Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 21, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 21, 2008 Took weeks before I leave to go on a Pashnit tour I'm noticing that my right fork is leaking again at the top seal. :fing02: Right now I'm only finding a small amount of fluid around the top seal and normally I would just keep an eye on it, but I'm going to have both front forks serviced before my trip since the last time it leaked it also started out slow before eventually becoming a full-blown gusher. Since I got in on the Elka rear shock group buy a while ago, upgrading the front suspension was on my "next to do" list, but I was hoping to do it later during the winter off-season riding time. Anyway, since I'm less than an hour away from Racetech, I figured I might as well go with them since they also agreed to get the forks back to me within a few days. I talked to someone there and they suggested I go with .95 springs, although I figured .90 would be better for me since I'm about 165 lbs w/o gear and not much of an aggressive rider but more of a commute/tourer than anything else. I'mm just curious what anyone else might have to say about the spring rates, and whether or not I should also go with the Gold Compression and Rebound valve kits. Any comments are welcomed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer okred Posted May 21, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 21, 2008 Can't help you with spring rates but if I lived less than an hour from racetech I would do the whole shebang in a heartbeat. Everyone on VFRD who has upgraded the springs and internals has been very positive about the results.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 At your weight and more of a commuter type rider I would think .90's would work. But hey, I don't work at Racetech so what do I know. Action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlecreek Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 i have .95's on mine and i am 255 w/o gear. i would say .95 will be too stiff and rough on touring. .9 is right personally, i would not spend the money on the valving for touring only. just service it, add new spring and set the SAG properly and it should feel like a new bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 I've heard and read on here that Racetech's recommended spring rates are on the stiff side, so I will probably go with a .90 spring. But why not go with the valving upgrades? I also read here where someone only went with the compression gold valve, but not the rebound? I would think it's best to go with both, or not at all. Anyway, forks are off and will be dropped off at Racetech during my lunch break... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlecreek Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I've heard and read on here that Racetech's recommended spring rates are on the stiff side, so I will probably go with a .90 spring. But why not go with the valving upgrades? I also read here where someone only went with the compression gold valve, but not the rebound? I would think it's best to go with both, or not at all. Anyway, forks are off and will be dropped off at Racetech during my lunch break... the only reason NOT to do it is money vs payback. if you have the money, then i would do it in a heart beat. if i was on a budget and had other things i wanted to do, i would think the payback on the upgraded valving for touring purpose only would not be there and the money could be used for something that gave you a better bang....absolutely nothing WRONG with doing the valving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted May 22, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 I've heard and read on here that Racetech's recommended spring rates are on the stiff side, so I will probably go with a .90 spring. But why not go with the valving upgrades? I also read here where someone only went with the compression gold valve, but not the rebound? I would think it's best to go with both, or not at all. Anyway, forks are off and will be dropped off at Racetech during my lunch break... When I was installing Gold Valve kits on my bikes' forks ten years ago all you COULD do was compression, because they didn't even sell a rebound Gold Valve kit for VFR forks until, dunno, about five years ago, and it was still a very good improvement. Racetech used to say a rebound GV wasn't necessary... Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted May 22, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 I did the Traxxion Dynamics valving upgrade and a 1.0 spring. I also have a Penske in the rear. A first I thought the mod was oh so stiff, and was thinking to back the springs down. But since I had just got the bike back together and not wanting to tear it down again soon, I just left it alone for the season. One season turned into two and now I dont remember what the complaint was. This bike handles like its hardwired to my brain and I have no reason now to fool with the boingers anymore. The stiffness doesnt now seem all that bad. I think alot of it is that its a big jump compared to stock. BTW - I weigh 185. MD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 .95's are too much for you and your intended needs IMO, I'm 200 lbs running .95's. BTW what spring did you get on the new rear shock, keeping in balance with that is about as important as anything! I would suggest .85-.90 depending on the rear spring rate on that Elka shock. :rolleyes: ps I wouldn't worry about spending the extra $300 plus on the Gold Valves at the moment or even at all from how you say you ride, proper springs, fresh oil & seals will do wonders as is! