GS1100e Heavy Rider Set Up

[gsforme]

Got my 83 GS1100e going and it runs great.I need to do something about the forks and shocks as I weigh in at about 245lbs and the bike is clearly set up for folks a tad lighter.Any suggestions [aside from losing weight] as to what to look for would be much appreciated.

 

[xDUKEx]

dave glad to here the bike is running good. i was worried because i hadnt heard from ya !!! your best bet would be to do for progressive springs in the front shocks, try race tec, they have a website and have spirings for heaiver riders. as for the rear the make progressive for them to there is a company that makes them too but i cant rember the companies name. you will have to buy all new shocks for the rear not just springs. as far as that is everything else ok ??? any leaks??? battery staying charged ??? any other probs at all ???

 

[crag antler]

You should have some luck here.
I know of a few "husky" 1100E riders here.
Not mentioning any names 8-[ :-s 8-[

 

[gsforme]

dave glad to here the bike is running good. i was worried because i hadnt heard from ya !!! your best bet would be to do for progressive springs in the front shocks, try race tec, they have a website and have spirings for heaiver riders. as for the rear the make progressive for them to there is a company that makes them too but i cant rember the companies name. you will have to buy all new shocks for the rear not just springs. as far as that is everything else ok ??? any leaks??? battery staying charged ??? any other probs at all ???

Yep the bike runs great Paul.You did a great job on it...thanks.Small quarter sized leak from the left side of the engine, but much better than before.I'm keeping a watchful eye on the charging system as it does need a top up on the juice if I leave it for more than a couple of days.Might be a normal amount though.The handling is a bit scary on the twisties around here so I do need to upgrade the shocks/springs and forks.It's a great bike though and worth upgrading to my specs.I'll gather together whatever infor I can and let you know.This could be a signal from the big guy that I need to lose some hard earned weight.Oh well..

 

[gsforme]

You should have some luck here.
I know of a few "husky" 1100E riders here.
Not mentioning any names 8-[ :-s 8-[

It's fun gettin there though ain't it?

 

[Joe Nardy]

You should have some luck here.
I know of a few "husky" 1100E riders here.
Not mentioning any names 8-[ :-s 8-[

I'm not going to mention any names either (especially my own!)

Progressive suspension makes progressively wound fork springs that are one of the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades you can make to these bikes. Also a fluid change with some thicker fork oil will help. If you really want to change the performance of the forks try some Race Tech cartridge emulators. They're kinda pricey but make a dramatic change in fork action. Race Tech also sells straight-rate fork springs with different spring rates depending on rider weight.

For shocks, Progressive Suspension makes some good shocks with varying spring rates. These are reasonably priced but lack damping adjustments. Ikon shocks are awesome (I bought a pair last year), have damping adjustment as well as preload adjustment, but are pricey at around $350. There is a guy here who is working on some very nice piggyback shocks that split the price difference between the Progressives and Ikons. Here's a link: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=104250&highlight=piggyback

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[AOD]

Definitly upgrade the front fork springs to progressive...it's sooooooooo much better than the original soft front / air system. The swap doesn't take very long to do and you'll be so happy afterwards.

I'm testing out a cheaper pair of shocks in the rear shortly...they're Redwing STC's with progressive 90/150 spring rates.

~Adam

 

[gsforme]

Much thanks to you all. I'll look into progressive and the shock options you've mentioned.Might as well go for the good stuff as I always regret it when I try to cut corners [so to speak].No quetion the forks are the first parts to go.

 

[xDUKEx]

Dave thes bikes are not the greatest cornering machines in the world . the anti-dive system forks should have been named super dive forks, they are crap!!!! to make the bikes really handle you neeed to go with a totaly different set of forks, mainly USD's off or the early 90;s GSXR's. then you can go with modern rubber 180 back 120 front. you know have a 130 rear so essentially you would have as big a tire on the front as you now have on the rear. your bikes rear swingarm will handle a 180 with spacers and an offset sprocket. the USDs come factory progressive and are real sweet!!! then invest in some nice shocks for the rear. soft compound tires and you can corner with the best even the newer bikes. you really need to take a ride on mine to see the huge difference. all this is just bolt on jobs.

 

[scotty]

You should have some luck here.
I know of a few "husky" 1100E riders here.
Not mentioning any names 8-[ :-s 8-[

When i was 250, i had progressive springs in the tubes and the shocks set for hard. Its no twisty machine any way.

 

[Jethro]

You should have some luck here.
I know of a few "husky" 1100E riders here.
Not mentioning any names 8-[ :-s 8-[

I wish I could contribute to this thread.

Guess I'll go elsewhere!

