Ouch!!

[hooligan971]

Got caught in a pretty heavy rain today (I think it's the first time this bike has ever been wet)and while doing about 25mph on a long dirt road I hit a puddle and BANG. The front end bottomed out harder than has ever happened on any other bike I've had. I've put 1200 miles on the bike since I got it and guess I've learned to deal with/gotten used to the diving front end on the street, but this was not really what I would call off-road. The puddle was only about 3" deep and maybe I was going a little faster than I realize but I'll definitely be doing something with the front suspension soon. I've seen a few different ways that guys have dealt with this but most are old posts and I'm wondering if you guys have, over the years, come up with a generally preferred set up(mine's a 99)

[walker]

you'll get a lot of suggestions I'm sure!

I recently did the hyperpro front springs (price, availability were the factors). I really did not want a progressive / rising rate spring, but it was cost effective for what I was doing.

Already had emulators in there, but it was as you say - bottoming out when the bike was loaded on heavy bumps.

I still like the setup that is in the 2006 models from the factory, but did not not want to spend the $$$ to duplicate that (it is much more stiff than the stock 2000 setup and feels like a straight rate spring, which I like).

the hyperpro springs  went in easy - like race tech stuff I have done to numerous hondas and other triumphs in the past. Others will chime in and give you pointers too - this is just my experience (specifically on a 2000 model - same front end you have)

[hooligan971]

Thanks Walker, I have been looking at the Hyper-Pro kit. Actually It was top on my list based on my research so far, but I'm sure you guys would know better than me.Not sure what I want to do with the rear yet . I am 6'4" 210lbs and the bike was not loaded except for a 12 pack of MTN Dew and a loaf of bread in one box.
Another thing I'm wondering about is preload adjustment in rear. Manual states adjusting in "Turns" but I'm thinking it should read "clicks" because mine doesn't have a full 6 turns of adjustment. Anyway can't really get a feel for that until I get the front end good enough to handle halfway decent.

[haroldo_psf]

I LOVE this motorcycle, BUT...If you ask me, the front end of the 2000 girlies is complete junk.
I too looked at the Hyperpro spring kit. The problem with upgrading the springs only is that you end up with an out of control "bang bang" system. That means, you increase the proportional constant of the system without adjusting the damping term (the valving), and that makes is go Boing Boing Boing as there is nothing to slow that stronger spring down.

The stock forks of the 2000 Girly is just a hole that lets oil through. There is no spring loaded shim at all. So, by increasing the proportional gain (stronger spring), you could actually make the system more unstable. You would probably cure the bottoming out issue, but you would add another problem which could be more severe while at full lean.

My advice to you is, if you are going to do work on the front end, plan for doind it right, increase the spring stiffness and also the dampening (valving) to accomodate for the stronger spring.

There is probably a bunch of ways to go. I happen to have a Penske and RaceTech suspension specialist right around the corner from me. He has fitted my Kawasaki Concours 14 (GTR1400 in Europe) with rear Ohlins and front Race Tech Gold Valve kit and springs.

In two weeks he will fit a rear Penske Racing shock (8983 series) and a month later we will fit RaceTech emulators and springs in front. The emulators convert the damping system on the Girly from what currently is, basically a hole that oil goes through, to a spring loaded shim system, like in cartridge forks.

[billy bee]

"I happen to have a Penske and RaceTech suspension specialist right around the corner from me. He has fitted my Kawasaki Concours 14 (GTR1400 in Europe) with rear Ohlins and front Race Tech Gold Valve kit and springs.

Ted Porter?

[hooligan971]

I wonder how much improvement I would get with the Hyperpro springs and higher viscosity fork oil. I guess I should add emulators while I'm at it but I'm looking for the most cost effective way to get the most improvement. I've spent a lot already on luggage, crash bars etc. and still have other things to go, but you are right, I should do it right the first time or I won't be happy, even if it means delaying the trip this spring.
How are the 06 bikes set up from the factory differently than the earlier bikes?

[haroldo_psf]

"I happen to have a Penske and RaceTech suspension specialist right around the corner from me. He has fitted my Kawasaki Concours 14 (GTR1400 in Europe) with rear Ohlins and front Race Tech Gold Valve kit and springs.

Ted Porter?

Robert at www.evolutionsuspension.com (http://www.evolutionsuspension.com) in San Jose, CA.

An international suspension God is also a few miles away. Dave Moss at Catalyst Reaction is 20 minutes north in Redwood city, but Robert is right here, so...