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 Just got back from Racetech...a pretty nice facility with what seems to me a well run operation. Anyway, I spoke to someone there, and they agreed that a .90 was what I should go with. They also also suggested going with the compression gold valve, which I did, but that I didn't need to get the rebound valve, so I didn't. Baileyrock: I just had my Elka rear shock re-sprung. I don't know how the numbers I got from Elka translate into kg/mm, but John from Elka told me it shipped with a 850 pound spring. He determined this was too soft, as I had too much free sag and I couldn't get the remote preload adjustment any less than 44mm. Elka sent me a 900 pound spring, and after replacement it feels a lot better and now I can get my preload to 38-40 mm which is where I like it for most riding/touring. So does a "900 pound" spring somehow translate to .85 - .90? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Just got back from Racetech...a pretty nice facility with what seems to me a well run operation. Anyway, I spoke to someone there, and they agreed that a .90 was what I should go with. They also also suggested going with the compression gold valve, which I did, but that I didn't need to get the rebound valve, so I didn't.Baileyrock: I just had my Elka rear shock re-sprung. I don't know how the numbers I got from Elka translate into kg/mm, but John from Elka told me it shipped with a 850 pound spring. He determined this was too soft, as I had too much free sag and I couldn't get the remote preload adjustment any less than 44mm. Elka sent me a 900 pound spring, and after replacement it feels a lot better and now I can get my preload to 38-40 mm which is where I like it for most riding/touring. So does a "900 pound" spring somehow translate to .85 - .90? Well, Elka sent you a shock with a stock spring rate(850lbs). :rolleyes: I look at it like this, going with the .90 front springs that is a 22% increase in stiffness over the stock .74 kg springs. Now look at the rear spring rate now a 900 vs stock 850, that is only a 5% increase in spring rate. Many people just change to stiffer front springs and it does feel better in some respects over stock, but it will not work as well overall as a more balanced set-up. The 900 will work, but I would be more inclined to go with a 950lb for you and this bike. That would be a 12% rate increase and IMO make/keep your bike more balanced and if Elka will swap out again for a 950 in time for your trip I would recommend it. :ohmy: I run a .95 & 19 kg rear, that is a rate increase of 28% front & 25% rear and it feels great, planted and balanced, but then again the slower you tend to ride the less likely you would even notice a difference! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Racetech were right saying that a 0.90 kg/mm spring would be right for you. I weigh ~200 pooondz and have Sonic 0.95s in the front of my '01. They are great on the bumps and whatnot, but overwhelm the damping. I've got a mix of 10W and 15W fork oil which helps, but ideally I need the damping sorted professionally, which will have to wait until we've paid off our Urpeen vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 I'm not sure if an 850 lb rear spring is stock...but that is what the shock came with after I gave Elka my weight and riding style. Anyone know what the spring weight is for a stock rear shock? Anyway, I called Elka and talked to Sebastian...after telling him my story he seemed to think the 900 lb rear spring would be good for .85 front springs, but that the 900 would also work well with .90 front springs. I didn't ask about swapping for a 950 since I called before your response, so for now I think I will just go with what I have and see how I like it. So far the rear with the new spring feels a lot more "planted" and less susceptible to squirming when cornering, but I will keep an eye on the front/rear balance that you speak of and see if I can feel a difference between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I can't remember at the moment what spring is on the Ohlins on my VFR, but I know it's too soft for my setup. I am ~200lbs, and usually have the hard bags attached(although mostly empty). I'm running .90's right now, and pretty sure it's a 914lb spring out back. The bike feels stiff & a little unbalanced, when I encounter a bump, I can feel the rear give way to the springs in front(the front feels like it's popping up, but it's really the rear giving way). I do ride pretty aggressively, and when I'm not, I have my wife on the back and/or fully loaded bags. I am going to try the 1028lb spring and see how I like it. My F4i feels awesome with a 970 out back and .90's in front, just about perfect even, but that bike is a lot lighter overall and especially in the rear(no huge subframe), and also (my) rider weight has a more forward-bias when sitting on it. If I were you, I might have gone for the 970(or thereabouts) out back. Can you still tell them to change it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I'm not sure if an 850 lb rear spring is stock...but that is what the shock came with after I gave Elka my weight and riding style. Anyone know what the spring weight is for a stock rear shock? 