Intros, and looking for a consensus from the GSTwin Hive Mind

[LeafyNarc]

Howdy, everybody.
               Just got an 06F as my first bike in 12 years (my pick was in large part due to this forum I lurked around a couple days and found it to be an EXCELLENT refresher/first bike.  I may have convinced a coworker to get one himself) and my wife has to hold a gun to my head to get me in a car ever since-despite normal Arkansas temps in the 100sF this time of the year.  I live in Mtn View, which is in the northern part of the state, in the Ozark mtns. Terrain-wise, it's very similar to the Saratoga Springs, NY area where I did some training  back in the 80s. My daily commute is 42 miles one way, mainly 2 lane state highway with a few twisties.  Do a Youtube search for "Push Mountain Road" and you'll see my neck of the woods.
  I hated the back fender from the moment I layed eyes on it, and it was the first thing to go under the knife.  My wife could have been heard for miles when I rolled the bike off my truck into my garage and immediately took a hacksaw to it (she's an accountant-it's all about resale value to her.) So far, that's all Ive done to it. Mechanically, the little beast is great-only 2041 miles when I got it, but the young squid I bought it from had already dropped it once on each side, rashing the plastic pretty bad.  He sold it because it wasn't fast enough and bought a 600RR. I'm hoping he mellows before I see him in the obits.
Anyway my question is, how many have actually gone the fork spacer route, at least for a while, vs new springs?  Most of my spendable cash is going into riding gear, and I won't have the cash to replace the springs until January, probably. Is it worth the effort only to replace in a few months?
   Hopefully I"ll be able to contribute something back useful to everyone before long.
Thanks again,

Alan

[The Buddha]

I bought $3 worth of PVC pipe and hacked it into 10 spacers. I'd send you one, but its for a katana and it will cost 20X more to mail it than to make it. Just hack up pvc pipe.
Maybe that will show you how much you dont need springs.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LeafyNarc]

Wow, an instant response from the Buddha himself.    I appreciate it! I can run down to the builders' supply this evening and pick up a foot. I just like to plan everything out thoroughly in advance, and only do it once.  I'd even considered putting tire valve stems on and pumping them up to a couple pounds or so, but figured the seals wouldn't hold.
We have a lot of potholes here, and even the minor ones, if hit wrong, make it bottom. I'm not a very big guy, either- 5'8 and 170#.

[The Buddha]

Oh yea potholes ... they are here and they are growing. Thank the housing bubble for that, we have tons of new roads in empty subdivisions and nice large sewer and storm water pipes with raccoons living in them, buiders still mercilessly knock down trees to throw up crappy ass subdivisions and the old infrastructure is crumbling right in front of your eyes.
Potholes kill more suspensions than anything and everythign combined.
I am no suspension guru though, still learning.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LeafyNarc]

Yep, can't argue with that.  The national infrastructure boom of the 50s-60s was great while it lasted, but now no one can afford to keep it maintained.

[The Buddha]

Hell yea, its easy. You wanna double the traffic on this road by building 1,000 houses where there was 500, great, double the road running to the nearest largest thorough fare, and the city will build the thorough fare before you get to break ground. Tax dollars dont need to go to support cockamime development schemes.
Tax dollars are collected from people who live in the area, and are to be used to support the inftrastructure that has been built in the area. In fact it needs to be a nationwide rule. So one county cannot undercut a neighboring county. If so, the county that has been undercut should have the right to put up gates on the roads and charge a toll on entry/exit.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LeafyNarc]

I think they call that "Political Human Nature" . No different in small towns than large- only it's easier to know the players in the small towns.  I live in a town of about 3500, in a county of about 7000, and my property taxes have doubled every year for the last 4, with no structure changes at all.  City/County officials say it's for "Road Improvement, storm damage repair, and upgrades for an expanding population." All well and good, on the surface. Since the beginning of February, my home county has been hit by an EF4 tornado (our local hospital took a direct strike, 15 months after a 1.5 million dollar upgrade), an eighteen inch snowfall in March, and TWO 50 year floods. Maybe they should rethink their timetables.  Now considering all of that, I can see a legitimate need for more $. For example, my mom lives a couple miles off of the pavement, and the only way that road remains usable is the Mennonite community that also lives there maintains it themselves. (Fantastic folks for neighbors-one phone call for help, day or night, and you have 2 dozen guys at your doorstep within minutes-but they drive like they have Divine Protection ) The kicker to all of this is that we have several taxes that were enacted for specific needs in past years,  that have been long since  completed, yet those taxes are still being collected.  Where are those $ going?  Funny, nobody can find them. I should also add that my sales tax is 10.5%.  (Regret answering me yet?)    I have a good friend from high school that was a Stand-Up Guy back then, but he ran for local office about ten years ago, and turned into the same kind of people as the rest.  It really disappointed a lot of us.
    I guess it's the same in the bigger cities, too; build houses/strip malls/shopping centers that you hope people will rent, but when they don't, just leave them, Bankrupt your little LLC, and build something new somewhere else and try again.  Is that what they call "Urban Sprawl?"  Such a waste.

