CHANGE IS HARD My first thoughts turned to backing off the preload to drop the rear end a little ( yes , I know that ’ s not what preload is for ...). But ... it turns out that adjusting the preload is hard on this bike . As in ‘ I couldn ’ t do it ’ hard . It ’ s the same as on the 690 and the 701 . The C-spanner that comes with the tool kit is useless , well , useless for adjusting the preload with the shock in the bike anyway . Adjusting the preload ( which , again , isn ’ t the way to address seat height ) with the shock in the bike entails undoing the lockring , then attempting to turn the spring while simultaneously pushing a big screwdriver in the indents in the preload adjuster ring . Unless you ’ ve got the forearms of Arnie , this isn ’ t going to happen . The other option is to beat the preload adjuster ring with a screwdriver and hammer to try and turn it . Sadly , that ring is made of plastic , so it deforms at the slightest hint of force . Oh , and did I mention that the factory-supplied C-spanner can ’ t be used due to no space around the shock and is , therefore , useless ...? If anyone knows how to make it work , hit me up - I ’ m all ears . A friend with a 690 had installed a new rear shock tie-linkage that lowers the rear end , so I started looking into that option . Mentioning this in a previous story on the GasGas , I got an email from a reader ( thanks Tim Arlott ) who ’ d already had a play with that kind of link on his 690 and didn ’ t like the way it changed the way the suspension action progressed , and that a spacer inside the shock to reduce extended length was a better way forward . A quick call to Kiwi Suspension Solutions ( KSS ) confirmed things - the different length very much changes the way the suspension rate changes as the shock compresses . KSS gave me the thumbs up to give the spacer option a try , as it wouldn ’ t change the linkage ratio , it ’ d be a job I could do myself and the only thing needing outside help would be re-

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