5 Minutes with ... Adam Robinson

April 28, 2005

By Brett Dailey

"Disco Stu" shows John Nelson how to assemble a modern shock.

Photo: Brett Dailey

In the early days, LGS Suspension was known as Machine Racing Suspension because John Nelson did all of the work himself in the Machine Racing shop. Nelson has been working on suspension since the mid 1980s (when names like Jeff Surwall, Glen Nicholson and Doug Hoover raced for him). In the early years, Machine Racing Suspension was probably more of a side project for the dealership and it fit nicely with the service department which was run by Tommy “Chong” Musgrove.

During the late 1990’s, Machine Racing Suspension was changed to Landing Gear Suspension in an effort to separate it from the service department. Demand for suspension work grew and a technician by the name of Scott Cutler dedicated about 85% of his time to suspension work. After Scott left Machine Racing to pursue other ventures, Adam Robinson moved over from the service department to the suspension department. If you have any history with Machine Racing, you will know that everyone that works there (and most of the regular customers) have a nickname. Adam is better known as Disco Stu. The name has stuck so well that most customers would be shocked to find out that his name is in fact Adam and not Stu.

After a few years with the name Landing Gear Suspension, they later shortened it down to LGS Suspension and, as of January 2005, the official name is LGS Suspension Development.

Racer X Canada: How long have you worked for Machine Racing and LGS?
Adam Robinson: I have worked for Machine Racing since October 1997 and for LGS since August 1999.

What services do you offer and what is the most common?
We offer a full range of services from oil and seal changes to revalving, respringing, and shock shaft rechroming. Oil changes and basic suspension servicing is probably the most common service that we do.

How do you do your testing?
First off, I’d like to stress what sets LGS Suspension Development apart from most other companies in Canada. Our advantage is our access to scientific testing equipment. I believe that there is no actual way to tell what a shock or fork is doing internally without first charting it and seeing what kind of forces are being created and then applying what we’ve learned in an actual test riding session.

Our testing is done in a couple of different ways. For the past two winters, I have been fortunate enough to work for a company by the name of Arvin Meritor which manufactures Ryde FX snowmobile shocks. Arvin Meritor has the some of the most up-to-date shock absorber testing equipment available. I also worked with several product engineers and I was able to gain invaluable information and knowledge from them that applies to snowmobile shock absorbers and motorcycle suspension systems. I usually spend most of my spare time during the winter charting and testing about five or six different valving set ups, and when the weather permits I’ll go testing with one or two of our test riders to see which settings work the best.

We are fortunate to have a couple of riders that are excellent at feedback and setting up their own bikes so that allows us to make sure we’re heading in the proper direction with settings. Plus John and I also do constant testing with valving and external settings whenever we go riding.

How has testing gone this season with the new bikes?
We’ve made really good progress so far this year with Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki. Unfortunately we are limited by weather early in the season, but the weather is improving and we have been able to get several test sessions in.

You have some of the best riders in Ontario racing for your shop and using your suspension. Are you confident about 2005?
I’m really exited about the provincials and the east coast nationals. We definitely have some of the brightest young stars in Ontario riding for us this year with Kyle Keast, Jason Burke and Trever Hall as well as some seasoned veterans like Chuck Mesley, Ryan Gauld and Mike Island. I’m confident that we are better prepared than a lot of other riders and teams going into the first provincial round and that’s a good start. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens from there.

What is the most important thing a rider can do to a stock bike to make his suspension work better?
The first and most important thing a rider can do to make his or her bike perform well is to ensure they start with the proper spring rates for their weight and specific type of riding. You can spend endless dollars on bolt-on items and revalving but if the spring rates are incorrect, the bike will handle poorly.

What testing should a rider do on a stock bike before they bring it in for a revalve?
I recommend that my customers ride their new bike for a couple of weeks at different tracks to make sure the suspension is broken in. The reason for this is that most new bikes usually sit up in the stroke and feel fresh and stiff. Once the suspension breaks in, you get a true feeling for how things are going to work. A lot of riders will buy new bikes based on magazine tests. Unfortunately, most of the test riders only get five to ten laps to form an opinion on a bike when it is still new and in my opinion this doesn’t give the rider a true appreciation for how a bike will feel once it is broken in.

How much adjustment should riders do from track to track or as the day wears on and the track gets rougher?
That depends on how much knowledge the rider has with tuning suspension. You can definitely make things worse with a click in the wrong direction. Depending on the terrain—sand or hard pack—usually rebound or high-speed compression adjustments should be made.

How often should your forks and shock be serviced? Can riders service their own suspension these days?
Depending on the amount of riding you do, I would say once or twice a season is good. For pro riders and guys that ride long motos, once a month is better. The forks should be serviced once for every two shock oil changes. With today’s suspension, it’s difficult for the average rider to service their own suspension unless they have adequate experience.

What does a revalve offer a rider?
A revalve offers a rider the chance to make their suspension perform the best it can for them. Basically when you revalve a fork or shock, you change the damping characteristics to suit a specific rider preference or riding application. Correct valving combined with correct spring rates and proper external settings with result a smooth controlled ride.

Who has been your best test rider to date?
I would have to say Rob McCullough.

Good luck this weekend? Are you racing?
Thanks. I’m not racing this weekend. I’m racing some local races this spring, the Walton Trans Can and some fall series stuff. I’m wrenching for Trever Hall at the provincials and east coast nationals so I’m going to focus on him.

For more information on LGS Suspension Development and Machine Racing, visit www.machineracing.com.

Here is LGS Suspension's Disco Stu at the Walton GNC last year. Love the helmet and peak combo Stu ... Is that sold at Machine Racing?

Photo: Brett Dailey