Best wodge of cash I ever spent on a Motorcycle

**James Deuce** · 1st July 2004, 17:34

I had a warrant due last week, and I knew I needed new fork seals and a new rear tyre when I dropped it off. So I organised a set of Race Tech fork springs, given that the seals would cost a reasonable amount in labour, to chuck in as well.

WHAT A FREAKING DIFFERENCE. If you have spare cash to spend on the bike, ignore your engine, or ricing it up with some neon, upgrade your suspension. No more crashing over potholes, a bike that turns with both ends in symphony, and no more massive brake dive.

Kudos to Motorad again, especially Derek. And to work for giving me heaps of overtime this week.

I just have to scrub in that rear tyre, and finish writing that letter bitching to the LTSA about having to swap one set of high grade braided brake lines for the slightly lower grade set that they say are legal in NZ. Oh, and an invoice for the amount of the lines, after all the lines were legal 8 months ago when it got it's first NZ warrant.

**Eddieb** · 1st July 2004, 17:38

Congrats, Jim.

so how much were the springs?

And why didn't they like your lines?

Full of questions aren't I.

**James Deuce** · 1st July 2004, 17:39

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Congrats, Jim.

so how much were the springs?

And why didn't they like your lines?

Full of questions aren't I.

Springs were $299, and I'm not sure but the new lines appear to have a much bigger internal diameter. The brakes are less agressive, but have a huge amount more feel, so it's not all bad.

**Hitcher** · 1st July 2004, 17:47

Chuck an Ohlins on the rear now and you'll be riding handsome!

I had Mrs H's ride in at Motorad today to get her birthday present fitted but they didn't get it finished by stumps. So tonight I have ridden home on their demo BMW F650GS. And what a fun ride that is. The single-pot 650 bangs away nicely in a Bavarian agricultural manner, the riding position is quite comfy, it tracks a bit differently to a Zrex or a cruiser (not surprisingly), the heated hand grips are nice, controls logical and easy to find, nice simple elevated instruments... Not overly endowed with either horses or torque but one could easily get used to honking over hill and dale on one of these. I think I now need to have a go on its bigger brother!

LB · 2nd July 2004, 05:48

Originally Posted by Hitcher

I had Mrs H's ride in at Motorad today to get her birthday present fitted but they didn't get it finished by stumps.

Well? What's the present you're getting fitted? You can't leave us in suspense like this Mr H!!

**Hitcher** · 2nd July 2004, 09:14

Originally Posted by Lynda Blair

Well? What's the present you're getting fitted? You can't leave us in suspense like this Mr H!!

Heated grips. Woo hoo! The loaner BMW had them and, I must admit, that on a cold morning like this morning they were rather nice coming into town. To misquote Homer Simpson: "Hmmmmmmm, toasty palms..."

**vifferman** · 2nd July 2004, 09:20

Originally Posted by Jim2

I just have to scrub in that rear tyre, and finish writing that letter bitching to the LTSA about having to swap one set of high grade braided brake lines for the slightly lower grade set that they say are legal in NZ. Oh, and an invoice for the amount of the lines, after all the lines were legal 8 months ago when it got it's first NZ warrant.

Yeah, it friggin sux. I had to do the self-same thing: bought a very nice pair of Aerotek-BSR lines, then less than a week later put a more expensive (but not as pretty) set of similar ones in. I think the first ones may have had slightly better feel (must've been smaller internal diameter). Only other difference was some letters and numbers printed on the plastic tubing on the second set. Fucking bureaucrats.

Originally Posted by Jim2

So I organised a set of Race Tech fork springs, given that the seals would cost a reasonable amount in labour, to chuck in as well.
WHAT A FREAKING DIFFERENCE. If you have spare cash to spend on the bike, upgrade your suspension. No more crashing over potholes, a bike that turns with both ends in symphony, and no more massive brake dive.

So, Mr Jim2 - it was springs, new seals, and new oil? Nothing else? No fettling or adjusting or maximising? I'd love to do this, but .... the bucks would be a problem. I have a suspicion that just changing the fluid would help though...

**James Deuce** · 2nd July 2004, 09:36

Originally Posted by firestormer

Yeah, it friggin sux. I had to do the self-same thing: bought a very nice pair of Aerotek-BSR lines, then less than a week later put a more expensive (but not as pretty) set of similar ones in. I think the first ones may have had slightly better feel (must've been smaller internal diameter). Only other difference was some letters and numbers printed on the plastic tubing on the second set. Fucking bureaucrats.

