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Question for suspension experts. Race tech spring rates.
Im thinking of upgrading my front suspension. After looking at bunch of options, I believe Race tech suspension with their spring selection will work for my situation as Im on lighter side (130 lbs).
Im looking for soft ride with no brake dive. When I put my info in their calculator it recommends spring rate starting at 0.90 kg/mm 0.95 kg/mm and 1 kg/mm.
Their website says use 1 kg/mm spring with 20 WT oil.
Ive read several posts here that said 10wt oil worked for them to have a softer ride.
Im thinking of 0.95 kg spring (stay middle of the road) because of 20 wt oil. Is my thinking wrong?
For reference it says stock spring rate is 0.72 kg/mm
Leave everything oem the same (including fork and shock weight fluids), and just install gold valves, so you can tweak dampening via them.
As for the slight fork dive, its use to weight transfer to the front end, to increase front wheel grip in not only braking, but dive into apex as well.
Last one is fork and air shock pressures, and they are used to only set pre sag, and with you at 130lbs, should be very little air pressure in play if only riding one up.
And, if running the 12" rear shocks, look into oem 13" shocks off craigslist, since that extra inch goes a long way of smoothing up the rear end in the first place.
If you can not find a set of 13: rear air shocks, not hard to pull yours apart, to convert them into 13" oem shocks.
Oem fluids, oem is 10w in the forks, 7 weight in the shocks.
So if going gold vavles or intiminator vavles, check with either on what fluid weights they requirement with your weight and stock springs in play. The increase in race tech weight, is more of a per there springs, and to run on the more stiffer side as well.
Also, if changing the fork weight in the forks from the oem fluid, make sure to change the rear shock fluid as well.
The amount of fluid in the shocks is 10.5 oz fully drained per shock (both 12 and 13"), and if your new fork weight is 15lbs, want 10w in the shocks,
20w in the forks, then 12 weight in the shocks, to keep the front to rear dampening the same. As for fork amount of fluid per shock, stay with oem spec amount for them.
The last one, if bike has more than 35K on it, don't know when the last time the forks where rebuilt, then rebuilt them. A seal and bushing kit is less than $100 for the forks, and the forks should be rebuilt about every 35k each time, since it not just the seals that you want to catch before they leak, but the bushings before they wear all their teflon coatings away too.
On rear shocks, just do the new oil every 35K, and should should be good for 100K, before you need to tear them down to replace the seal and bumper on the shaft (parts available from either Honda, or any hydraulic shop for even less money.
Note on the shaft bumper, replace it with a poly bumper, and not a rubber one that came oem to start with. Hence on 12" shocks, they tend to bottom out more, and really does a number on the shaft bumper to really wear it out quicker.. https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...rebuild-2.html
Leave everything oem the same (including fork and shock weight fluids), and just install gold valves, so you can tweak dampening via them.
As for the slight fork dive, its use to weight transfer to the front end, to increase front wheel grip in not only braking, but dive into apex as well.
Last one is fork and air shock pressures, and they are used to only set pre sag, and with you at 130lbs, should be very little air pressure in play if only riding one up.
And, if running the 12" rear shocks, look into oem 13" shocks off craigslist, since that extra inch goes a long way of smoothing up the rear end in the first place.
If you can not find a set of 13: rear air shocks, not hard to pull yours apart, to convert them into 13" oem shocks.
Thanks, I'm running 13" shocks. And they are dialed in for me. SO far it's good in the back. Never serviced the front forks.
Originally Posted by Goose_NC
You are in the weight range for the stock springs to work well. I'd recommend the DK Custom Intiminators and the oil recommended by RaceTec.
Oem fluids, oem is 10w in the forks, 7 weight in the shocks.
So if going gold vavles or intiminator vavles, check with either on what fluid weights they requirement with your weight and stock springs in play. The increase in race tech weight, is more of a per there springs, and to run on the more stiffer side as well.
Also, if changing the fork weight in the forks from the oem fluid, make sure to change the rear shock fluid as well.
The amount of fluid in the shocks is 10.5 oz fully drained per shock (both 12 and 13"), and if your new fork weight is 15lbs, want 10w in the shocks,
20w in the forks, then 12 weight in the shocks, to keep the front to rear dampening the same. As for fork amount of fluid per shock, stay with oem spec amount for them.
The last one, if bike has more than 35K on it, don't know when the last time the forks where rebuilt, then rebuilt them. A seal and bushing kit is less than $100 for the forks, and the forks should be rebuilt about every 35k each time, since it not just the seals that you want to catch before they leak, but the bushings before they wear all their teflon coatings away too.
