Member Contributer dirtbag Posted January 16, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 16, 2012 Sure, they might have the best hardware, but who has sent stuff there for rework? I rebuilt my forks with gold rebound/comp, and sent them my shock for revalve. I did my fork with a .95 spring, and they set up my rear with an 800 lb/in (14.28kg/mm) spring with valving. Hey, I told them what my fork spring was(it was all purchased at the same time), and thought hey, maybe they know something I don't? So I start riding the thing and end up with my rear preload cranked. I call them up and all the lady would tell me is that they set it up to the valving charts and it is all good. I asked for the charts to be sent and a tech to call me to discuss my issues. No call back, no response to emails. I have my shock sent to Daugherty right now, and judging from the VFRD Rep the man has, I will be getting back one helluva shock! The moral of the story is that I am disgusted with racetech, and I feel dirty I gave them my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer whiteboyslo Posted January 16, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 16, 2012 I didn't have them rebuild my stuff, but my guy did use their internals. It was up to me to buy it all, though. Wasn't terribly impressed with the customer service. Hard to get someone on the phone, and the guy wasn't exactly a 'personality plus' when it came to discussing anything. They also sent some wrong components (can't remember what) but the guy installing the stuff was able to re-use the original pieces. But, to be fair, the end result is a bike I'm much more happy with. I don't have a lot of experience with messing with bike suspension (actually, NONE before this), but I consider it one of the best investments I've made in my riding. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I rebuilt my forks with gold rebound/comp, and sent them my shock for revalve. I did my fork with a .95 spring, and they set up my rear with an 800 lb/in (14.28kg/mm) spring with valving. Hey, I told them what my fork spring was(it was all purchased at the same time), and thought hey, maybe they know something I don't? Race Tech like MOST suspension shops just can't seem to figure out the VFR Rear Spring Rates, Jamie was also using a Faulty Ratio Calculator and now seems to be using a better one. The rear spring they sent you is a JOKE! Softer then stock and the valving will also be wrong for the correct rate spring! I don't know how much you weigh, but based on a balanced approach and your current .95 fork springs the rear spring should be in the 20-22kg range. I'm guessing you weigh in the 190-220 range. BR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted January 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hmm. I have been considering going to Race-Tech because their show special is valid until April. At least that is what they told me at the MC show in Long Beach back in December. When I spoke to one of the sales guys at the show, it would be roughly $650.00 +/- a couple hundred (depending on options) to have both front and rear modfied. The one big benefit I can see going with them is that they are located about 30 mles from me, so I can drop off the bike and they'll handle the rest. I do not have a "working" garage, i.e. Too small to fit all my vehicles and have one on "blocks" while the parts are in transit, so that is the big plus for me. However, if I have to keep going back to get things dialed in, then it becomes less enticing to go with them to from the get go. Any other feedback on these guys would be good to hear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zRoYz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Unfortunately suspension is the most important thing on a motorbike before hp & bling. Suspension on any motorbike is designed for mass market & this includes aftermarket gear like Ohlins etc. Everybody is an individual & will tend to have confidence in feedback from suspension differently, the big problem is most don't really know how to convey what they want from there suspension so the average suspension tech reverts to the mass market settings. Suspension out of the box shock or valving upgrades are simply hit & miss for an individual & the problem here is allot of suspension techs don't back up there work, which means when you’re not happy with the outcome don't make adjustments without an additional charge. My advice is only use a suspension tech that will make adjustments at no extra cost until your happy but on saying that within reason, so that would mean the second time they open up your components to make adjustments they should have a better understanding of what you’re after & you should be able to convey better what you want. You can't expect them to continually do this if you don't know what you’re after. For example the VFR is a very neutral bike which is why you can play with the geometry so much, what this means in layman’s terms is the weight transfer to the front end is minimal compared to a sportsbike, but does load the rear more. Unfortunately most suspension techs understand spotsbikes because that is there main core business & the component manufactures are also sportsbike orientated so all there spring & valving data leans that way. This is why so many with bikes other than sportsbikes that obtain suspension upgrades don’t really get the optimal setup they should be getting. I’m no suspension tech but do know how to convey to my suspension tech what I like & believe me allot of the time it takes him a few attempts to get what I want right. I’m also not talking about standard suspension were I’m concerned both my CBR1000RR & VFR have aftermarket Ohlins/WP components fitted. Case to point I have a CBR1000RR front end on my VFR & after some advice went with the Ohlins 30mm cartridge kit. Well to cut a long story short it simply didn’t suit the VFR because there designed for sportsbikes with high front end weight transfer & even after many tweaks I just didn’t have the feeling I like from the front end. The underlying design of the 30mm Ohlins cartridge (it’s main strength) is hard braking which with the high loading on a sportsbike due to their geometry is cutting edge, but for the VFR was a failure for me. Lucky