15.3 kg or 858 lbs! That is why I said they gave you a stock rate spring! :musik20: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I'm running .90's right now, and pretty sure it's a 914lb spring out back. The bike feels stiff & a little unbalanced, when I encounter a bump, I can feel the rear give way to the springs in front(the front feels like it's popping up, but it's really the rear giving way). Yep, that is exactly what happens to feel when the front is at a stiffer rate than the rear and why my 02 felt like crap with the new revalved/resprung forks and a stock rate rear spring on my Ohlins. The front was sitting up higher and would not give under most bumps as the weight was just transfered to the softer rear spring over working it. The front felt like it was just bouncing over the top of most of the roads small imperfections instead of absorbing them. About the only place the forks felt better was less dive under braking until I balanced the bike with the correct rear spring 19 kg or 1065 lbs. Read this thread. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...;hl=transformed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 155-165 is about the average "little Japanese guy" weight, isn't it? Probably why they gave him a stock rate? :musik20: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 No, Racetech is only doing the fronts. The rear is a huge pain to R&R due to the remote preload adjuster and getting it routed through all the ABS junk. Removing it again is not real high on my list of priorities...ugh!!! So should I call Racetech and just go with .85 springs instead of .90? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Might not be a bad idea! Especially if you're not aggressive on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 22, 2008 Might not be a bad idea! Especially if you're not aggressive on the road. No, I'm not aggressive to the point where I need a sport or race suspension. What I want is something that works better and feels better than stock, is more responsive than stock, but then again I don't want to get beat up from a too stiff suspension. I think the concensus is right that I need a stiffer rear spring if I want to run .90 front springs, but I have Racetech researching it for me so I'm waiting to hear from them. I also need to talk to Elka to verify what I have installed, but unfortunately they are closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NVR2L8 Posted May 28, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 Got my forks back and installed them tonight after work. Took a short test/shakedown ride and everything seems to be okay. I'm glad I went with the .85 springs though, because with these springs and at my weight the front suspension is a definitely a lot more firmer than stock. .90's would have been way too stiff.... I got the shocks back from Racetech with the preload adjusters screwed out even more than the stock setting of the second groove showing, and while I would have thought the preload would be pretty soft, a quick check of the sag showed it to be about 39-40mm. Anyway, I need some seat time to get them dialed in a little better, but so far they feel better than stock. Also, if I bounce the front end on the sidestand I can hear what sounds like a spring sounding squeak from what I assume is coming from the inside of the fork. Anyone else get this with Racetech springs? It also seems to be more pronounced if I crank down the preload. Hopefully as the parts wear in this goes away...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I'm running .90's right now, and pretty sure it's a 914lb spring out back. The bike feels stiff & a little unbalanced, when I encounter a bump, I can feel the rear give way to the springs in front(the front feels like it's popping up, but it's really the rear giving way). Yep, that is exactly what happens to feel when the front is at a stiffer rate than the rear and why my 02 felt like crap with the new revalved/resprung forks and a stock rate rear spring on my Ohlins. The front was sitting up higher and would not give under most bumps as the weight was just transfered to the softer rear spring over working it. The front felt like it was just bouncing over the top of most of the roads small imperfections instead of absorbing them. About the only place the forks felt better was less dive under braking until I balanced the bike with the correct rear spring 19 kg or 1065 lbs. Read this thread. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...;hl=transformed Baileyrock: What's your weight? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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