Both Robert and Dave Moss are british. What is it with you English guys and suspension?

[walker]

2006 and 2000 / different spring, less travel, not progressive (from what I can tell). Still a damping rod type (nothing fancy there). Easier to predict what the front will do.... not sure how much difference there is.... it was on the 2004-2006 model year according to bike bandit.

The emulators are nifty, and some people love them, other people can't tell a difference. It will depend on your riding and experience I suppose.

Spring swap is easier than emulators... emulators requires removing the damping rods and drilling the holes out, where springs just pop right in.... the difference in preload with adding emulators isn't much - so you could do the springs first, run it for a while, then do the emulators later.

The bike has damping, it's just not very good (so you won't get a non-damped pogo effect, you'll get things like too soft on hard edge bumps (fast compression), and too harsh on the small bumps (slow compression)).... emulators help change damping rates for the fast and slow compression damping (only one rate for the rebound, which is ok though).

heavier fluid might help with that fast compression, but will make highway riding potentially worse... (fluid level also changes part of the end of the fast compression "feel" as well, but too little air space can cause nasty issues too).

here is a good article on it...  since the suspension is much like a cruiser anyway...  http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/f ... index.html (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/fork_suspension_technology/index.html)

lots more out there if you really want to get into it, but these aren't track bikes, so a lot of it really won't apply with those dual sport tires  

Springs first! If you can afford it, you'll like emulators, but springs will give you the biggest return for the money. And, as others have said - the suspension on the 1999-2000 may leave something to be desired on the street.

NOTE: all of this also depends on your end goal.... if you're going for more street than offroad, your end state will be different than someone who is more offroad than on. Rear suspension - look to the others on the forum here, I don't like the stock setup, but I can live with it. May depend on what you expect the bike to do too! I expected the 2000 to be a bit better than a KLR (keep that in mind - my expectations are a bit low for what it should do for me). I only did the front because on the street it was hard to predict when that front might bottom out, and hard braking wasn't consistent (I don't need it to be super, I just need it to be predictable for me).

Springs man! Springs!

AND - it sounds like haroldo is making some good headway with the same exact year as yours, and will be able to give us an awesome comparison of something beyond what I've done.... which will be nice (I'm still on the fence of dumping money in the back suspension)

[billy bee]

"I happen to have a Penske and RaceTech suspension specialist right around the corner from me. He has fitted my Kawasaki Concours 14 (GTR1400 in Europe) with rear Ohlins and front Race Tech Gold Valve kit and springs.

Ted Porter?

Robert at www.evolutionsuspension.com (http://www.evolutionsuspension.com) in San Jose, CA.

An international suspension God is also a few miles away. Dave Moss at Catalyst Reaction is 20 minutes north in Redwood city, but Robert is right here, so...

Both Robert and Dave Moss are british. What is it with you English guys and suspension?

Ted at The Beemer Shop (Scott's Valley) is a Mercan, by gosh. A real BMW guru. Has a shock dyno. Deals in Wilburs and Ohlins. All around good guy.

So that area is dense with suspension guys. You need it if you want to run the coastal mountains.

bb

[haroldo_psf]

..........
lots more out there if you really want to get into it, but these aren't track bikes,

............

AND - it sounds like haroldo is making some good headway with the same exact year as yours, and will be able to give us an awesome comparison of something beyond what I've done.... which will be nice (I'm still on the fence of dumping money in the back suspension)

Walker,

 Funny you mention it is not a track bike...I agree with you, BUT... Guess what I'm doing with this thing come spring next year? Oh yeah... :twisted:
It's going on the track at Infineon RaceWay (Sears Point). I'm a firm believer that any bike is a track bike, and it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than ride a fast bike slow. Regardless of what you ride, if you just want to let loose and have some fun, anything is will do at the track. Last time I took my 650lbs fire breather sport tourer there (see pic). It did well and I would definetely do it again. I have already fixed the engine on the Tiger, now I'm doing the suspension, and then it will go to the track, and in 2012 to the Artic Circle, which is the main purpose of this bike for me.

Anyway, the Penske arrives in two weeks. In another month, I will do the springs and emulators on the front.

One interesting thing is that I don't have the stock forks on this bike. I don't know what the hell I have! All I know is that in the manual it says there is no adjustment in the front, but on my forks I do have pre-load adjustment and what looks to be a rebound dampening screw adjuster. I will take a picture of it tonight and post. Is there a common fork swap mod that people do to these bikes I should know about?