Spacer length? (Progressive Springs)

[BassCliff]

Hi again,

While I was out in the "man room" I went ahead and installed the new MDI/Emgo shocks too. I couldn't get the old bushings out of the old shocks so I used what came with the new shocks. We'll see how they hold up.




For the oil level in the forks, that trick with a little bottle pump worked great. 140mm was a snap.




Here's something I wasn't expecting. On one of the fork tubes was engraved "Forking by Frank".



But it didn't say it on both. Is that significant? The previous owner had the front forks replaced by a local shop. They had to get a set from ebay or something. I'll have to google "Forking by Frank" and learn about this curiosity.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Pete Logan]

But it didn't say it on both. Is that significant? The previous owner had the front forks replaced by a local shop. They had to get a set from ebay or something. I'll have to google "Forking by Frank" and learn about this curiosity.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Here ya go

http://www.frankmain.qpg.com/

Frank's Maintenance and Engineering, Inc.
945 Pitner Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
For more information, please call the office at 847-475-1003


We manufacture motorcycle fork-tubes. We carry past models from the 1950s through today's models. We stock over and under and stock lengths. There is no other after-market manufacturer of German, Spanish, or Japanese fork-tubes. We will ship worldwide.

Established 1966
Family Owned and Operated

[BassCliff]

Here ya go

http://www.frankmain.qpg.com/

Frank's Maintenance and Engineering, Inc.
945 Pitner Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
For more information, please call the office at 847-475-1003

Wow! Thank you Mr. Pete Logan. You saved me the trouble. I had a fuzzy recollection of "Frank's Forks" but couldn't remember where I"d seen it. I appreciate your time.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[cromwell1234]

I'm not sure if you got the spacers in yet, I did mine not long ago, with 2" spacers theres a lot of swearing, and cussing when you try getting the caps on, I found that and oversized adjustable wrench and a a chubby friend, could really help getting the caps threaded, be careful not to cross thread because even if you sand the spacer pipe it is not perfectly even--good luck--and if the forks hold air 6-15psi, give a real....nice ride...I know many don't run the air put its a very...nice feature----

[bonanzadave]

I did mine not long ago, with 2" spacers

You used spacers even with the adjustable preload caps ? I didnt use any. Set the caps to #1 detent, Screwed them on, Adjusted them to the #2 detent.

I got one leaky fork seal. When I get around to fixing it I might try a couple short spacers. Thats gonna be hell getting those caps started.

[cromwell1234]

You used spacers even with the adjustable preload caps ? I didnt use any. Set the caps to #1 detent, Screwed them on, Adjusted them to the #2 detent.

I got one leaky fork seal. When I get around to fixing it I might try a couple short spacers. Thats gonna be hell getting those caps started.

The po gave me the bike with no spacers so 2" worked out.

[BassCliff]

Hi guys,

I didn't have time for "the long way" into work today so I took "the medium way". What a difference. My bike doesn't ride like a '67 Caddy any more. It was firm, but not uncomfortable. The corners I took felt great. I had a couple of little wobbles but that may have been due to my lousy riding habits.

I used 1.75" spacers as was recommended in the Progressive documentation for my bike. I had no trouble getting the caps screwed back on. My bike has air forks and not the adjustable pre-load caps. I have not put any air in my forks and I don't think they're going to need any. There is much less dive when I hit the front brakes.

The new shocks have much less sag and subsequently raised the back end a little, shortening the steering. I also left my fork caps exposed (raising the forks by 3mm or so) in case I needed to change the spacer length or put lighter oil back in (currently 15w).

I'm going to ride it a while and see how everything settles in. I have heard that 15w oil can sometimes let your front wheel hop more (slower rebound dampening?) thus lessening your ability to keep the front wheel planted in sharp corners taken aggressively. I'll take a run over Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road as soon as I get a chance to see how the handling has been affected. Up until now, none of my regular riding buddies (except for maybe Lynn) have been able to keep up with me in the corners. I hope I didn't screw anything up.

