fork spacers

[birdsGS]

i was reading the tech for makeing the fork spacers. does 200mm sound a bit long? i want to do it but i dont think those are right diameter and length.

[beRto]

i was reading the tech for makeing the fork spacers. does 200mm sound a bit long? i want to do it but i dont think those are right diameter and length.

200 mm (8") sounds way too long. Typical values are 19 mm (0.75") - 38 mm (1.5")

You are probably referring to the 200 mm workpiece used in the Modifications page tutorial:
http://gstwin.com/making_fork_spacers.htm

The 200 mm original workpiece later gets cut down to size. On one the photos, the spacer is labelled as diameter 31 mm, length 35 mm.

Hope this helps! 

[birdsGS]

thank you alot. yes that helps out greatly. wasnt sure i was reading that one right. you guys are awesome.

[Firewalker]

Has anyone done the fork spacer mod in the how to section?  What size is the PVC pipe if you chose to use that?  Opinions / advise on this would be appreciated.

Thanks

[pandymai]

fork spacers.. are you trying to adjust preload? if so, what springs do you have? if youre running stock springs than making larger spacers will help but only a bit. stiffer springs would help much more than just adding preload to the stock sponges.  more info on what youre trying to do would be nice.

[007brendan]

Yeah, if you're already bottoming out, which is nearly always the case with stock springs, adding more preload isn't going to make the ride any better.  The only benefit would maybe be a little less sag, maybe...  Just save up and get a pair of stiffer sonic springs for $80.  It will be the best mod you'll ever make to the bike.

[Firewalker]

Yeah just a little more preload or stiffer springs is what I was curious about.  Mine really doesn't bottom out unless I am very hard on the brakes.  It's something I could live with as is.....Just looked like a pretty easy mod and if it made a huge difference I was going to do it.

Thanks for the input.  Are the sonics progressive or just stiffer?

[rger8]

I believe th Sonics are just stiffer and you have to order them based  on your weight. Have you tried 15 or 20 wt oil. The 15 worked really nice on my stock forks, much better. I weigh about 180 lbs. 20 wt might be even nicer!

[Firewalker]

I haven't messed with them at all but these are some interesting tips.  Going to put some new bars on soon and will have easy access at that point.  Something that I noticed is that the rubber caps on the forks look squeezed under the bars.  Like the fork tubes are slid up too far.  Not sure if the PO was adjusting it that way or ?

[pandymai]

possibly the previous owner wanted the bike just a smidge lower? i would imagine it's no more than half an inch or so. is any part of the fork above the triple clamp? picture would help if youre not sure what im talking about. adjusting the height of the fork in the triple only changes the height of the bike, not the capabilities of the forks themselves. some people like having their bikes a bit lower in the front.

if youre worried, you should check the clamp bolts to make sure your triples are securing the forks.

[burning1]

200 mm (8") sounds way too long. Typical values are 19 mm (0.75") - 38 mm (1.5")

That sounds more like a pre-load figure than the length of a spacer.

The stock springs are much shorter than many of the after-market springs, and thus have long spacers. IIRC, my stock preload spacers were about 200mm long or so.

To the OP: Remove one of the stock spacers (with the bike on the center stand, obviously) and measure it. Add to this length whatever amount of pre-load you would like to increase.

A couple of hints: Make sure you've loosened the upper tripple clamp bolts before removing the fork caps. The upper tripple clamps right over the fork cap. The clamp may make the fork caps hard to remove, and could cause you to bugger the threads.

[Stanfield]

Be careful doing that "fork spacer" mod.  I tried to be cheap and do it on my wife's bike to stiffen the front end a touch (she's small).  Adding that much preload to the stock springs makes it VERY difficult to get the fork cap bolt on.  I got one on ok and the second I ended up stripping the threads on the inner fork tube.  I then had to scour the internet for a used one in good shape to replace it, being that a new one was $200+.  Its definitely worth it to spend the 80ish dollars on a set of good springs to replace the stock ones.  The bike definitely rides a hundred times better with them.

[Firewalker]

Thanks all for the replies..... I may just skip it for now to avoid jacking mah threads all up. 

yes the forks are above the triple tree.....Maybe a 1/2 inch.  They are butted up against the underneath side of the bars.  Stock bars ...... Tight enuff that the rubber caps look like they are in a bind.  Will snap a pic tomorrow if I need to. 

Thanks again for the interest in the thread.

[burning1]

A trick to get the cap back on...

If you've removed the forks from the bike completely, it's much easier to press on the cap and rotate the fork tube than it is to press and rotate the cap.

[007brendan]

A trick to get the cap back on...

If you've removed the forks from the bike completely, it's much easier to press on the cap and rotate the fork tube than it is to press and rotate the cap.

+1

[Aussie GS500F 06]

In the wiki of this it says to Loosen the upper fork tube pinch bolt.  Is this nessesary? and if so why?

[burning1]

The upper triple pinches right where the fork tube cap sits. Tends to bind the fork cap. It's safer to the threads just to loosen the upper triple, and won't cause problems since the forks are held firmly in place by the lower.