Guest medyv Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hey everyone, I recently became the new owner of a '98 VFR with quite a bit of suspension changes -- full Ohlins in the rear, rebuilt forks that are much stiffer than stock and 929 dogbone + raised forks, which means the seat height is about 3 inches higher than stock. My problem is that the previous owner was bigger than I am, and the bike feels very stiff and the forks even "top out" when going over medium to large bumps (like speed bumps, driveway curbs etc) at 10-15mph. I was able to get the sag in the rear to 32mm, but even with the preload all the way out on the front forks I can only get the sag to about 26mm. It felt better than the day I brought it home but the bike still gets very unsettled in turns when I hit a bump in the road. Is this a problem I'm not going to be able to solve without having the forks redone? And is there a setting I should put the front/rear at in the meantime that will give me better control? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ryanme17 Posted April 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hey everyone,I recently became the new owner of a '98 VFR with quite a bit of suspension changes -- full Ohlins in the rear, rebuilt forks that are much stiffer than stock and 929 dogbone + raised forks, which means the seat height is about 3 inches higher than stock. My problem is that the previous owner was bigger than I am, and the bike feels very stiff and the forks even "top out" when going over medium to large bumps (like speed bumps, driveway curbs etc) at 10-15mph. I was able to get the sag in the rear to 32mm, but even with the preload all the way out on the front forks I can only get the sag to about 26mm. It felt better than the day I brought it home but the bike still gets very unsettled in turns when I hit a bump in the road. Is this a problem I'm not going to be able to solve without having the forks redone? And is there a setting I should put the front/rear at in the meantime that will give me better control? Do you know how stiff the springs that he has are? Topping out and having the increase the pre-load are signs of a too-weak spring, not too stiff, I think... That part doesn't make sense to me. Why would a heavier rider use weaker springs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 hi and welcome to VFRD! :dry: How much do you weigh and what did the PO set it up for(weight)? You most likely need a spring change and nothing else. So depending on the difference between you and the PO we can give you a guide to your needs. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Topping out and having the increase the pre-load are signs of a too-weak spring, not too stiff, I think... That part doesn't make sense to me. Why would a heavier rider use weaker springs? No he has No preload in the front and it tops out and he can't achieve min. sag = too stiff. :dry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'd guess the PO was 180-190lbs, I'm 150lbs with gear. Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ryanme17 Posted April 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 13, 2009 Topping out and having the increase the pre-load are signs of a too-weak spring, not too stiff, I think... That part doesn't make sense to me. Why would a heavier rider use weaker springs? No he has No preload in the front and it tops out and he can't achieve min. sag = too stiff. :dry: Oh, you're right, I read it wrong! :cool: But yes, I agree that the spring is most likely too stiff, you should only need to change the spring, and then adjust the preload for the correct sag. You won't have to change the whole fork or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 If you're 150Lbs, then a set of stock fork springs should be fine for you. Try a WTB ad in the classifieds. Maybe someone has gone stiffer and has the stockers hanging in the garage. '98-'01 will work for you. 2002 and up will not. If your rear sag is in the ballpark, which it is by your measurements, then you should need to do nothing with that. Curious about the 929 rear linkage though. Got pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfracer750 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 You may want to check the preload spacer. I had the same issue on my 92 VFR after I had Race Tech Gold Valves/Springs put in. I couldn't get enough sag with the preload adjusters all the way out. So I had the spacers cut down so that the adjusters would allow me to get into the 30mm range for sag. Worth a shot. Do you happen to know the brand and/or spring rate of the fork springs? Race-Tech's website recommends a .90kg spring for your weight, .95kg for the previous owner. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ryanme17 Posted April 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 13, 2009 You may want to check the preload spacer. I had the same issue on my 92 VFR after I had Race Tech Gold Valves/Springs put in. I couldn't get enough sag with the preload adjusters all the way out. So I had the spacers cut down so that the adjusters would allow me to get into the 30mm range for sag. Worth a shot.Do you happen to know the brand and/or spring rate of the fork springs? Race-Tech's website recommends a .90kg spring for your weight, .95kg for the previous owner. Roger That'd get it working, but you still might prefer a more weight appropriate spring. Tough to tell without knowing what the rate on the spring in there is. +1 on the WTB, you may even find someone who has been meaning to go to a stiffer spring, but never got around to it who would trade you. Of course, no one would want to be VFR-less while waiting! :dry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted April 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 13, 2009 You may want to check the preload spacer. I had the same issue on my 92 VFR after I had Race Tech Gold Valves/Springs put in. I couldn't get enough sag with the preload adjusters all the way out. So I had the spacers cut down so that the adjusters would allow me to get into the 30mm range for sag. Worth a shot.Do you happen to know the brand and/or spring rate of the fork springs? Race-Tech's website recommends a .90kg spring for your weight, .95kg for the previous owner. Roger That'd get it working, but you still might prefer a more weight appropriate spring. Tough to tell without knowing what the rate on the spring in there is. :blink: If he cut his own spacers with the new springs, as Race Tech has you do, they may be too long. Very easy to remove and cut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Thanks for all the help, always nice to find a good forum :blink: I do know the previous owner had the forks re-valved with a Race Tech kit and 10w oil, I'm not sure about the springs however. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to suspensions - are the new fork valves going to contribute to the stiffness or are just the springs to blame? Here's the picture of the 929 link for canuck. I'll probably put it back to stock (assuming it works with the Ohlins shock) because the ride height is just too high, I'd say 2-3 inches higher. I'm 5'10 and can't flatfoot it. 929dgb.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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