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79 Posts
Sasquatch!
You havn't got it right yet thenSo I added gold valves and .90kg springs to the front forks and damn what a difference. Didn't notice much on the ride to work today other then very little dive on braking
I talked to Sasquatch at length at the July West Fest Rally in Darby, MT. I plan on doing the Wee's suspension (both ends) this winter.When the front is really well set up .... it takes the sharp edges out of those urban obstacle courses.
Pete
With a high oil level you have a very non-linear air-shock in parallel with the oil/spring circuit. If the oil level is too high it's much harsher as the effective spring rate with small displacements is too high.I talked to Sasquatch at length at the July West Fest Rally in Darby, MT. I plan on doing the Wee's suspension (both ends) this winter.
He said that properly set up, the bike would tend to "float over" the small, sharp bumps in the road (smooth them out) rather than be jolted by them. He said that the valving that was selected for each installation (which depends on our weight, riding style, bike load, etc), the springs that are installed (more a function of our weight and bike load) and the weight of the fork oil used (he strongly recommends Synthetic ATF) are the determining factors in the smoothness of operation of the suspension.
I assume the OP used the correct amount of fork oil during the rebuild. I guess I don't understand why lowering the level is going to help make changes to how the front suspension functions.
Dino M;724944 I'm about 165 pounds [/QUOTE said:Dino, First, you're at the wonderful personal weight -- 165#. You're at the weight that most motorcycles are set up for from the factory -- 165#. That means that the spring rates are correct for you at your weight, but that does not mean the valving (or lack of valving) is correct for you and your riding style, loading, etc.
I would suggest you contact Sasquatch at "Suspension by Sasquatch" or some other similar suspension rebuilder and see what they suggest to you.
Chuck, that's just not right. The Stroms are "set up" for someone who weighs about 70 lbs. Overall, bikes have a huge range of spring rates, in some cases bordering on the nonsensical. For example, the Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Ninja 650 are very close to the same weight. The 500 has .59 springs, barely enough for the weight of the bike alone, while the 650 has progressive springs that start at 1.2 and go up to 1.6, good for someone who weighs north of 400lbs.Dino, First, you're at the wonderful personal weight -- 165#. You're at the weight that most motorcycles are set up for from the factory -- 165#. That means that the spring rates are correct for you at your weight...
Sorry, Dino. My mistake. Thanks Rich for correcting me. I was going with what I had always heard -- bikes are originally set up for someone in the 165# range.Chuck, that's just not right. The Stroms are "set up" for someone who weighs about 70 lbs.
Chuck, do you plan to do that work yourself, or are you going to ride the bike out there? I'm interested in that work as well.I talked to Sasquatch at length at the July West Fest Rally in Darby, MT. I plan on doing the Wee's suspension (both ends) this winter.
He said that properly set up, the bike would tend to "float over" the small, sharp bumps in the road (smooth them out) rather than be jolted by them. He said that the valving that was selected for each installation (which depends on our weight, riding style, bike load, etc), the springs that are installed (more a function of our weight and bike load) and the weight of the fork oil used (he strongly recommends Synthetic ATF) are the determining factors in the smoothness of operation of the suspension.
I assume the OP used the correct amount of fork oil during the rebuild. I guess I don't understand why lowering the level is going to help make changes to how the front suspension functions.
John,Do you plan to do that work yourself?
Me too, Chuck. 9600 on the Wee and 2200 on the DR since May. Retirement is the best job I ever had:hurray:John,
I'm planning on sending the rear shock out to Boise for the rebuild and doing the front forks here at home. Sasquatch says his normal turn-around time for a rear shock rebuild is about a week, if he has it in the schedule. I'll buy the fork springs and valving from him and use the instructions for the rebuild, etc. I've got a long time rider/mechanic friend just down the road for technical resource/assistance if necessary.
However, I won't do anything, other than ride, until winter sets in. I still have four or five rallies to attend (~5K miles) before then. The suspension work will happen when I strip everything else off and check the valves and do the other preventive work. This may also be time to think about a chain and sprockets -- I have 19K+ on it now. The miles are rolling up fast.
Ain't it the truth. The good news is I'll have income as long as the State Universities' Retirement system is solvent. The bad news is the state is Illinois and SURS keeps most of its money in stocks.:scared:Retirement is the best job I ever had:hurray:
I hear ya! This country is on the brink......but I still love it.Ain't it the truth. The good news is I'll have income as long as the State Universities' Retirement system is solvent. The bad news is the state is Illinois and SURS keeps most of its money in stocks.:scared: