Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:46 pm
Stereo wrote:GSXR600K1.... The spring is too light for mezenodamper wrote:Hadn't actually thought about doing a discount - been a bit busy getting my brand new 25mm cartridge design into an SP1 fork (shouldn't really plug me own race products; but hey it's the net....Stereo wrote:Welcome
Nice website........ offering discounts to Ksrc'ers? Hehehe I need me a GSXR600 shock rebuilt....
Bit rude to bring it up in a welcome topic but hey! ... its the net)
- yeah why not! Never done it before on any forum... ok then, 10% off labour - parts as normal. Which Gixxer? Though, saying this; it should be 10% extra cos it's not KHI....and apparently some "gold" valves would be better....
Well, naturally this should probably not be typed here; but seeing as it might be of reasonable interest to other users, why not?
I do not doubt that there are people whom would need a firmer spring than the stock K1-3 600 one; but are you over 100 kilos?
Yes the Suzi did benefit from using a firmer spring, though this was usually only done with the linkage changes... what is to say that the stock linkage was often retained (most racing rules
) and instead the preload got jacked up - i.e due to the nature of the linkage's progression, it is more beneficial to keep to a light spring and delay its "rate of change" with pre-tensioning, than it is to swap up to a firmer "rate of change" and then find the spring resistance at half stroke to be a little OTT - viz, the OEM spring is normally OK, and unlike some I could mention, I would not change a spring for no good reason by principle!As to RT Goldvalves.... hmm... see the pain on my face? Err.. OK, let's phrase things this way....:- (reading on is now voluntary, don't wanna bore ya shitless like)
- quote, remove size and preview to read -
...once upon a time years ago, suspended things were not so good (Borat voice would be nice) - like at the end of the 80s for EG - along came a mob and put the shimming or valving underneath the piston they brought along to the party (though Ohlins and others had done this already too) instead of on top (as even some Monsters are now!!!), and instructed all and sunder that they knew all there was to know about it cos their head-honcho had a degree in fluid-amazements (dynamics).... they made it from brass (which does not go well with oil BTW) and misnamed it "gold" - obviously real gold would have cost too much, and have been way too soft; but the Yanks being who they are went for the 'sound' of the idea, rather than the idea itself for the sake of the marketing and later on "franchising" ideas....
Yep, were a good idea at the time, and yep some of the ideas sound really good, but.....
1) alot of the ideas are quite bogus in the real world - though useful for when you need to assimilate alot of people into a doctrine for purpose of selling "product" via a globalised network of franchises. (data provided to reseller/installers of course!)
2) if maximum sized compression ports are so good?
a) how do my 2003/4 636s with stock 0.75mm piston ports work on bumpy English roads at 240kph with no steering damper?, and b) when one upgrades from Ohlins 25mm OEM pistons, one finds oneself with these 3 heinously small ported jobs called "SBK"....
3) How does Ohlins do so well? ...when their ideas are almost the exact opposite?
4) In the case of Suzukis, Aprilias, Ducatis, some Hondas and some Kawasakis, how do people sleep at night when they sell the customer a piston that is almost identical? (Talking fork pistons/valves here BTW). Surely there needs be morality? - tuning to me is an industry where trust and a relationship (of sorts) with the customer is paramount to doing the job well. And no job is complete for me until they are happy, even if in mine having misjudged their demands I end up doing the same job again for free (c'est la vie!!!). With a good relationship, and trust in place, when I say there is new and better shit available, hopefully, they will trust what I say!! Our industry does not need ill-repute, for certain. And as an aside, installers have generally not learnt how things really work - thank fuck!
In short, my philosophy has always been to work with the existing pistons, unless a different sensation or effect is demanded; or a broader range of settings needed - piston or valve design will ultimately decide the oil's pressure focus, and so it's response from start to finish (but shimming R&D makes the true difference)... If one is to sell the customer a differing design, it must do something that their's doesn't, or be of such a level of quality that it is worthwhile to swap....
I have my own piston design in 20, 24, 25, 40 and 46mm, for forks and shocks; BUT, I do not always sell it - for the most part there is no need to. OEM kit can generally work very very well with the right attention for most road use, and with some bikes the stuff is good enough to go racing on!! (needless to say, my own pistons go into actual race-bikes I want to do better)
It is true that shock pistons are best altered or changed; but this still does not necessitate a new piston in itself - there are in some cases, ways and means to get the OEM piston to work very well (when I have the materials available)... Though it needs mentioning that if heat will be an issue during useage - i.e. ride-days - the piston will need some modifying, or one simply swaps to a performance biased piston.... BUT, I do not count the Goldvalve as such!!
....and so, I have my own pistons made for me - 7075 and hard-anodised a sexy black... or I am equally happy to use Ohlins products (gixxers will take an Ohlins piston).You see, it is in my opinion (and I won't prate on much longer) very very important to try (at least) to make everything and anything work well - and yep, I even have a way to deal with Goldvalves, outside of their rules, which make them more linear... Otherwise one is simply not a tuner of suspension; but an installer of parts!!! And this carries over to Ohlins & Penske products too, weirdly enough....
when are you bringing that pretty lady of yours around so I can feed you? I think it's my turn?