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83 gs650 shock rates

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    83 gs650 shock rates

    does anyone here off hand know the spring rates for the rear shocks on an 83 gs650l?thank you

    #2
    does anyone here know this?

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      #3
      Way too soft to start with, and hasn't gotten any better over the years.

      As to actual numbers, no.
      If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

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        #4
        Originally posted by Who Dat? View Post
        Way too soft to start with, and hasn't gotten any better over the years.

        As to actual numbers, no.
        Yep, that's about the size of it. To this very day, Suzuki has a longstanding tradition of hiring undernourished Japanese ballerinas and jockeys as suspension calibration test riders, so the stock suspension always arrives badly undersprung and underdamped.

        If you need a starting point for where you want to end up, you might look at Progressive Suspension (the company that sells shocks, not the Flo folks) and see what their recommendations are for rear shock springs -- the 12 series shocks require you to buy shocks separately. Their "normal" recommendation will work well for a slender solo rider up to about 150 pounds or so, and their "heavy duty" recommendation would be in the ballpark for 2-up riding or somewhat heavier riders.

        Looks like their "standard" recommendation for that bike is 75/120 (this is in pounds/inch -- the first number is the spring rate at the beginning of travel, and the last number is the rate at the end of the travel). "Heavy-Duty" is 90/130.




        You didn't ask, but in case you're wondering... for fork springs, you're much better off to go with straight rate springs from Sonic in the appropriate rate for your weight and riding style. Progressive's fork springs are certainly an improvement over stock, but they're a universal progressive rate and tend to be much too soft for most riders.
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          #5
          Originally posted by OleDirtyDoc View Post
          does anyone here off hand know the spring rates for the rear shocks on an 83 gs650l?thank you
          No but here's something
          Use this spring rate estimator to gain an understanding of what spring rate your vintage or classic motorcycle needs.

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            #6
            thank you for the answers, fellas

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