Best way to gop with my GS 1000 forks

[jknappsax]

Thanks, guys! I appreciate the advice.

[Road_Clam]

Keep in mind, if you have a situation where your fork springs are too soft, adding "spacers" to add firmness is just a false "bandaid" to the problem. All's spacers do is add INITIAL firmness to the fork action. You are not changing the actuall rate of the spring. The true fix to too soft fork springs is to correctly swap to a stiffer rated spring rate.

[jknappsax]

I've been seeing Progressive fork springs for about $70 US, and it's got me thinking. I had them in my 1978 GS 750, and loved them. I AM going to be riding a whole season with whatever I do, and Progressives just seemed to make everything (braking, twisties, corners) a little more planted.

[salty_monk]

Keep in mind, if you have a situation where your fork springs are too soft, adding "spacers" to add firmness is just a false "bandaid" to the problem. All's spacers do is add INITIAL firmness to the fork action. You are not changing the actuall rate of the spring. The true fix to too soft fork springs is to correctly swap to a stiffer rated spring rate.

If you CUT the spring shorter & replace with the same length of PVC as you cut off (i.e. replace 4" of spring with 4" of solid spacer) you change the SPRING RATE. Effectively you make the spring stiffer. This is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT to preload adjustment...

The only thing you have to watch for is you doing make it coil bound (i.e the coil cannot compress enough to allow the full range of travel in the fork)

[tkent02]

Keep in mind, if you have a situation where your fork springs are too soft, adding "spacers" to add firmness is just a false "bandaid" to the problem. All's spacers do is add INITIAL firmness to the fork action. You are not changing the actuall rate of the spring. The true fix to too soft fork springs is to correctly swap to a stiffer rated spring rate.

But are they too soft, or just too short? Time lets them sag shorter, it does not change the spring rate. Some of us like a hard ride, some of us like comfort.

[jknappsax]

The current springs are a full 421 mm, seem to be in good shape. I haven't done a static sag test yet, but I'll do that tomorrow. It was a good sign that the bike had tapered roller steering head bearings, packed well in new red grease, races in perfect shape, as well as bearings. Most of the things the PO claimed to have done were half-fast. He couldn't how to figure out how to time the bike; well when he had left out the reference plate with the timing marks, DUH! He said he had put in a DJ stage3 kit, but the parts were all in with the "spares". He also had a tuning manual for CV carbs; the GS 1000 has VMs. I've doublechecked or rebuilt just about every system on the bike. The forks were a mess, had rust on the retaining washer and circlip, and water in the left fork. At speed (about 70 mph) it wobbled so much it seemed to want to throw me off. They're in good shape now!

[Sandy]

I've been seeing Progressive fork springs for about $70 US, and it's got me thinking. I had them in my 1978 GS 750, and loved them. I AM going to be riding a whole season with whatever I do, and Progressives just seemed to make everything (braking, twisties, corners) a little more planted.

Your current springs even though you measured them are probably junk, almost all of them were. I'd say buy a set of progressives and when you're done with them you can probably resell them here so you won't really be out that much money in the long run.

[jknappsax]

Yeah, I ordered the Progressive springs yesterday. If I'm using the bike all season, it seems sensible to want it to do the best it can until next winter's GSXR upgrade. Thanks much for all the advice.