Wow, I really got on a tear, didn't I?    Getting on my GS every day helps me unwind.  I'll be needing that this afternoon.

[The Buddha]

Oh yea, we have 5.5 million homes about to be thrown on the foreclosure market, and people will ignore all of that and buy from a builder. Of course the houses that are used, need to sell for used house prices, just like used cars. The banks are in la la land, so builders can make hay and eat the banks lunch.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LeafyNarc]

Sorry for the delay: Jobus Interruptus.  Seems like they expect me to work before they pay me.
Yeah, it's the same way here, just on a microscopic scale next to yours.  But lately, though the market's crashing most everywhere else, prices here are still depressed enough to look attractive to people leaving the cities.  Over the last few months, we've been seeing a shift from new construction to used purchase/remodel.  We still have a lot of foreclosures, but it looks like the crest has blown over us and it's looking a little more "normal"  Still frustrating as hell, though.

Interesting ride home last night. A guy on one of the long straights going home never saw me, and I had to ditch the GS to get out of his way.  I was able to get the speed bled off enough so that I just scooted through some pasture before I stopped, still in the saddle, with both feet on the ground.  I DO have this large ridge down the center of my seat now. Maybe I can get the fabric pulled back...

[The Buddha]

We still have the hacks selling RE saying "Its not falling here" or "you're entering the best home market in the country" Yea, building like crazy and foreclosures like crazy too.
Anyway, the POS roads will kill anything. If you put a spacer in and it doesn't do enough, or if it makes it worse, then springs may not be it. But if it improves it, and you feel a bit more will be great, OK fine, put a bigger spacer or put springs in it.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LeafyNarc]

Yeah, we did get a little off topic, didn't we?  Good meetin' ya, and thanks for the input on the front end.  When I get the time this week, I'll get spacers in and let you know how it turns out.

Later.

[natedawg120]

I had both pvc spacers and .90 racetech springs.  The spacers did help but the bike would still bottom out, it just didn't have as much travel before it did so and the initial load was greater, giving a firmer feel.  Spacers with a thicker fork oil helped a little more with the bottoming out all the time.  Then after another year I was still a little unhappy with the front suspension feel so I went ahead and got the racetechs and slapped them in with new fork oil again.  That setup was rock solid and it stayed that way until I parted ways with my GS. 

now for my recommendation:

Warning: Fork endcaps strip easily and can cause loud strings of four letter words if incorrect combinations of strength, patience and procedure are used.

1.  If you are unhappy with the softer stock springs, aftermarket better replacements are ~$100, not to bad and you are going to have to pop the fork endcaps off anyway so figure out if you want progressive or straight rate springs and pop them in if you can afford it or just wait till you can afford it. 

2. If you can't afford it now and want a change try spacers, if that doesn't please you see step 1. 

[The Buddha]

He is obviously not of "Hive Mind".


Anyway, if with spacer it gets better but you want more, and more spacer isn't doing it, then try progressive/sonic/RT's.
Cool.
Buddha.

[natedawg120]

He is obviously not of "Hive Mind".


Anyway, if with spacer it gets better but you want more, and more spacer isn't doing it, then try progressive/sonic/RT's.
Cool.
Buddha.

I never have been 

[LeafyNarc]

Sorry about the delay.  Still so friggin HOT down here in AR that I haven't had the ambition to do anything. I've got a couple 1/2 Sched 40 end caps that are ready to go in as soon as it cools down a little. Maybe tomorrow or the next.
Just wanted to say "Thanks" to The Buddha and Mr Dawg (Sorry, just had a Con Air flashback) for the input.  I'll post back when I get them installed.

[laserred97gt]

Hive Mind huh?  You sound like an ARFCOM member.      

[5thAve]

My first mod back in '93 was to put in Progressive Suspension front springs. I forget what I paid for them, but they are awesome for my 160lb self.  Noticable firmness a little harsher ride than stock, but the increase in front end feel, and confidence when braking is HUGE. I had trouble with too much rebound, but that was helped some by switching to slightly thicker fork oil. Ride is acceptable and never bottoms under braking any more.  I definitely recommend this change over stock.

[LeafyNarc]

Hive Mind huh?  You sound like an ARFCOM member.      

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.   

[LeafyNarc]

@5thAve,
  I really would have liked those springs this morning. Pouring rain most of the way in, and I was leery of having to hit the front brakes very hard for anything. Bad enough to do it in the rain, but doing it in the rain AND they bottom hard wouldn't be a good combo. On the plus side, it's 34 degrees cooler this morning than when I got home yesterday. 
   My budget right now is going towards complete riding gear (budget in the sense of what I can spend extra without the wife grouching).  It'll be cool enough this evening to put my spacers in, and before the season's out I should be able to get the real deal in there. I appreciate the input!