for me (as Ohlins cartridge kits aren’t cheap) my CBR1000RR has Ohlins FGRT forks that when I bought them were fitted with 25mm kits. So installing the Ohlins forks with 25mm valving to the VFR & installing the CBR forks with 30mm cartridge kits on the CBR1000RR was the solution. Both forks had to be modified again for their transplants to different bikes with spring rate & shim changes but both bikes perform how I want them too so I’m happy. Just for the record my riding style is a very fast entry speed with less throttle on exit, yet most feel you need a very stiff fork setting for that type of style. I like my suspension plush so it soaks up the bumps & I can feel the front tyre squishing into the road surface. I use a lower spring rate on the forks on the VFR than what the calculator’s state or is recommended my valving does the work & provides the feel I want, not the springs. To gain the feel I want the VFR alone has had the forks valving adjusted 3 times & there Ohlins so you can just imagine how hard it is to get none adjustable VFR forks correct for all conditions with zero adjustment except preload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted January 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 17, 2012 Dialing in the suspension is a given, not having the right spring rate and/or a mismatched front/rear is something different. My biggest concerns are customer service, general suspension knowledge and knowledge of my particular vehicle. Not sure if Dirtbag's issue is an isolated one or if this is the common service and support one could expect from Race-Tech? No hijack intended... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dirtbag Posted January 17, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hey no hijack... Racetech failed on all three of your concerns for me. In fact, I would love to hear what others have experienced with Racetech. It seems they have a pretty lousy rep for caring about their customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hey no hijack... Racetech failed on all three of your concerns for me. In fact, I would love to hear what others have experienced with Racetech. It seems they have a pretty lousy rep for caring about their customers. I'm just brainstorming here, but if it's the Racetech parts you want, can't you get someone like JD to figure out what parts from them you need, and have someone like JD(since he's more knowledgeable with our VFR's) do the valving and what ever needs to be done. Like Zroyz said someone that knows VFR's. I know you've already spent money with Racetech, but I'm guessing you're not going to stop until you have your suspension where you want it. It would be nice if RT would help you trade out what parts they sold you that are wrong for your bike, but that's another problem anyway(kind of). JD has made a lot of ppl on here happy with their VFR suspension, myself included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted January 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 17, 2012 My experience is positive. Took my bike up to RaceTech HQ in the back of my Chevy. I was able to get front/rear rebuilt with gold valves and stiffer springs and get back to San Diego for dinner! My VFR was transformed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFR Capt.Bob Posted January 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 17, 2012 I visited their shop in Corona when I had my forks completely done. They made a mistake installing the anchor bolts at the bottom and I couldn't install the axle. Had a track day the next morning so had to fix it myself. The lady you talked to is related to the owner and she can be pushy. They double charged me on oil and she insisted they hadn't. Felt like she would like to argue about it all day so I paid it and left. I think their products are good but there are others every bit as good or better but they have the big name. Forks work very well but I still wouldn't go back to them as a first choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zRoYz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 What does get a little lost & this is my opinion but racetech or any aftermarket valving in the VFR forks is wasting money, the factory valving is very good what you want to have done to suit your spring rate & feel your after is just have the shim stacks adjusted, that is the real guts that makes the most difference & takes a skilled suspension tech to get right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 What does get a little lost & this is my opinion but racetech or any aftermarket valving in the VFR forks is wasting money, the factory valving is very good what you want to have done to suit your spring rate & feel your after is just have the shim stacks adjusted, that is the real guts that makes the most difference & takes a skilled suspension tech to get right. I had both done: new valving, new shim stack. And new spring (Ohlins). And new oil (Ohlins). No money wasted, except on the original spring (Sonic 0.95) and valving set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer GP Paul Posted January 19, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 19, 2012 I had my '01 done in '07 through the local (Red Deer, AB - Turple Bros.) dealership according to the online RaceTech Q+A specs. Loved it; no problems. Best riding I've ever done. Not cheap though, and Elka shock too added up to about $2400 (IIRC). To me, it seemed a HUGE difference, all positive except the front was maybe too stiff for pothole/speedbump at speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMLARCH Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 What does get a little lost & this is my opinion but racetech or any aftermarket valving in the VFR forks is wasting money, the factory valving is very good what you want to have done to suit your spring rate & feel your after is just have the shim stacks adjusted, that is the real guts that makes the most difference & takes a skilled suspension tech to get right. I agree with you. For 90% of riding the VFR suspension is more than adequate, and very few people ride harder than that, in my opinion. For the 90% I suspect they are wasting their money on doing their suspension, unless it has high mileage, and needs an overhaul. I like the