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    #61
    TTT - this is a great thread everyone should read!

    I've got maybe 200 miles on my new front suspension set and it's magnificent! It probably cost ~$80 total to do the fork springs and oil, money well spent!

    ~Adam

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      #62
      This IS a great thread! I learned a LOT.

      Sandy, Where did you order the springs for your GS1000 from? Gotta get me some. My GS1000 has only 2 inches of travel before bottoming out.

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        #63
        Just put progressives in my 1150,very very noticeable difference.Pretty much rebuilt the front end(new seals and oil 15wt)glad I did too the old oil was naaaasty.

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          #64
          Did mine a few weeks ago. I screwed up one new seal. Dammit.
          I'm going to have to take 'em apart again and redo that seal. But it can wait untill winter.

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            #65
            Spring part number

            Anyone have the progressive part number for an 82 GS1100GK? Would the 111107 for the GS1000 be right?

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              #66
              Originally posted by Hayseed View Post
              Anyone have the progressive part number for an 82 GS1100GK? Would the 111107 for the GS1000 be right?
              Try this reference page here http://www.partscanada.ca/catalogue/.../en/index.html in the center top box go to page 1116.
              '84 GS750EF (Oct 2015 BOM) '79 GS1000N (June 2007 BOM) My Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/soates50/

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                #67
                Thanks Sandy

                Got springs ordered yesterday

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                  #68
                  fork oil should be measured with springs in and legs extended

                  There may be two ways of measuring fork oil but I think Progressive Suspensions says to install springs and measure the oil level. This being because different springs may well have different thickness coils (dimensions/volume) and thusly displace different amounts of oil. The volume of air is important (but tunable as a progressive spring itself). I myself have a hard time believing that you cant fill with below method, then drop the spring in and be within an undecernable difference.. Hell, when I was a kid we just drained the forks on dirt bikes and added a specific volume of oil...

                  Originally posted by earlfor View Post
                  Even though Dennis Kirk isnt the cheapest place to buy, I went ahead and ordered Progressive springs from them because I have delt with them for years and they have good customer service and will take care of any problem that may arise. They also ship promptly. :-)

                  Anyway, I received the springs and installed them in the 1150 today. I went for a 50 mile twisty test ride to see how much improvement they made. There was a VERY noticible increase in stability and precise tracking through the curves with the suspension loaded. I think I picked up about 10-15 mph through a curve with no increase in rider effort. I came up on a few posted 25-30 mph curves and entering the curve at 60 mph and adding a little throttle made it a sit back and relax proposition. The bike tracks calm and smooth through the curve with the front wheel planted in an arc about 12 inches from the edge of the pavement.

                  For installation, I followed the prep and proceedure suggested by Progressive. Put the bike on the centerstand and a block under the engine so the front tire is hanging in the air. Remove the fork caps. Remove the springs, washers and spacer if you have one. Drain the fork oil from both tubes. After draining the forks, I compressed them a couple of times to push out any residual oil in them. Put drain screws back in. With the forks
                  fully COMPRESSED (put a block and wedge under the front tire to hold the forks completely compressed while filling the fork tubes with oil) Put an amount of oil in each tube that will bring the oil level in the tube to a height of 5 1/2" below the top of the fork tube. (this will likely be different than the amount specified in your manual) To measure this height, I put a large finish nail through a 1/4" dowel I had. From the finish nail, measure down 5 1/2" and mark a pencil line. Now you will be able to hang the dowel into the fork tube and the nail will rest on top/across the tube. Fill the tube with oil until its on your mark on the dowel. When the oil level is correct in each tube, remove the block and wedge under the tire, allowing the fork to go to full extension. If you have an anti dive unit or Posi Damper as I have, its a good idea to compress the forks a couple of times and recheck the oil level before continuing with the installation as the anti dive may not fill completely without the forks being pushed through their travel a couple of times. With the forks once again fully extended, drop in the new springs, then a washer, then the PVC spacer and finally another washer. For the 1150, the progressive chart specifies a 2" PVC spacer. The required spacer length is 3" for 1980 through 1983 1100E and also 3" for 82-83 1100L. I used 20 weight oil.

                  Earl
                  1979 gs1000e (everyday) 1977 gs750 for sale
                  1983 yam xj550 maxim streetbob sold
                  1995 gsx750F everyday fighterjet 1990 gsx1100F for sale
                  2000kaw zx600
                  2003 BMW K1200GT sport tour
                  2000Buel Cyclone M2 motorwork
                  1984 Yam venture xvz1200 -long ride/cold ride ride gf ride..
                  1978 Honda cb750F3 supersport top end (still)
                  1976 Harley FL 3/8" S&S stroker - motor out way too long
                  1980 Harley fxs80 - wacked good on this one

                  Comment


                    #69
                    how do you find threads this old to reply to?
                    GSX1300R NT650 XV535

