With an Ohlins rear shock coming in by the end of the month, I finally got off my ass and started on the front. (I sat on these springs for the longest time as I was enjoying a DRZ super-moto). I swapped out the stockers for race-tech 1 kg's and used some nice Motul 10W. Ahhh, what a change. Night and day as everyone says. And not hard to do either (which says a lot coming from me I don't know one end of a wrench from the other).
As for propping it up to get to the forks, I got the front up on a borrowed front stand, Shared the weight of the front with a scissors jack under the headers and a a stout strap under the lower triples. Was a lot easier than I had thought. If you haven't done it, do your bike and your riding a favor. Springs and oil! best $150 you'll spend on the 919. You shouda seen the chit that came outa there, I think it was the original oil from 2002!
Will add how my rear shock install goes in a coupla weeks.
What's going on at your upper triple clamp. It looks like your forks are raised over an inch, your bars seem to be mounted differently and you rotated the bars forward. Can you explain?
I guess that i should do my forks too. It's easy to rationalize not spending lot's of money on the rear, but the front is a very reasonably priced upgrade. I feel bad about your shipping rates to there. It sure jacks up your prices!
What's going on at your upper triple clamp. It looks like your forks are raised over an inch, your bars seem to be mounted differently and you rotated the bars forward. Can you explain?
I guess that i should do my forks too. It's easy to rationalize not spending lot's of money on the rear, but the front is a very reasonably priced upgrade. I feel bad about your shipping rates to there. It sure jacks up your prices!
Yep, the shipping rates are killer, which is why I'm waiting for a relative to fly in for the holidays with my shock.
The bars are just off the mounts and sitting on the tank at the point I snapped the pics. Made getting to the fork caps easier.
In my limited experience, the improvement is all about less dive on the brakes. I might be hamfisted with the brakes but when i come in to a corner the bike dives, then it pogoes up and down while im leaned over which forces me to correct my line as the weight shifts back n forth. Now it goes where i point it...most of the time, anyway. Just feels more precise. I havent noted yet how it feels over harsh bumps at speed. I went with 130 gap to the top of the fork and the precut preload spacer from race tech for the pre-04 forks.
Nice setup with the ladder and cross bar, this is gonna be my first upgrade this winter. I just gotta find a good step by step for it since I have no clue what I'm doing.
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In my limited experience, the improvement is all about less dive on the brakes. I might be hamfisted with the brakes but when i come in to a corner the bike dives, then it pogoes up and down while im leaned over which forces me to correct my line as the weight shifts back n forth. Now it goes where i point it...most of the time, anyway. Just feels more precise. I havent noted yet how it feels over harsh bumps at speed. I went with 130 gap to the top of the fork and the precut preload spacer from race tech for the pre-04 forks.
You are a not a heavy guy right ?
If you have 1.0 kg / mm springs, be careful about how much internal preload you use from the spacer length.
No more than 15 mm regardless of what the Racetech instructions say, and if you are a light as I think you are, seeing as you are on 1.0 springs, I'd suggest 10. This way you still have some suspension compliance towards topout, and you will be in that zone when you get on the gas and the bike squats.
You are a not a heavy guy right ?
If you have 1.0 kg / mm springs, be careful about how much internal preload you use from the spacer length.
No more than 15 mm regardless of what the Racetech instructions say, and if you are a light as I think you are, seeing as you are on 1.0 springs, I'd suggest 10. This way you still have some suspension compliance towards topout, and you will be in that zone when you get on the gas and the bike squats.
Cool. Ill do some more fettling when i have the rear upgraded. I'll set the sag properly when shes all done. Im about 180 lbs in gear, ill see what settings feel best.
Cool. Ill do some more fettling when i have the rear upgraded. I'll set the sag properly when shes all done. Im about 180 lbs in gear, ill see what settings feel best.
Good luck and getting meaningful sag numbers from 919 forks.
I got such a huge range between my "pull up and gently release" and "push down and gently release" numbers that I figured a mid point valued was of no meaning.
You're probably better to simply set your front ride height adjusters mid point, then try raising, then lowering, from there and see what you like.
thanks,not sure yet, last year finished almost at cut off time with a group. this year finished it in 19 hrs got lost somewhere in cagayan going to appari, hopefully this time ill finished it before dark, all i need is a pair of new tires, clutch for my hornet, just installed a puig windscreen
Cool. Ill do some more fettling when i have the rear upgraded. I'll set the sag properly when shes all done. Im about 180 lbs in gear, ill see what settings feel best.
I've now had a set of 02s apart and will soon post the measurements, findings, plus a photo showing the 02/3 front springs are not the same as the 04 and later. Thanks to Rickard for driving over a set of forks for me to look inside.
More to follow soon.
I've now had a set of 02s apart and will soon post the measurements, findings, plus a photo showing the 02/3 front springs are not the same as the 04 and later. Thanks to Rickard for driving over a set of forks for me to look inside.
More to follow soon.
Awesome! Im embarrassed to admit I've had the Ohlins sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks now, just been to darned busy to get it on the bike. I'm pretty sure I'm within centimeters of the ideal preload for the front (the springs/spacers came from motocycho's '03 forks) but bottomline these 1kg springs are perfect on a nice smooth track but just be a tad heavy for street riding at my weight (180-185 in gear). Gone is the dive on the brakes but a tad harsh over small bumps.
Awesome! Im embarrassed to admit I've had the Ohlins sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks now, just been to darned busy to get it on the bike. I'm pretty sure I'm within centimeters of the ideal preload for the front (the springs/spacers came from motocycho's '03 forks) but bottomline these 1kg springs are perfect on a nice smooth track but just be a tad heavy for street riding at my weight (180-185 in gear). Gone is the dive on the brakes but a tad harsh over small bumps.
