Sonicsprings for gs450e

[Cdnpt1]

Sorry guys, no joy with the sonic springs. Stock springs have an od of .930, the gs750 springs measured out at .950. I will add some pics in the next day or two so you can see the diff. On the plus side Rich was good enough to give me a return shipping lable in case they didnt work. I have to give kudos to them for the service, I will use them again if the need arises. Looks like progressives then.

 

[apopleptic]

OK, I was just looking and I saw these on sale. Shipping is like $12.50 to PA so like $71 delivered.
http://www.jcmotors.com/p-28828-pro...m-suzuki-gs-400-gs-425-and-gs-450-models.aspx
Seems like a pretty good sale price. Thinking about ordering these myself now since the last time I searched they were $82+s&h
Any thoughts?

 

[Cdnpt1]

I think that is the way to go, they always send a good length of spacer material so i may do some experimenting with diff spacers to see what works best. Thanks for the link.

 

[apopleptic]

I just ordered those springs for my bike. I'll let you know when they get here

 

[Cdnpt1]

Ok, just for reference, here is a pic of the gs750 spring from Sonicsprings, and pics of the measurements on OD for the stock 450 spring and the 750 spring.

First, the stock spring below, GS750 spring above:

blurry pic of caliper on the stock spring. no more coffee for me before taking pictures:

Caliper on the 750 spring:

I put the stock spring at .930 and the sonicsprings gs750 spring at just under .950(i didn't write it down, need one o them fancy whiteboards) Either way she wasn't going to fit.

 

[Guest]

Bugger! I know a lot of guys like static rate springs but I guess that's how it goes.

I went Ikon progressives on mine as they were the same price locally here as the Progressive progressives... ha... that's funny right there... sorry couldn't help myself.

 

[Cdnpt1]

Apopleptic just ordered some progressive progressives(sounds like a political movement) on sale here, I don't imagine that the Ikon is too much different in rate, what length spacer did you use for yours?

 

[Guest]

Apopleptic just ordered some progressive progressives(sounds like a political movement) on sale here, I don't imagine that the Ikon is too much different in rate, what length spacer did you use for yours?

Yeah saw that, and yes it does sound a little dodgy... haha

No spacers required with the Ikons, they're a straight swap in for the stock springs. Only need spacers if the stock springs have spacers or if you want to add some pre-load.

My guess is some PO's have added spacers to cater for the crap weak stock springs...

 

[Cdnpt1]

Gotcha, I will see what apo says about the progressives before I dive in, too many other things to do first, at this point I doubt I will have her back on the road this season anyway.

 

[Guest]

I know the feeling, I'm still hoping for Christmas but I think I'll be pushing it...

 

[Cdnpt1]

That's right, you are coming into the nice part of the year aren't you? I have been spending my time shingling the garage roof so all this work doesn't get rained on but should finish that tonight. Waiting on master cylinder parts, new airbox, etc. may just have to go bounce around on the stock springs anyway.

 

[Guest]

Actually we're pretty much 365 days a year where I am, aside from floods and storms and things like that...

Shingling the roof sounds like fun! Well maybe not... my garage is part of the bottom story of the house, which is good for things like getting in there easily at night, but bad because noise and smells tend to get in the house...

 

[Cdnpt1]

LMAO, mine is about 15 metres away and I still manage smells in the house. I haven't been down your way in a long time and that was NZ anyway so weather was a little cooler.

 

[Guest]

Let's just say carb cleaning wasn't a favourite

And yeah, definitely cooler in NZ!

 

[apopleptic]

I just ordered those springs for my bike. I'll let you know when they get here

FYI I received my springs today. I never received a confirmation that they shipped or a tracking number, but I suppose that 4 business days to receive isn't to bad. Especially for $71.15 with s&h.

Here's a picture of the stock spring in between the two new springs one with spacer on the end.

I also noticed one end of the spring is tapered.
I got a drop of oil on my digital caliper so it isn't reading Right at the moment.

 

[Cdnpt1]

Wonder why the taper. So you they do have some pre-load with the spacer on them. Let me know how they feel, I my have to order a set.

 

[apopleptic]

I'll let you know how they feel once I have them on.

I'm not an engineer so I'm not 100% on the tapered spring.
But, the taper is on both the old and the new springs. It was on the end with the wider spaces between the coils on both so I am forced to think that it is to reduce the likelihood of the last few coils from sliding over each other and ruining the spring on the end with the softer compression after the spring has some wear on it. I think that the act of spring tensioning is going to add a straightening pressure along the whole length of the coil (think how the spring on the cam chain tensioner works) causing expansion of the diameter along the whole length of the spring and that would allow softer end to absorb more of it before hitting the side wall of the fork tube.

Or maybe not, I don't feel like looking it up after typing such a long winded theory

 

[Cdnpt1]

LOL, I am perfectly willing to take that as a sound theory.

 

[Cdnpt1]

OK, just got the sonicsprings refunded and the progressives from JCmotors ordered, thanks once again to apo for the link. I think this is the last thing to be done before I get back on the road, well, after the carbs get dipped and orings and the replacement airbox shows up, the springs should get here last though. May get a ride in yet this year.