Fork Question?

[BigTwin]

Trust me I've searched about 100+ threads and can not find exactly what progressive spring part # I'm going to need or how much oil do I put back in after I swap and empty the forks?

How do you completely empty the forks and what kind of spacer should I put in the bike?

I'm 185lbs and about 5'10".

Sorry again, I'm a complete bike moron, buying my bike later today and I'm trying to do this because the stock shocks are soft.

THANKS, BigTwin

[tkm433]

Trust me I've searched about 100+ threads and can not find exactly what progressive spring part # I'm going to need or how much oil do I put back in after I swap and empty the forks?

How do you completely empty the forks and what kind of spacer should I put in the bike?

I'm 185lbs and about 5'10".

Sorry again, I'm a complete bike moron, buying my bike later today and I'm trying to do this because the stock shocks are soft.

THANKS, BigTwin

I installed a set of progressive springs on one of my bikes some years ago and the springs came with a instruction sheet that told me how much oil and what oil weight to use.  All that I needed to do was turn the wrench to do the work since Progressive gave me all of the info.

Now it sounds like you are going to order a set of springs so there is no need to worry about the part number if you are dealing with a company that deals in Progreesive springs since tey will have a eference guild from Progressive as to what spring to sell you.
http://www.progressivesuspension.com/appview.asp?AppsNumber=369

[BigTwin]

Fork Spring:  
-Fork Spring  :  11-1128  

Spacers:  
-Spacer Length for Fork Springs  :  0.75"

So I want this particular spring, and how do I buy/make a spacer?

Also, how do you empty the oil out of the shocks?

-BigTwin-

[rjsjr]

Schedule 40 or 80 PVC end caps make a ready spacer though you may find you don't need one.  I drained the oil with a mityvac, but you can do it better by disassembling the forks (I don't have my own garage or a front stand so didn't want that much hassle).  A Clymer or shop manual helps a lot with directions on these procedures.

[dsmirnov83]

Don't need a front stand, put bike on center stand and prop up the engine with a brick and a piece of a 2 by 4. (but you don't even need to do that.

if you are not doing fork seals, then you can and should do the progressives the lazzy way:
http://pantablo500.tripod.com/pablosgs500page/id2.html

Be VERY cafull when opening the fork. The spring inside is compressed and will turn the washer and spacer above it into projectiles.

You can take out the fork oil with  6ft length of fish tank tubing ($2 at a pet shop) get the thicker kind (flows quicker). I am refering to the following method:
Submerge one end to the bottom of the fork, suck on the other. When the level of oil moves up about 10-12 inches from the end you are suck from, clamp the tube closed (or just hold you finger over the end) bring that end of the tube lower then the very bottom of the fork. Aim into a container that can hold a 1/2 a gallon and let it flow.

Put some 15wt fork oil in there when you are done swaping out the parts.
Cheers
-Denis S.
PS- you are going to love the progressives. It's like a whole new bike.
BTW: you can also cut the spacer directly from the old stock spacer. Thats what I did since I didn't want anything to be in the fork that was not supposed to be there in the 1st place.