So, Mr Jim2 - it was springs, new seals, and new oil? Nothing else? No fettling or adjusting or maximising? I'd love to do this, but .... the bucks would be a problem. I have a suspicion that just changing the fluid would help though...

The guy that did the job is a reasonable chassis engineer, so he's dropped the forks 5mm through the triple clamp, reduced the rebound damping one notch, and wound off 3 lines of preload, all based on my "healthy" physique, and how I had the forks setup previously.

I'm going to give it a better workout this weekend, and possibly change some settings, but the way it feels at the moment I don;t think I'll need to.

**vifferman** · 2nd July 2004, 09:50

Originally Posted by Jim2

The guy that did the job is a reasonable chassis engineer....etc etc blah blah blah

Ah! So it was a complete suspension tuning/tweaking. And the $299 was just for the springs, not the whole job?

**James Deuce** · 2nd July 2004, 10:16

Originally Posted by firestormer

Ah! So it was a complete suspension tuning/tweaking. And the $299 was just for the springs, not the whole job?

Correct - Fork Springs were $299, seals were $40, fork oil was $20, and labour for that bit of the whole job was $80. That means the the tweaks were included in that labour cost.

**mangell6** · 2nd July 2004, 21:05

Originally Posted by Hitcher

(snip)So tonight I have ridden home on their demo BMW F650GS. And what a fun ride that is. The single-pot 650 bangs away nicely in a Bavarian agricultural manner, the riding position is quite comfy, it tracks a bit differently to a Zrex or a cruiser (not surprisingly), the heated hand grips are nice, controls logical and easy to find, nice simple elevated instruments... Not overly endowed with either horses or torque but one could easily get used to honking over hill and dale on one of these. I think I now need to have a go on its bigger brother!

Thats exactly what the mrs sez when she rides her F650GS. Also comments that "while you may think that the heated grips are for softies, my hands are warm!" followed by

**James Deuce** · 6th July 2004, 09:22

Finally got around to scrubbing the new tyres in and having a fun ride.

Before the change I had 4 lines of preload showing, and was using 3 clicks of rebound damping.

The springs were bought to suit my weight + riding gear (95kgs- yes - It was me! I ate all the pies!).

I've set it up as follows

6 lines of preload showing, 15wt Silikolene fork oil, 2 clicks of rebound damping, raised fork legs through triple clamp 5mm.

I say! What a difference! The front end is absolutely planted now. Low speed ride is massively improved, as my capacious mass isn't compressing the springs to the hardest part of their travel. And the steering! Oi! I can change line mid-corner without a wallow, steer while trail braking, and it doesn't stand up at all if I have to give it a handful of brake while honking into an apex.

There is one unfortunate side effect. No two actually:

1. The rear shock now feels a little outmatched by the front.
2. I can count the number of nipples on small mammals when I run them over.

**F5 Dave** · 6th July 2004, 09:43

Yeah suspension is a good place to throw money at for bang for buck.

I just test rode my touring whale (RF) this weekend after replacing the rear spring. Std the bike would slump esp. when my girlfriend got on (as much comic value as that would get she is only 60kg). Either way the spring seems designed for a tiny Italian with his 4 foot Japanese girlfriend.

I took the spring off (PS 4 hose clamps wound up will relieve the pressure on a spring) & measured it with a set of bathroom scales & a Press. I could have used a bit of 4x2 with a nail to retain the spring as a lever. Either way you measure the spring & move the lever or press say 1cm & read the scale. It appeared to have a 65kg spring. I found a stronger spring (ironically off a 600) & used that with a couple of adaptors to get the free length & diameter the same.

Mucho better. The bike no longer sags as much (was on max preload before) yet isn’t uncomfortable.

**riffer** · 6th July 2004, 09:57

ohlins

Originally Posted by Jim2

There is one unfortunate side effect. No two actually:

1. The rear shock now feels a little outmatched by the front.
2. I can count the number of nipples on small mammals when I run them over.

Two potential solutions:

1. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...n-13063336.htm

2. Run over mammals with less nipples.

**F5 Dave** · 6th July 2004, 10:01

Further option is to get the shock re-sprung &/or re-valved. I just got my YZF done & heck what an improvement. Would recommend Mark Patterson in Rotorua.