plushness of my VFR, and if I want to ride something more sporting, I get on my GSXR1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted January 19, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted January 19, 2012 I like the plushness of my VFR, and if I want to ride something more sporting, I get on my GSXR1000. For a lot of us, we don't have the luxury of a pure sport bike for sport riding. That and the fact that it's sporty enough for most street riding, and you can do back to back long days on the VFR and not feel it as you would on a supersport. I'll agree that the VFR suspension is adequate. That doesn't mean it's good. It's not all about doing it to push the bike further. It's about having a nicer ride. I said this in another thread. I had the chance to ride someone else's 5th gen who has had the front and rear suspension upgraded. Front was just a new spring and some valving and back was a new shock (IIRC). Even with it set up for a heavier weight, it still felt much better and more responsive than the stock suspension on my 5th gen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 What does get a little lost & this is my opinion but racetech or any aftermarket valving in the VFR forks is wasting money, the factory valving is very good what you want to have done to suit your spring rate & feel your after is just have the shim stacks adjusted, that is the real guts that makes the most difference & takes a skilled suspension tech to get right. I agree with you. For 90% of riding the VFR suspension is more than adequate, and very few people ride harder than that, in my opinion. For the 90% I suspect they are wasting their money on doing their suspension, unless it has high mileage, and needs an overhaul. I like the plushness of my VFR, and if I want to ride something more sporting, I get on my GSXR1000. Well, I basicly see where you coming from, but think some other factors will change the numbers, like the riders wt., especially overwt ppl(like myself).... So even riding at a more leisurely pace I can see where a lot more ppl need a suspension upgrade. The reason I counter this is I'd hate to see ppl not give a try to improving their suspension so as not to miss out on how much more fun/control they'd be having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zRoYz Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 What does get a little lost & this is my opinion but racetech or any aftermarket valving in the VFR forks is wasting money, the factory valving is very good what you want to have done to suit your spring rate & feel your after is just have the shim stacks adjusted, that is the real guts that makes the most difference & takes a skilled suspension tech to get right. I agree with you. For 90% of riding the VFR suspension is more than adequate, and very few people ride harder than that, in my opinion. For the 90% I suspect they are wasting their money on doing their suspension, unless it has high mileage, and needs an overhaul. I like the plushness of my VFR, and if I want to ride something more sporting, I get on my GSXR1000. You have missed my point a little there, upgrading the VFR suspension even if you like to just cruse is a good thing for one simple reason safety. What I meant with the above remark is the standard fork valving is very good & you should have the shim stacks which is the most important component of the valving adjusted only (not change the body of the valving) so you’re still modifying the forks. I also feel people that feel the stock standard suspension is good have never had a bike with suspension modified simply to suit them & the riding they like to do. The main difference with upgraded suspension isn’t so much to make it stiff as a board for race tracks but make it respond the best it can to every road surface for the rider. I have lost count the number of times good suspension has saved me for hitting the deck under many circumstances high & low speed. I fitted 6th gen forks with Ohlins springs & shim stack adjustments to suit & a Penske shock to a friend’s bike 5th gen (I didn’t do the suspension mods just fitted parts for him) & believe me in all the years he has ridden bikes I think this is the first with modified suspension from factory stock. I spoke to him when away recently & he told me of a corner he entered a little quicker than he normally would have because it was a late decision to turn when he realised it was the route he needed to take. The corner had some corrugation/gravel to make matters worse which his front wheel hit & shook/slide but re griped & settled down so he could continue on his way. He had to pull over because he was shaken up & also wanted to check his wife was ok who was pillion. He said with 100% certainty that if his bike hadn’t had the suspension upgrade he & his wife would have hit the deck as his suspension before upgrade wouldn’t have recovered. That is the difference people forget about the level of extra safety good suspension increases & just because your not a racer boy doesn’t mean you won’t feel the benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted March 30, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2012 The RaceTech guys are good, but as mentioned above they are not #1 with customer service. Neither are the "Gold" brand guys either, FWIW. RaceTech has structured their business to tailor to a retail market. That's one of the reasons I decided quite some time ago that I should start making my own valving parts and cut ties with them. It's not anything about their quality or performance, it's just that I need the control and flexibility of a design of my own in order to make sure I'm offering the best possible service to my customers. In the years since I've been glad to be installing my own parts! The valving parts that I make comprise the majority of the installs I do. For some of the weird offroad applications I still buy the RT kits because it's easier. Luckily with the software I've made and a suspension dyno it's allowed me to keep with my goal of offering the best performance possible, no matter what brand of parts are boing used. Not sure what all this means, but hopefully it helps someone out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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