycle suspension generally consists of two parts: the front and the
rear suspension. The front suspension is composed of fork tubes (telescopic
forks or girder forks), bearing, bushes, springs, and seals. On the back end, the
rear suspension is composed of a swing arm (single or double-sided), one or two
shock absorbers, a coil-over spring, seal rings and spring bumper.

Why is regular servicing of the motorcycle suspension important?

One of the most neglected parts of a motorcycle is the suspension. While
it’s true that the system degrades slowly, regular upkeep is required to prevent
faulty suspension. A lot of the factors that contribute to faulty suspension can
easily be spotted during a regular bike service. These include:
Oil contamination – Just like the motorcycle engine, the suspension
has oil to lubricate each component and prevent friction. Without regular
servicing, the oil may be contaminated due to metal shavings produced when
the spring compresses and rebounds through the fork’s valves. Accumulation of
this metal shaving over time can cause the springs to get stuck.
Oil viscosity – Viscosity affects the damping performance, which helps
restrain the vibration of the spring. Oil viscosity is checked during servicing.
Damaged or loose rubber seal rings – Seals that are loose or damaged may also
be out of position, which causes them to slide up and down the valve. All of
these can affect the movement of the suspension.
Damaged Bushes – Bushes are Teflon-lined rings that serve as a bearing
to the fork stanchions and shocks. It constrains these components in the
desired motion. Without regular service, you may fail to see the damage in the
bushes.
According to experts, a race bike should have suspension servicing every
20 hours due to the high amount of strain it receives daily. Meanwhile, track
bikes are fine with at least an annual service. For road riders, they must service
the motorcycle’s suspension once or twice per year, depending on the mileage
and road conditions.

Figure 1. Comparing Used Oil to New Oil

www.polarislabs.com

Figure 2. Damage Bushing

www.shutterstock.com
 Figure 3. Oil Viscosity

www.buygreatoil.com

Faulty Suspension and Accidents

A bike with a faulty suspension is guaranteed to have poor handling
which in turn, causes accidents. Specifically, the following can happen:
1. If the suspension is stuck or the spring is rigid, the rider could get
thrown off the bike by the upward force caused by hitting a big bump, or the
tire may leave the ground. And if the oil’s viscosity level is low and the spring is
loose, the rider will bounce up and down for a longer time.
2. If the spring is soft, the tendency of the bike is to move forward
after braking and to move backward when accelerating. If your motorcycle has
very tight brakes or you accelerated without control, it could summersault
forward or backward. The force could also have you thrown from the bike.
3. When turning corners, a soft rear spring and a stiff front spring
can lead to a wide turn, while a stiff rear spring and a soft front string can lead
to a narrow turn.

Design of Motorcycle Shock Absorbers:

The shock absorbers of motorcycles are pressurized under gas pressure,
the fluid is put and the fluid and the gas pressure are kept apart from each
other with the help of a piston. On the top of the shock absorber, this
separating is directly fixed or it is kept in a separate reservoir.

Figure 4. Components of Motorcycle Shock Absorbers

 www.bikeadvice.in
Fluid flow in motorcycle shock absorbers:
The fluid of the shock absorbers is forced through the needle valves at a
slow rate. It can also be forced through a number of other apertures, which are
present in the piston. The shims regulate the flow of fluid. The shims are the
steel washers. At high pressure of fluid flow, the shims are deflected from their
position. The features of the damping action can be altered by changing the
thickness, number or diameter of the shims.

Figure 5. Shims Stack

www.bikeadvice.in

EXPERIENCE
Activity#1
Directions: Describe the suspension system in motorcycle.

______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

EXCHANGE
Activity #2
Directions: Name the components of shock absorber
as shown in the figure.
 GOING FURTHER
State the importance of motorcycle suspension system.

POST TEST
Directions: Select and write the letter of the best
answer to each question in your answer sheet.

1. Which of the following components contains an elastic potential energy?

a. Caliper c. Hydraulic oil
b. Spring d. Piston
2. Which of the following system provides comfort when hitting bumps and
cracks on the ground?
a. Charging system c. Brake system
b. Suspension system d. Steering system
3. Which of the following items are the types of motorcycle suspension
system?
a. Left and right suspension
b. Dependent and independent suspension
c. Shock and spring suspension
d. Rear and front suspension
4. The following may result to faulty suspension system EXCEPT
a. Damaged Bushes c. Oil viscosity
b. Oil contamination d. Damaged sprocket
5. The following are parts of motorcycle suspension system EXCEPT
a. Caliper c. Hydraulic oil
b. Spring d. Piston

LEARNING ACTIVITIES
The following are the learning activities in this module.
Learning Activities Suggested Time
Allotment
1. Take the pre assessment 10 minutes
2. Answer the warm-up exercises 10 minutes
3. Read Information Sheet 30 minutes
4. Accomplish the given exercises 2 hours
5. Take the post assessment 10 minutes
Total 3 hours

REFERENCES

Aussiebikeloans. (2018, July 10). The importance of servicing motorcycle

suspension. Bike Finance & Motorcycle Loans - Aussie Bike Loans.
Retrieved March 29, 2021, from
https://aussiebikeloans.com.au/blog/the-importance-of-servicing-
motorcycle-suspension/

BikeAdvice.in. (2020, June 11). Motorcycle suspension, working & maintenance

- Explained. https://bikeadvice.in/suspension/
 ANSWER KEYS

LET'S WARM UP

PRE TEST
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. D
5. A

ACTIVITIES
Activity #1
Answers may vary

Activity #2
1. Bearing 7. Compression
2. Hydraulic oil adjuster
3. Piston 8. Bladder
4. Seal 9. Nitrogen gas
5. Piston rod 10.Spring
6. Bearing 11.Rebound adjuster

GOING FURTHER
Answers may vary

POST TEST
1. B
2. B
3. D
4. D
5. A