I'd expect 95s in a 919 front to be a good rate on a track that is smooth, especially if one has tires at the stickier end of what is available.
The combination of such a spring rate in association with the 919s known hi stiction, will make it harsh on sharp bumps and the stutter bumps you have mentioned before re your public roads.
Finally Istalled the Ohlins. Nice. Wasn't as hard as I thought but wasn't as easy either. I put the bike up an a rear standthan went with g00gl3it's solution of a bar through the centerstand mounts and a couple of jacks under that. Left the rear wheel on and just worked around it. The only mod is enlarging the hole of the old reservoir to accomodate the larger ohlins one. I noticed some people have the reservoir mounted deeper in, I might go back and enlarge the hole some more to get the res tucked in deeper.
...anyone else concerned about how close that hose from the reservoir to the shock sits almost on the end of the Y-pipe? Should I be worried about the heat? I guess I should twist the reservoir a bit for more clearance. tucking it deeper in might solve that.
I'm running solo rear sets so I have to fabricate a bit of a hanger for the preload remote. For now I tucked it under the seat. Slapped it on as It came in the box and will go for a test ride tomorrow.
Finally Istalled the Ohlins. Nice. Wasn't as hard as I thought but wasn't as easy either. I put the bike up an a rear standthan went with g00gl3it's solution of a bar through the centerstand mounts and a couple of jacks under that. Left the rear wheel on and just worked around it. The only mod is enlarging the hole of the old reservoir to accomodate the larger ohlins one. I noticed some people have the reservoir mounted deeper in, I might go back and enlarge the hole some more to get the res tucked in deeper.
...anyone else concerned about how close that hose from the reservoir to the shock sits almost on the end of the Y-pipe? Should I be worried about the heat? I guess I should twist the reservoir a bit for more clearance. tucking it deeper in might solve that.
I'm running solo rear sets so I have to fabricate a bit of a hanger for the preload remote. For now I tucked it under the seat. Slapped it on as It came in the box and will go for a test ride tomorrow.
Very nice! I am putting mine on over the Christmas Holidays....not that I can ride it in the cold, but at least it will be ready.
I have to resort to using a latter a-frame now with the 900rr setup. That bar worked great until I switched headers, lol.
Couldn't wait for the morning took her out for a quick ride. What can I say, buttery smooth and compliant out in the rear. I dont feel like i'm getting kicked-out of the seat in big bumps now. But now with the ohlins working out baxk, I see how oversprung I am up front with the 1 kg springs. Definitely need to come down to .95's or .925 to balance it out. The bike isnt as easy to tip in to corners as before. I suspect the rear is riding lower than it did with the stock set-up (coupled with the over stiff front now too).
I have the preload clicker zip-tied under the seat for now, I'll make up a hanger coming off the heel plates of the rearsets in the coming weeks. Keep you guys posted.
Did you set the sag in the rear or are you just running it as supplied for now.
I wouldn't doubt that the front feels stiff because as noted above, the springs that you got are really stiff for your weight. .900's would be about right, from what I have read around here.
this is why i prefer a manual preload adjuster like the penske because these ones just scream out play with me.
even on the ohlins on my tracky i had the preload removed and went with the collet adjuster
this is why i prefer a manual preload adjuster like the penske because these ones just scream out play with me.
even on the ohlins on my tracky i had the preload removed and went with the collet adjuster
I originally just had it tucked under the seat, but i decided to be a bit of a show off ...wait till i get an ohlins sticker on the swingarm
Better pic. bit of rear brake adjustment due too as I relocated the master cylinder higher to get a bit more adjustment from the pedal. Will set proper rear sag this weekend
Better pic. bit of rear brake adjustment due too as I relocated the master cylinder higher to get a bit more adjustment from the pedal. Will set proper rear sag this weekend
Suggested is 5 mm of free sag and see what your rider sag ends up being.
Given your spring rate, and the 919s strong squat characteristic, running any more than 5 mm of free sag will be counterproductive.
My guess is that for the spring you have and your weight, a 5 mm free sag will give you a rider sag in the 36 - 38 mm zone.
Finally got those .925 front springs in. Better. Good balance of plushness and the stiffness i wanted on hard braking. But without the harsh chatter of my previous 1kg springs. With that set, i went about getting some sag numbers.
Free sag:
11 mm (front)
29 mm (back)
Ride height:
36 mm (front)
37 mm (rear)
As i understand it, the front numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt, given the stichion of the 919 forks. Im a couple of mm over the recommended 35 mm rear ride height of ohlins. Am i right in thinking i back off the preload (turn counter clockwise/towards soft) a click or two to get into the recommended range? Im about 6 clicks from full soft now.
Your rear rider sag sounds right.
Your rear free sag is impossible so is an error in some respect.
More to the point.
You have a 1028 # rear spring, which is light for track but very OK for light rider solo street riding, especially on bumpy roads.
Set your free sag to 5 mm and be done with it.
The only way to get a 1028 down to 35 or less mm of rider sag is with excessive preload.
Set free to 5, and measure your rider sag and it will be what it will be.
1028 is too soft if any significant amount of track time is going to be done.
I don't know one end of a wrench from the other).
took her out for a quick ride. What can I say, buttery smooth and compliant out in the rear. I dont feel like i'm getting kicked-out of the seat in big bumps now. But now with the ohlins working out baxk, I see how oversprung I am up front with the 1 kg springs. Definitely need to come down to .95's or .925 to balance it out. The bike isnt as easy to tip in to corners as before. I suspect the rear is riding lower than it did with the stock set-up (coupled with the over stiff front now too). 
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