alternative to progressive springs?
08-16-2015, 05:53 PM
#1
Crash
Superstock
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: nashville
Posts: 309
alternative to progressive springs?
Instead of replacing springs with progressive springs has anyone tried to just add a spacer to stiffen forks up? I have seen it done in the off road world and on few dual sports. What yall guys think?
08-17-2015, 05:42 AM
#2
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 807
I haven't seen progressive rate springs advertised as replacements for the stock springs in the VTR. The usual replacements are straight rate springs in the .85 to .95 kg/mm range. According to Race Tech, the stock spring rate is .585 kg/mm. Increasing the preload on the stock springs will increase the ride height but won't change the spring rate. The springs will continue to be too soft. It's your bike but I think you'd get a greater improvement by installing aftermarket springs that are correct for your weight than by adding preload to the stock springs.
08-22-2015, 08:18 AM
#4
Senior Member
Back Marker
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 213
Contact Rich Desmond at Sonic Springs or get them from jamie@daughertymotorsports.com. Jamie has some fixes for the shock too.
08-22-2015, 09:31 AM
#5
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
The answer is you cant stiffen a spring by adding spacers.
You can add preload but the rate of the spring is unchanged.
If you really want to accomplish that, you must cut the spring to change the spring rate, then add a spacer to take up that space.
Its a tricky concept but picture this. A spring is a long piece of steel that bends.
Picture a long straight piece of steel between 2 chairs. If you push on the middle, it will deflect an exact amount per unit of weight pushing.
If you cut that long piece of steel in half, it will be much more stiff and resistant to bending, therefore stiffer.
That said, you can actually make spacers for the hawk and install them without removing the whole fork internals. I did mine with the bike all together.
Just cut like a 2 inch spacer out of tubing or pvc and then cut it in half top to bottom. You can then slip it where it goes and push the fork back together. 15 minutes whole job.
Then add like an inch of very heavy fork oil and your bike is transformed.
You can add preload but the rate of the spring is unchanged.
If you really want to accomplish that, you must cut the spring to change the spring rate, then add a spacer to take up that space.
Its a tricky concept but picture this. A spring is a long piece of steel that bends.
Picture a long straight piece of steel between 2 chairs. If you push on the middle, it will deflect an exact amount per unit of weight pushing.
If you cut that long piece of steel in half, it will be much more stiff and resistant to bending, therefore stiffer.
That said, you can actually make spacers for the hawk and install them without removing the whole fork internals. I did mine with the bike all together.
Just cut like a 2 inch spacer out of tubing or pvc and then cut it in half top to bottom. You can then slip it where it goes and push the fork back together. 15 minutes whole job.
Then add like an inch of very heavy fork oil and your bike is transformed.
Last edited by smokinjoe73; 08-23-2015 at 07:16 AM.
09-23-2015, 09:30 PM
#7
Crash
Superstock
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: nashville
Posts: 309
The answer is you cant stiffen a spring by adding spacers.
You can add preload but the rate of the spring is unchanged.
If you really want to accomplish that, you must cut the spring to change the spring rate, then add a spacer to take up that space.
Its a tricky concept but picture this. A spring is a long piece of steel that bends.
Picture a long straight piece of steel between 2 chairs. If you push on the middle, it will deflect an exact amount per unit of weight pushing.
If you cut that long piece of steel in half, it will be much more stiff and resistant to bending, therefore stiffer.
That said, you can actually make spacers for the hawk and install them without removing the whole fork internals. I did mine with the bike all together.
Just cut like a 2 inch spacer out of tubing or pvc and then cut it in half top to bottom. You can then slip it where it goes and push the fork back together. 15 minutes whole job.
Then add like an inch of very heavy fork oil and your bike is transformed.
You can add preload but the rate of the spring is unchanged.
If you really want to accomplish that, you must cut the spring to change the spring rate, then add a spacer to take up that space.
Its a tricky concept but picture this. A spring is a long piece of steel that bends.
Picture a long straight piece of steel between 2 chairs. If you push on the middle, it will deflect an exact amount per unit of weight pushing.
If you cut that long piece of steel in half, it will be much more stiff and resistant to bending, therefore stiffer.
That said, you can actually make spacers for the hawk and install them without removing the whole fork internals. I did mine with the bike all together.
Just cut like a 2 inch spacer out of tubing or pvc and then cut it in half top to bottom. You can then slip it where it goes and push the fork back together. 15 minutes whole job.
Then add like an inch of very heavy fork oil and your bike is transformed.
09-24-2015, 12:47 AM
#8
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Auckland, new Zealand
Posts: 932
A trick for Bandits is to just cut the tightly wound coils off the stock spring and make a spacer to take up the space. On a Bandit spring it leaves you with a almost perfect .95 spring.
Dont know if it would work on a VTR.
Dont know if it would work on a VTR.
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