                    Comment


                      #70
                      He is the Neromancer. Bringing up a lot of dead threads lately. This one may have been dead the longest. 13 years!
                      Rich
                      1982 GS 750TZ
                      2015 Triumph Tiger 1200

                      BikeCliff's / Charging System Sorted / Posting Pics
                      Destroy-Rebuild 750T/ Destroy-Rebuild part deux

                      Comment


                        #71
                        IDK what a Neromancer is and I thought we were supposed to work within old threads via search rather then create new.. and I thought I was helping to correct a technical reference but later in the thread I did see the correct method.. sorry for the trouble,

                        Originally posted by Rich82GS750TZ View Post
                        He is the Neromancer. Bringing up a lot of dead threads lately. This one may have been dead the longest. 13 years!
                        1979 gs1000e (everyday) 1977 gs750 for sale
                        1983 yam xj550 maxim streetbob sold
                        1995 gsx750F everyday fighterjet 1990 gsx1100F for sale
                        2000kaw zx600
                        2003 BMW K1200GT sport tour
                        2000Buel Cyclone M2 motorwork
                        1984 Yam venture xvz1200 -long ride/cold ride ride gf ride..
                        1978 Honda cb750F3 supersport top end (still)
                        1976 Harley FL 3/8" S&S stroker - motor out way too long
                        1980 Harley fxs80 - wacked good on this one

                        Comment


                          #72
                          Necromancy (/ˈnɛkrəmænsi/) is a practice of magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily

                          Gary, no offense intended. My weak attempt at a joke. Just commenting on derwood's comment about replying to really old, seemingly dead threads. You are right to search for answers in this vast knowledge base. I wish more people would do the same. Peace.
                          Rich
                          1982 GS 750TZ
                          2015 Triumph Tiger 1200

                          BikeCliff's / Charging System Sorted / Posting Pics
                          Destroy-Rebuild 750T/ Destroy-Rebuild part deux

                          Comment


                            #73
                            I posted a lot in this thread 13-14 years ago, and it's important to note that a LOT of this information is now outdated!

                            For example, most of us have upgraded to straight-rate springs (mostly from Sonic Springs) in more appropriate spring rates. These were not easily available back then, or maybe we just didn't know about them or where to find them.

                            Anyway, Progressive brand springs are sort of a "universal" solution with very soft spring rates heavily biased toward comfort for small riders. If that describes you, great. If not, you need a different spring. They are a rising-rate spring, so I and others were partially patching around this problem of inadequate spring rates with large amounts of preload to at least get sag into the right ballpark.

                            Still, the spring rates were still not nearly stiff enough. I was running 15W fork oil thickened with "motor honey" to get enough control via overly stiff damping (which leads to an imbalance in compression vs. rebound damper rod forks). We were doing the best we could, and this all still worked far better than the limp stock springs, but now things can be a LOT better still.

                            Nowadays, my GS850 (and all my bikes, for that matter) are wearing Sonic straight-rate springs in appropriate spring rates. On my GS850, I was able to move back to 10W fork oil, which can now offer plenty of damping and much better compliance and balance now that the spring rate is correct. The springs also only need a "normal" amount of preload (about 19mm) to achieve proper sag.

                            Good suspension is crucial for safety, even if you're not a hard-charging red-eyed slobbering curve fanatic. One of the biggest daily benefits in normal riding with traffic is much better braking; there's far less brake dive and much better compliance under braking when sag, spring rate, and damping are all closer to ideal.
                            1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                            2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                            2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                            Eat more venison.

                            Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                            Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

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                            Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                            Comment


                              #74
                              haha, I don't think much of the 15year old post is outdated. I read somewhere that the my '79 GS 1000 OEM springs were progressively wound and that was new technology for the damping rod forks and the design engineers were smart back then as they are now.. If you think about it the fork oil weight is a compromise heavy weight to get good rebound damping so anything you can do to let them dive easier on compression against the weight of the oil is good. the progressively wound springs give that and then right before cartridges they came out with antidive units to minimize extreme dive and front end shifts under braking but everyone knows getting the front down weight shifted forward onto the front braking wheel is better to stop. Ive installed a bunch of progressive springs in old jap bikes and Harleys and was always happy with them. This shift to linear springs so far isn't working for me but I trust adding the emulators will make it nice nice.
                              1979 gs1000e (everyday) 1977 gs750 for sale
                              1983 yam xj550 maxim streetbob sold
                              1995 gsx750F everyday fighterjet 1990 gsx1100F for sale
                              2000kaw zx600
                              2003 BMW K1200GT sport tour
                              2000Buel Cyclone M2 motorwork
                              1984 Yam venture xvz1200 -long ride/cold ride ride gf ride..
                              1978 Honda cb750F3 supersport top end (still)
                              1976 Harley FL 3/8" S&S stroker - motor out way too long
                              1980 Harley fxs80 - wacked good on this one

                              Comment

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