Another picture of "Jessie" without her front legs...




Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[81ZUKI75]

MDI/Emgo shocks

Hi guys,

The new shocks have much less sag and subsequently raised the back end a little, shortening the steering. I also left my fork caps exposed (raising the forks by 3mm or so) in case I needed to change the spacer length or put lighter oil back in (currently 15w).

BassCliff

Mr BassCliff... How about those shocks? I've read they can be quite stiff. I put Progressives in my "T" and they seem fine running on the softest preload. I need to decide on my "E" model as the original shocks are getting tired... so what's your opinion of the EMGO's?

Thanks in advance..

[BassCliff]

Mr BassCliff... How about those shocks? I've read they can be quite stiff.... so what's your opinion of the EMGO's?

Hi Mr. 81ZUKI75,

Well, I've got a total of 35 miles on them now.

Yes, they are much stiffer than my old stock shocks, but not uncomfortable. I'm glad the 850G has a wide, dual-density foam seat. It's a heavy bike too, and I'm no lightweight for that matter. These three things lessen the effect of the stiffly sprung Emgo shocks. I definitely feel more of the road surface as I ride. Is that called "feedback"?

As it seems so far, I don't think I'll have any trouble going for 2 or 3 hours at a time. Next Saturday my church group has a ride planned over ACH. That will give me a few hours of solid saddle time. On a lighter bike with a lighter rider, these shocks may be a little too harsh. Your mileage may vary.

There are plenty of other members who have used these shocks. Feel free to search the forum and read their opinions. Just search the Tech section or the General section for "emgo shocks" or "mdi shocks" (further narrow your search by searching just the titles). I'm sure you'll find plenty of posts. Maybe even search the Performance Mods section. If you search one section at a time you won't be overwhelmed with non-relevant posts.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Larry D]

Cliff,
That picture of Jessie without her front legs looks familiar. Brian and I (mostly Brian) replaced mine with new progressive fork springs a month or so ago. We did the steering stem bearing at the same time. Hence, the more disassembled look.

I think you're going to like the upgrade. I know I have.

[BassCliff]

Hey Larry,

Yes, that's a familiar scene. I would enjoy spending time in Brian's garage too. He's the real deal. I visited Brian once but didn't get a chance to do any wrenching.

Maybe the next time I change my fork oil I'll go ahead and take a look at the steering bearings. But for now I do like the suspension upgrades. I can't wait to try it out on my favorite twisty road.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[salty_monk]

I fitted a set of the Emgo's/MDI on a 550. Bit heavy for me at 165lb but pretty perfect for my friend at about 240 odd. I suspect Basscliff's 200 + heavier bike is spot on.

Dan

[Pete Logan]

I appreciate your time.

BassCliff

No. You pay for my time. Lemme see, 2.5 seconds at $50 an hour, that works out to.......

Oh the hell with it

[BassCliff]

Hi everyone,

I just thought I give an update.

The new Progressive fork springs have breathed new life into this old girl. I like them a lot but they need a little tweaking. I think the ride is just a little too harsh so I'm going to start shaving off a little from my spacers. Right now the spacers are at 1.76 inches with an extra washer on top. I'll start by removing the extra washer.

More importantly, I installed the springs with the tightly wound side pointing up. I'm not quite sure why I did that. Perhaps something about saving a couple of ounces of unsprung weight? Anyway, the springs are noisy. I hear a distinct "clunk" or "thunk" when I hit a significant bump. The documentation said that this could be a problem with the tight winds on top. I'm going to turn them over the first chance I get to see if the noise goes away.

I also used 15w fork oil. I might go back to 10w if the harshness doesn't go away. It's not too harsh, as in uncomfortable, but I feel every little nuance in the road. I guess that's not a bad thing. Thanks for listening.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[salty_monk]

I use 15w - no complaints here.... 165lb