Hello fellow gs500ers,
I've got a 1995 GS500e since february.... and while enjoy the ride the fork seals are leaking.
So a fork service is in order anyway, but it's my first time doing it.
I have read that many people here upgrade their springs with great benefit.
Which springs should I get? Progressive, linear?
Also I have seen just the seals and dust caps as a replacement, but also full kits with bushings as well? What do I need to get here?
I do not know the service history of the bike - no idea when the forks were serviced, or at all.
Thank you for having this great forum, keep it up!
Kind regards and ride well,
Florian
The best option is straight rate springs. "Progressive" springs are a bit of a marketing gimmick in my opinion. What you want is a spring rate tailored to your weight (and gear, and luggage and passenger if you typically ride with those) and your riding style. You can use the calculator on Racetech's website but then order from a cheaper supplier like Sonic Springs. If you are heavier than the 150 lb rider that Suzuki likely set the GS up for, many people also like thicker fork oil with stronger springs to slow down the damping. I like my .90 Sonic springs with 15w oil at 200 lbs without gear/frequently riding with luggage and/or a passenger.
If you upgrade the front suspension, make sure to do the rear to match. My .90 springs work well with the Katana 600 shock. If you go a little softer up front, the R6 pairs well in the rear.
I would just get the seals, that's all I've ever replaced. Make sure to get nice one's not cheap Chinese stuff off eBay. The dust caps don't wear out and I'm not sure what bushing you are talking about. Also check your fork tubes for knicks and scratches that might have caused the fork seal to leak or you might be right back where you are now. A small rust spot can be sanded smooth with #0000 steel wool.
Also, I think 1995 was the last year of the really soft springs. You definitely want to upgrade. Later years, especially 2004+ weren't as bad and you could get away with leaving them alone if you were a lighter weight rider.
Thank you Bluesmudge for your advice!
The calculator recommends about 85kg/mm springs - quite close to what you use.
The current suspension is definitely on the soft side, though with the missing damping oil I cant really tell how stock would feel anyway.
Will try the 15w oil + 0.85 springs!
Are there any special tools required or modifications that need to be made to accommodate the new springs. Or is it a drop in replacement?
I will keep an upgrade to the rear shock in mind, that will come at a later day.
Ride well,
Florian
Hello, welcome to the world of Gs500s?
Good advice from Bluesmudge, but how many miles on the bike? Being a 95 I would say that you should change the bushes in the top of slider and bottom of stanchion tube. If push comes to shove you might have to make a tool to hold the inner part of the sliders when unscrewing the bottom bolt (4 nuts and a length if threaded bar) but otherwise its easy. Ask if you need more info
While you are in there its best to do it all at once and forget it. You need anyway to remove the stanchion tubes to get the old oil and aluminium sludge cleaned out. It may well be the orignal oil and be more grinding paste than oil by this time. Im happy with my progressive springs but BlueS is correct in that forks are normally progressive by design as they compress and the air space gets smaller and smaller.
from my notes : Changed front springs for sonic springs .85 kg / mm. Preload 12 mm, sag 30.5, oil level 120 mm.