SuzukiSavage.com - Front fork question

Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Front fork question 06/24/12 at 07:20:30 I am going to add spacers to the tubes to increase the preload. I have a couple of questions. Does anyone know what size PVC pipe I need to buy? And do I need to lift the bike to do this or can I just leave it sitting on its side stand?
Back to top	2002 Savage. IP Logged

arteacher Serious Thumper Offline Ride as if your naked and invisable! Posts: 2581 London ontario Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #1 - 06/24/12 at 07:38:02 Take one of the spacers to Home Depot and buy the same dia. PVC. Yes, the front end should be off the ground. And keep your hand over the cap as you loosten it or you may wind up looking for it- it is spring loaded.
Back to top	white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt IP Logged

Greg

Serious Thumper

Offline

Molon Labe

Posts: 1251
Southeast PA, uSA
Gender: male

Re: Front fork question
Reply #2 - 06/24/12 at 07:42:58

arteacher wrote on 06/24/12 at 07:38:02:

Take one of the spacers to Home Depot and buy the same dia.
PVC. Yes, the front end should be off the ground. And keep your hand over the cap as you loosten it or you may wind up looking for it- it is spring loaded.

That's what I figured I would need to do. Thanks!

Do I just add to the top of the factory spacer or replace the whole thing with a longer one?

Back to top

2002 Savage.

IP Logged

arteacher Serious Thumper Offline Ride as if your naked and invisable! Posts: 2581 London ontario Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #3 - 06/24/12 at 08:52:44 Some have used washers to add to the factory spacer. That would be the way to go if you are not planning to add very much preload, and you can add preload in small increments that way. What specific problem are you having with the suspension?
Back to top	white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt IP Logged

Greg

Serious Thumper

Offline

Molon Labe

Posts: 1251
Southeast PA, uSA
Gender: male

Re: Front fork question
Reply #4 - 06/24/12 at 09:13:04

arteacher wrote on 06/24/12 at 08:52:44:

What specific problem are you having with the suspension?

It's more of a rider problem! I am a big boy. When I sit on the bike the front end goes way down. I have a lot of groans when hitting certain types of bumps in the road. I have never bottomed out but thought the ride may be more comfy with some spacers. Perhaps I am mistaken?

Back to top

2002 Savage.

IP Logged

arteacher

Serious Thumper

Offline

Ride as if your
naked and invisable!

Posts: 2581
London ontario
Gender: male

Re: Front fork question
Reply #5 - 06/24/12 at 09:38:04

If the front end is not bottoming out on the big bumps, or under severe braking, I would leave it alone. What you are going to do by increasing the preload is make the suspension stiffer, and those bumps are going to feel harsher, not softer. The stock springs are progressive and by adding preload you are setting the springs up to work in their stiffer range.
I weigh 250 and found it was the rear shocks that were giving me grief, not the front. I replaced them with Progressive Suspension 412's.
That said, it costs very little to play with the preload, and you might like the ride better.

Back to top

white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt

IP Logged

Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #6 - 06/24/12 at 09:47:50 Thank you for that information!
Back to top	2002 Savage. IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28653 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #7 - 06/24/12 at 10:40:04 I added about 1/4" of washers to mine... took all my thumb power to squish them in there... (I also catapulted them to the ceiling several times)... Cover your tank with a towel, and wear goggles... ... PS... real hard to find the exact size washers... ...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Front fork question Reply #8 - 06/24/12 at 10:49:25 Solder them together & JB weld them to the bottom of the cap? Otta take fewer arms to get that in,, IDK,, mite wind up with busted bits of JB weld in a port one day,,
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #9 - 06/24/12 at 11:21:21 I think I would go the dirt bike route and modify it for adjustable preload. drill and tap the cap. put a plate on top of the spacers. and adjust with a bolt thru the cap. lock nut to secure the adjustment. but really, if you're not bottoming out, no real need.
Back to top	Versey's Place Tech Section Index IP Logged

Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #10 - 06/24/12 at 11:26:25 The consensus seems to be to leave them alone. I will do just that. My rear shocks are set for the stiffest ride. I figured I needed to do that considering my weight. I will play with that instead. It is not at the point to purchase Progressives. I am just looking to reduce a few of the really sharp bumps.
Back to top	2002 Savage. IP Logged

rfw2003 Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1108 Yantis, TX	Re: Front fork question Reply #11 - 06/24/12 at 14:24:01 I'm 240 myself so I'm a big guy as well. I went with the 412 series shocks on the rear and it made a world of difference. The Front isn't really the issue it's the Stock rear shocks. R.F.
Back to top	1996 Savage, Corbin Seat, K&N filter, Slip Streamer Enterprise II windshield, LED bullet signals, Cat's eye LED tail light Ryca reverse cone long muffler IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Front fork question Reply #12 - 06/24/12 at 14:45:27 Just step back & look at the bike & where the weight goes. The rider sits almost on top of the rear wheel & the rear suspension has the main load. If the ride is harsh, & lowering the rear shock performance from Hard to Soft means it bottoms out, then Id think the answer is taller, better shocks.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Greg Serious Thumper Offline Molon Labe Posts: 1251 Southeast PA, uSA Gender:	Re: Front fork question Reply #13 - 06/24/12 at 15:06:15 Thanks everyone. You guys rock!
Back to top	2002 Savage. IP Logged

rfw2003

Serious Thumper

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 1108
Yantis, TX

Re: Front fork question
Reply #14 - 06/24/12 at 15:38:43

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 06/24/12 at 14:45:27:

Just step back & look at the bike & where the weight goes. The rider sits almost on top of the rear wheel & the rear suspension has the main load. If the ride is harsh, & lowering the rear shock performance from Hard to Soft means it bottoms out, then Id think the answer is taller, better shocks.

That's the dual benifit of the 412 series shocks. They give you the better ride, but also they are longer then stock. I have the 11" ones and use them on setting 3 when I'm by myself, If I take someone for a ride I need to put them on the highest setting to keep from bottoming out. In retrospect I would have gone with the 11.5" ones.

R.F.

Back to top

1996 Savage, Corbin Seat, K&N filter, Slip Streamer Enterprise II windshield, LED bullet signals, Cat's eye LED tail light Ryca reverse cone long muffler

IP Logged