 

[madjack57754]

You talking to me? I'm only 245. (In my red leathers I look like Santa Claus in a helmet)

 

[gsforme]

Dave thes bikes are not the greatest cornering machines in the world . the anti-dive system forks should have been named super dive forks, they are crap!!!! to make the bikes really handle you neeed to go with a totaly different set of forks, mainly USD's off or the early 90;s GSXR's. then you can go with modern rubber 180 back 120 front. you know have a 130 rear so essentially you would have as big a tire on the front as you now have on the rear. your bikes rear swingarm will handle a 180 with spacers and an offset sprocket. the USDs come factory progressive and are real sweet!!! then invest in some nice shocks for the rear. soft compound tires and you can corner with the best even the newer bikes. you really need to take a ride on mine to see the huge difference. all this is just bolt on jobs.

Super dive is right, but how much would a conversion like you suggest cost? Seems like the bolt on aspect might save some labor, but all those parts gotta ad up I'd think.If the progressive shocks and better shocks/springs make a noticable difference I think I'd be satisfied with that.I want to keep the look as stock as possible without kissing the road everytime I brake...bad for the lips.

 

[Jethro]

Ahhh, Duke has some good advice, but I think it's a little overboard. These bike benefit nicely from some inexpensive suspension upgrades. My bike has progressive fork springs ($65) with custom pvc spacers to create some added preload. Mine are 1.5" as I recall. I have Spectro 15w fork oil and no air in the shocks. On the rear I bought some MDI shocks for $89, complete with springs. They are pretty heavily sprung as is. I stick with stock sizes for the tires, but good rubber, right now I have Dunlop D404's which are ok. And if you think you can't corner well with that setup, ask some of the GSR boys here I have rode with for the past 6 years. I can ride pretty much to the fullest of the engine's potential, peg draggin', center stand scraping excitement.

 

[KGB]

Ahhh, Duke has some good advice, but I think it's a little overboard. These bike benefit nicely from some inexpensive suspension upgrades. My bike has progressive fork springs ($65) with custom pvc spacers to create some added preload. Mine are 1.5" as I recall. I have Spectro 15w fork oil and no air in the shocks. On the rear I bought some MDI shocks for $89, complete with springs. They are pretty heavily sprung as is. I stick with stock sizes for the tires, but good rubber, right now I have Dunlop D404's which are ok. And if you think you can't corner well with that setup, ask some of the GSR boys here I have rode with for the past 6 years. I can ride pretty much to the fullest of the engine's potential, peg draggin', center stand scraping excitement.

Yup he can.

As aone of the "big" boys on here, I'll just add to all the advice of Progressive suspension.
My 1000S has Progressive front springs, with 20 weight fork oil.
Rears are Progressive shocks with heavy springs. I ride 2 up also.

I run Dunlop GT501 tires and are very happy with them, as to handling and wear. They can be tough to find. Look around on line for pricing as it varies widely.

Now I did find another company, Hagon that makes shocks for many different bikes and models. I bought a new mono shock from them for my Triumph. A buddy bought the same and said it really made his triumph handle.

www.davequinnmotorcycles.com
Nice guy to deal with, asked many questions as to height.weight and riding styles.

 

[gsforme]

Ahhh, Duke has some good advice, but I think it's a little overboard. These bike benefit nicely from some inexpensive suspension upgrades. My bike has progressive fork springs ($65) with custom pvc spacers to create some added preload. Mine are 1.5" as I recall. I have Spectro 15w fork oil and no air in the shocks. On the rear I bought some MDI shocks for $89, complete with springs. They are pretty heavily sprung as is. I stick with stock sizes for the tires, but good rubber, right now I have Dunlop D404's which are ok. And if you think you can't corner well with that setup, ask some of the GSR boys here I have rode with for the past 6 years. I can ride pretty much to the fullest of the engine's potential, peg draggin', center stand scraping excitement.

Yep that sounds like the kinda thing I'm looking for.Do the spacers make a big difference to your setup?Did you make and install them yourself?

 

[madjack57754]

Jethro hit it right I've done all the same mods and ride quality is firm but good. The fork oil viscosity and level are things you can play with to fine tune the ride and dive. It's amazing how much difference 5cc of oil in a fork can make

 

[Jethro]

Yep that sounds like the kinda thing I'm looking for.Do the spacers make a big difference to your setup?Did you make and install them yourself?

Yes I did. Honestly it's nothing more than a piece of 3/4" schedule 80 PVC plumbing pipe that is 1 1/2" inch long. Placed between the top of the fork spring and the cap beneath the stock preload adjuster. I actually have the preload adjuster in the middle instead of maxed out like before.

 

[AOD]

Try the Progressive front springs before you go swapping forks. You may like them and decide you don't need the newer forks.

~Adam

 

[fastkatanaboy]

Any have instructions on changing the springs/seals/oil?