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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: quinnbozz on January 11, 2005, 10:07:31 AM

Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: quinnbozz on January 11, 2005, 10:07:31 AM
1. ok dose anyone have a pic of the exact PVC end cap you used as a fork spring spacer, so l know exactly what to get and can this be used with the stock springs or would it be a bad idea, and only to be used with prog. springs.

2. it wont hurt to go from 10 to 15 weight oil in the fork on a bone stock gs right?


thanks all,
Dev
:cheers:
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: chinox22x on January 11, 2005, 10:17:02 AM
stock springs already come with a metal spacer...its about 8" in length.  

as far as i know, the pvc end cap schedule 40 is only used for progressive springs as these springs are almost twice the lenght of the stock ones.
Title: Re: a few quick ?'s
Post by: Kerry on January 11, 2005, 10:23:15 AM
Quote from: quinnbozz1. ok dose anyone have a pic of the exact PVC end cap you used as a fork spring spacer, so l know exactly what to get and can this be used with the stock springs or would it be a bad idea, and only to be used with prog. springs.
I didn't use an end cap like everybody else, but only because I couldn't find one.   :dunno:   For pictures of what I used see THIS POST.

Whatever you get can certainly be used with the stock springs.  This constitutes the "poor man's stopgap measure" as seen on this GStwin Mods Page.  But going with Progressives is a much better solution.


Quote from: quinnbozz2. it wont hurt to go from 10 to 15 weight oil in the fork on a bone stock gs right?
Right.
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: quinnbozz on January 11, 2005, 12:03:00 PM
ya but i am really cheap!!! :lol:  :lol:
cant aford Progressives so .....
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: callmelenny on January 11, 2005, 03:06:18 PM
I'm a cheap skate and ride like an old man, so I went this route. I had bad fork seal, so during repair I moved up 15 W oil and added a 1/2" SCHED 40 PVC endcap to "preload" the springs. I put the open end of the cap facing the spacer but I'm not sure it matters.

I went with the white PVC because it matches the bike better. :lol:
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: quinnbozz on January 12, 2005, 09:56:59 PM
did it make a notiecable diffrence?
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: Frost on January 12, 2005, 10:06:05 PM
nice bike...
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: Gisser on January 12, 2005, 10:46:14 PM
Quotedid it make a notiecable diffrence?

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  Merely adding a spacer to the stock suspension will raise the front and that's about it.  Adds ground clearance but will not likely add travel due to coil bind.  

If I had to work with the stock suspension I would raise the level of the fork oil until the resulting air spring effect was sufficient to prevent premature bottoming but not so much oil as to lose travel.  Not as good as the Progressive replacements but this is how forks are fine-tuned at the racetrack.
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: Aussie GS on January 13, 2005, 01:29:05 AM
I spaced out the stock springs with a 1 inch long spacer and yes I found it was well worth doing,certainly minimises the regular bottoming out that the stock springs are so well known for and I found general handleing much improved for the $5.00 it cost, give it a go, it's cheap and easy to do and easily reversed if you dont like how it feels when spaced  :thumb:
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: callmelenny on January 13, 2005, 08:00:20 AM
I changed oil and added spacer at the same time and I can tell a real difference. Of course, it may all be the result of the oil.

I used to always bottom out at the same place in my neighborhood and now I don't.
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: quinnbozz on January 13, 2005, 01:50:55 PM
thanks guys this has really helped......thank you all for your input .

:cheers:,
Dev
Title: hmm...
Post by: coll0412 on January 13, 2005, 04:25:33 PM
What steps do you have to go through to change the fork oil?
Title: a few quick ?'s
Post by: callmelenny on January 13, 2005, 04:33:24 PM
This is discussed frequently, try searching for "forks AND oil AND change"

Threads like this http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13950&highlight=change+fork+oil will be helpful.

To do it properly, you need to remove and disassemble the forks. This will remove nearly all the oil and crud.

Others have detailed a quicker and less complete method by only removing the caps of the forks and suctioning out most of the oil.