Racetech springs

potatomasher Mon 17 Jan 2011, 8:09 pm

Well I have had the suspension redone by Terry Hay at Shocktreatment and waited a few weeks before writing anything about it to check out how the bike was going compared to previously. Essentially I had harder Racetech springs put in the front, and had new valves put in with less compression damping. They also worked on the rear suspension and pulled it to bits and put in a different valve. I always was under the impression that you couldn’t disassemble the rear shock but it apparently can be. They also set up the rear ride height to the correct position [number 2 setting on the rear spring for me @ 80 kgs]. It took a while – basically from 9am to 2pm

It wasn’t a cheap job but the difference it has made is well worth the money. No more bashing over surface irregularities from the front and steering and turn in vastly improved, and less dive under brakes. You really have to experience it to appreciate the difference. I recommend it [and if you are mechanically minded and can re-valve the front and put the appropriate springs in then do it] – best thing you could do for the bike so next time you have the urge to buy an accessory of some sort – resist it strongly and do the suspension work instead.

I was also discussing tyre pressures with Terry and he and the others there reckon they should be 34 at the front and 38 at the rear [which I am now running according to the digital tyre gauge at the local service station] and certainly before the work was done the steering would have been a nightmare with the pressure that low at the front – I used to have it at 38 otherwise there was an overpowering urge for the bars to move in the direction of the turn, but now its like the bike has power steering