Suspension help

[zimak]

Ok have a 2006 XR650R.

Rings are blown right now so doing a full rebuild. While she's down and waiting on parts to come in I would like to respring my suspension.

While I'm in there want to go ahead and do fork seals and fluilds.

Main question, are there any special tools I need before I start the tear down?

Second question, how do I pick which oil weight to use?

Last question, how do I go about recharging (or does it need it at this point) the nitrogen in the rear shock?

Thanks guys.

[XR4DEZ]

Check it out;http://borynack.com/XR650R/

[zimak]

Yeah I saw that but was hoping to do it myself. I dont see much need in revalving at this point. Just wanted to spring it for my weight and change fluids/clean everything up and then see how it feels when sprung properly and in good maintenance.

Alternatively: I found a local shop here in Vegas that said they would do:

Upgraded springs (for my weight)

fluids, fork seals, dust seals, shock seal, fresh nitrogen

$392 with AD military discount (they give 20% for military...neat!)

Sound pretty reasonable?

[XR4DEZ]

Yeah I saw that but was hoping to do it myself. I dont see much need in revalving at this point. Just wanted to spring it for my weight and change fluids/clean everything up and then see how it feels when sprung properly and in good maintenance.

Alternatively: I found a local shop here in Vegas that said they would do:

Upgraded springs (for my weight)

fluids, fork seals, dust seals, shock seal, fresh nitrogen

$392 with AD military discount (they give 20% for military...neat!)

Sound pretty reasonable?

Yep, that's a good price with springs and all.

[zimak]

Good...hell with it, I'll go with those guys. I got enough to do rebuilding the motor this week.

[zimak]

Ok just talked to them about ordering my springs and they are suggesting .48 fork and 12kg rear shock.

Weighing in at 195lbs w/o gear.

According to racetech they showed I should be on a 10 or 10.5kg spring. Is 12kg way overboard?

[XR4DEZ]

The site listed above has a spring chart, the spring for the shock you mentioned is stronger than mine and I weigh 220 with gear. The forks are the same. I'll try to find out what my shock spring rate is.

[XR4DEZ]

My spring was custom made to a 9.8.

[zimak]

Hmm...thats what I thought...12.0 looks to be way overboard.

Maybe I should find another shop to go to.

[XR4DEZ]

Hmm...thats what I thought...12.0 looks to be way overboard.

Maybe I should find another shop to go to.

They might have a 12.0 laying around the shop and are trying to sell it. I had a Suzuki that was sprung to high and it felt like a pogo stick and was always pushing the front around in soft stuff. It was a POS, took it back and the shop said sorry we thought you said your weight was 300lbs. and they fixed it.

[FORMA MOTO]

Use the racetech guide to pick your springs.

12 is way to stiff

Once you re-spring, your damping will be WAY off with the stock shim set up. You WILL need to revalve. It is so inexpensive to revalve the front and rear, and rebuild, and re-oil, you should just send it out with the new springs and have it done.

[zimak]

Revalving is an additional $300.

Respringing/oil/seals etc is $392

Ok, not trying to be cheap here but also not trying to spend money where I wont feel it.

I KNOW I need bigger springs and have seen that all over this forum. Rarely have I seen re-valving except for those actually competing in some form or fashion.

Man soon as I think I know which direction to go I get all tossed around.

Any more input guys?

Go for the extra $300 and get revalved at Barnums or just springs/oil etc?

[EddieTNT]

Do the full deal. Revalve and respring. The suspension on these bikes is pretty danged nice when redone. Conventional forks get a very underserved bad rap in my opinion.

[BWB63]

Ok just talked to them about ordering my springs and they are suggesting .48 fork and 12kg rear shock.

Weighing in at 195lbs w/o gear.

According to racetech they showed I should be on a 10 or 10.5kg spring. Is 12kg way overboard?

Your springs should be for you without gear. I weigh 185~195 and use 10kg/mm shock and .45kg/mm fork springs. I could go 10.5kg/mm and .47kg/mm for some of the large drop offs and 70 foot table tops but, I don't bottom enough and my wrist does not like the .47kg/mm fork springs on long rides.

All the video's with XR650R's are with 195 pound rider with ether stock or .45kg/mm & 10kg/mm springs, large desert tank on most. There is an old video of a stock bike in the air for 70' popping a step over. Yes, the bike bottomed hard, it was a long way down the other side to get the bike's backend straightened out.

http://borynack.com/XR650R/bwbvideo.htm

Links that might help you with your bike:

http://borynack.com/XR650R/

http://borynack.com/xr650r.htm

http://borynack.com/Honda%20XR650R%20Suspension%20ww1.doc

http://borynack.com/Honda%20XR650R%20Suspension%20www.doc

http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=266765

http://borynack.com/XR650R/Suspension/KYBSHOWA.htm

http://borynack.com/XR650R/Suspension/suspensiontuning.htm

[zimak]

Thanks BWB63...thats EXACTLY what I was looking for. All the borynack sites werent working at work but seem to be working fine from home.

[Denn10]

Start with springs for your weight AND then if you dont like how suspension feels then you can have revalved. It doesnt cost you anymore money just a little time but you may find that with correct springs you can play a little with sag and clicker settings to find a nice feeling without the $400 for revalving. Some of the top oils they use in shocks/forks are a bit better than stock oils so thats something you can play with also thats cheap.

[zimak]

So to start off, just go with the local shop and get in a set of .45kg fork and 10kg rear shock springs and adjust preload and go through a couple days of clicker adjustments.

Then if still not happy, box em up and ship em off to PC or Barnums?

[Denn10]

thats what i would recommend, ive had some suspension revalved and didnt notice alot. It really doesnt hurt to get the right springs and just play with it. If you have weak springs now you really cant tell how its supposed to work as you cant get the correct sag for the shock and the forks are too weak also. Buy the springs and put them in yourself! That shouldnt be much more than $200 if you do some shopping and looking, ive never spend more than $100 bucks for springs. Shock is REALLY easy and forks arent hard my any means.

Where in NV r u?

[zimak]

Vegas.

I know I need to just pony up and make the tools for the forks, I just want to make damn sure they are done right with the seals and fluids and all that and its something I've never had a hand in.

Going in blind from what I've read it seems easy to make a small mistake with a high penalty.

[BWB63]

Most shops charge extra for seal replacement. It is not part of the suspeension valving job. If the seals are not leaking and it doesn't have tons of hours the need for seal change is very low. The fact is your next suspension fluid change would be before the seal failed. Oh, you need to change the fluid??? I hear that a lot.