New Springs and Mixed Results

Hey Everyone,

I just had a shop put in .95 Race Tech springs, 10 Wt oil and new fork seals on my 03 VFR w/27k miles.

I weigh 185 without gear on.

The preload is backed almost all the way out (was previously cranked all the way down) and the bike feels much more controlled. I feel like I am sitting in the bike as opposed to falling forward. The rear shock pre-load is on the second click as it has been.

The problem is the bike feels a bit harsh now. When I hit a bump it seems to not track the road so well- like its skittering across the bigger expansion joints. Previously this was only a problem with the rear feeling unsettled.

Can I put in a lighter weight oil or do I need to have the forks torn back down and valves installed? This is getting mighty expensive!

My riding style is mixed... like any good VFR rider!

 

Hi VFR Love

I have upgraded springs and valving in my 5th gen VFR800, so perhaps my experience may shed some light on yours. From the sounds of it you have swapped over to linear rate springs from the stock progressive / dual rate springs. I believe it is normal to feel like the suspension is more harsh with the new springs, but the major difference is noticed when you start increasing the pace and hit the winding roads - the handling becomes much more predictable and stable. I think the stock springs feel more plush because of the dual rate, but this also makes it less predictable at speed.

The preload should be wound all the way out on the forks if the new spring is rated correctly for your weight - so you've got the right setting.

Another thing you didn't mention is whether you have tuned / overhauled the rear shock as well. If your front end is sorted but the rear shock is worn out (or the rear spring is wrong for you) then you'll notice problems with handling. Did you just do the front end?

I used to do a lot of mountain bike racing and that involves plenty of suspension fiddling. From experience I found that, although not ideal, a front end that's too soft will screw up your handling much less than a rear end that's too soft. A squishy rear end will slacken the front geometry too much and also shift the centre of gravity towards the back - making the bike feel like a chopper, refusing to turn corners, and making the front feel light and vague. Likewise if your rear spring hasn't been matched with the front then your VFR will do something similar.

As an experiment try increasing the preload on your rear spring by 1-2 notches. If the handling improves a little (despite the harshness) then you'll know that the back end needs attention.

If your rear shock & spring is fine then you could try dropping the forks through the triple clamps 5mm to steepen the head angle a little.

FYI I'm not a mechanic, just an average rider, so keep that in mind when reading my reply

 

I sent my forks and shock to JD for springs and his valve magic. You can tell it's firmer but not harsh in any way. There is no dancing or skittering and the rear doesn't kick my ass off the seat when going over sharp edged bumps like it used to. Give him a call. It's money we'll spent IMO.
John

 

Doing the front end and not the rear is about like mixing tires.

 

Thanks for the info everyone...
I am still on the stock rear shock.
And being a mtn biker myself I know that rear suspension can wreak havoc on handling.

At 2 clicks from no preload on the rear shock- It feels harsh. I have yet to try bumping it up just to see if the front end handling improves.

I spoke to Jamie Daughtry and Race Tech.

Both said I could really use valves on the front shock, but until then 5 wt oil would help. That the harshness is the bad dampening in part due to a thick oil.

I'm tempted to send everything to Jamie and let him fix it up. I already have springs... just sucks my local guys don't seem to really want to get into suspension work. I had to ask 3x to get my rear sag looked at.

I'm also running out of money. I don't want to half ash it... so maybe I can get away with 5 wt and that cbr shock. Does the CBR shock bolt right up?

Part of me thinks I should just do all the work myself. I'm not intimidated by this stuff- more like fearful of winding up befuddled with a mess of parts in front of me and no time left to complete the job and no one to call. I rebuilt my CB750 forks and rebuilt the carbs along with a synch years ago so I'm a pretty good wrench. It would save me about $120 and no turn around time shipping.

Not sure if I can convince the shop that did the work to do it. They charged $150 to: grease zerk fittings, install 10" of wire from battery to 12v accessory socket, lube the chain and install a brake modulating flasher device. Parts were additional. I thought it was steep.

When I picked up the bike I shook the front end and the steering bearing they adjusted was super loose. I thought I was being wise bringing my bike to a pro so I wouldn't risk making mistakes myself and was willing to pay for it. Now I feel like whatever headaches doing it myself might be a better choice!

 

What needs changing out is your "local guy." This is not an opinion. You may already know of or have already download the factory manual. A good idea and again not an opinion.


Generally speaking those OEM rears don't last that long.

 

Yeah I'm working on a new mechanic.
But is it out of the question to do valves with nothing more than a shop manual and the shim stacks prearranged for me on zip ties as Jamie Daughtry sells em? (Considering I've never rebuilt anything beyond a simple damping rod fork before)

 

Jamie sent me the shim stacks, valves and springs for my front forks and it took me about half a day to do it all. I took my time as this was the first time I worked on forks of this type. As long as you have some mechanical aptitude, you should be able to do the forks yourself. The rear IMO, requires a little more experience and tools than I was willing to take on at that time. After all it was for my daily commuter.