On rear shocks, just do the new oil every 35K, and should should be good for 100K, before you need to tear them down to replace the seal and bumper on the shaft (parts available from either Honda, or any hydraulic shop for even less money.
Note on the shaft bumper, replace it with a poly bumper, and not a rubber one that came oem to start with. Hence on 12" shocks, they tend to bottom out more, and really does a number on the shaft bumper to really wear it out quicker.. https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...rebuild-2.html
Thanks. Never rebuilt the forks, so will have to do the whole set up. As for rear, they will be sent for rebuild next year. I believe they have 25k miles on them.
Since you are on the lighter side and looking for a softer ride, the recommended spring rate from Race Tech or even some Progressives should yield a noticeable improvement.
Feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email with any questions or concerns you may have.
As for rear, they will be sent for rebuild next year. I believe they have 25k miles on them.
No need to send out the rear shocks, just pull and drain them with vac pump, and then refill each with 10.5oz of fluid.
As for which weight fluid, goes hand and hand with what weight fluid in the forks, to keep both end balanced. Hence fluid changes in the shock, the same time as forks, and the rear shocks should be good for 100K before they need to be pulled down to replace the seal, the rod bumper, and cleaning of the wave washer stack when you have it off to replace the shaft bumper. With your weight, would stay with 10w in fork, and 7 weight in shocks. Maxima has fork oil in booth 10 and 7weight, and the price if right from the start.
As for front fork rebuilds, if you are farming this out, gets really spendy, really quick. As stated, its just time and less than $100 for fork rebuild kit, which will include the fork oil for both front and back as well. Not sure how much your riding, but if say 20K or more a year, would think about learning to wrench on your own bike really quick.
And regarding the gold valves or Intiminators, they are drop in (go between the bottom of spring and top of dampening rods), so makes future shock rebuilds not hard in the end. With some of the catrages fork inserts, makes fork rebuilds a PITA, since you still have to pull them apart to replace seals and bushings, but now have to send the catrage back to the manufactor to have it rebuilt as well.
No need to send out the rear shocks, just pull and drain them with vac pump, and then refill each with 10.5oz of fluid.
As for which weight fluid, goes hand and hand with what weight fluid in the forks, to keep both end balanced. Hence fluid changes in the shock, the same time as forks, and the rear shocks should be good for 100K before they need to be pulled down to replace the seal, the rod bumper, and cleaning of the wave washer stack when you have it off to replace the shaft bumper. With your weight, would stay with 10w in fork, and 7 weight in shocks. Maxima has fork oil in booth 10 and 7weight, and the price if right from the start.
As for front fork rebuilds, if you are farming this out, gets really spendy, really quick. As stated, its just time and less than $100 for fork rebuild kit, which will include the fork oil for both front and back as well. Not sure how much your riding, but if say 20K or more a year, would think about learning to wrench on your own bike really quick.
And regarding the gold valves or Intiminators, they are drop in (go between the bottom of spring and top of dampening rods), so makes future shock rebuilds not hard in the end. With some of the catrages fork inserts, makes fork rebuilds a PITA, since you still have to pull them apart to replace seals and bushings, but now have to send the catrage back to the manufactor to have it rebuilt as well.
You can refill 2016 shocks? How? They don't look like the ones you show above.
Last edited by Max Headflow; Feb 21, 2025 at 02:08 PM.
Max,
Those are not the air ride shocks, these are for that year,
But the 54000082 and 54000081 you show can be rebuild, will need to add charging ports, but the bigger question is if you should in the first place? https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TxcAA...nl/s-l1600.jpg
Its kind of like the bikes that the front forks only had adjustment on one side only as well as shocks that only have dampening adjustment on one side, the other side just going for the ride that can cause problem across the two with either fork flex, or swing arm flex when both sides are not constant in dampening to begin with.
Hence on such bikes, prefer to replace the suspension parts with parts that are not just slaves to the other side in the first place,so reaction loads to each side are the same, not one side being a slave.just going for a ride to the other side that is working differently instead.
As for rebuild of the 54000082 and 54000081 , need to compress the springs to pull the retainer clips out of the bottom to remove the springs, drill the shock tops for charge ports to relieve the upper piston pressure, then can pop the end caps at rod side, remove the spring rings, and pull the entire rod assembly and seal out the bottom. Once that is out, use air pressure through the charge port you just drilled, to drive the pistons out, and now can clean the parts, thread for the charge ports, do what you need to do with the seals and rod parts, them re-install the parts with fluid )making sure to get all the air bubbles out) , install the charge ports since pistons should be all the way upwards and nitro charge the shocks.
Think shock in the middle that uses piston in cylinder itself and which does already show a charging port, but no reserve tank to put piston there in the far right shock.
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Question for suspension experts. Race tech spring rates.
