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So how do I start?

Tom NWGA

Tom NWGA

Member
Member
Have a '99 Connie with 90K+ miles on it. Ride is a bit ... rough. Has new Progressive springs with new fork oil (15W). No spacer as the length of the new springs matched that of the stock one.  Suspension improvement would make this a keeper. How do I start with the analysis and eventual improvement?
 
Depending on your riding style (aggressive or cruiser) will determine which way to go. Progressive springs are great for cruising but if you plan on doing any aggressive twisties the Sonic 1.1 or 1.2's would be more in order. As far as the rear changing the shock has several options. The ZZR 1200 shock as well as the C-14 are two of the most popular rear shock mods available for a reasonable price. Anyhow that will give you something to think about.
 
I think you need to define "rough." Also what have you done?  Did you drain/replace the fork oil? Did you measure the level of the oil or simply add the "correct" volume?  Have you done anything to the rear shock (change the air pressure, get a rebuild kit from Murph, etc.)?
 
I enjoy my '01 C10 a whole lot more now that I've done this:

- Race Tech 1.0 fork springs (straight rate) - $130
- Race Tech gold valve cartridge emulators - $170
- Progressive 465 rear shock from Murph - $400

To set context:  I consider myself a medium-speed rider.  I'm not as fast or aggressive as Jim Snyder, but I'm not a pure cruising rider either.  To me, the tradeoffs are budget vs performance (riding style) vs shop time.  My parameters:  I'm not flush, but I'm not broke. I'm a medium rider, and although I do my own work generally, I'd rather be on the road than in the shop.  ;D

The Race Tech stuff I did is the middle ground between the cheapest/simplest option of replacing the springs/oil and the high-performance and involved option of replacing the entire front end.  Have to take the forks off to do it, but I also replaced the fork seals and added a fork oil drain plug at the same time.

The Progressive 465 probably has less performance than a C14 shock, but way more than the stock rear.  It was medium expensive but best of all it just bolted up!

All of this, together with new tires gave me great performance on my 3-week Three Sisters National trip this year!  No more front end dive under braking, no wallowing in the back. :great:
 
Ranger Jim said:
I think you need to define "rough." Also what have you done?  Did you drain/replace the fork oil? Did you measure the level of the oil or simply add the "correct" volume?  Have you done anything to the rear shock (change the air pressure, get a rebuild kit from Murph, etc.)?
Click to expand...
The ride catches more road anomalies/bumps, bike sits lower on center stand for some strange reason (rear tire is not as high in the air), and it just feels like there is more effort needed to maneuver the bike.
More specifically the only changes made include: new Progressive springs with no spacer to increase tension, 15W oil measured by level of oil using Murph's equipment for such purposes, front shocks were rebuilt about five years ago by a knowledgeable fellow (i.e., not me), no changes to rear shock other than adding/subtracting air pressure and changing dampening from time to time.
 
CaffeineMan said:
I enjoy my '01 C10 a whole lot more now that I've done this:

- Race Tech 1.0 fork springs (straight rate) - $130
- Race Tech gold valve cartridge emulators - $170
- Progressive 465 rear shock from Murph - $400

To set context:  I consider myself a medium-speed rider.  I'm not as fast or aggressive as Jim Snyder, but I'm not a pure cruising rider either.  To me, the tradeoffs are budget vs performance (riding style) vs shop time.  My parameters:  I'm not flush, but I'm not broke. I'm a medium rider, and although I do my own work generally, I'd rather be on the road than in the shop.  ;D

The Race Tech stuff I did is the middle ground between the cheapest/simplest option of replacing the springs/oil and the high-performance and involved option of replacing the entire front end.  Have to take the forks off to do it, but I also replaced the fork seals and added a fork oil drain plug at the same time.

The Progressive 465 probably has less performance than a C14 shock, but way more than the stock rear.  It was medium expensive but best of all it just bolted up!

All of this, together with new tires gave me great performance on my 3-week Three Sisters National trip this year!  No more front end dive under braking, no wallowing in the back. :great:
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
You could try a lighter weight fork oil and rebuild the rear shock with Murph's kit (it's easy to do). Those are fairly inexpensive and easy to do. After that you could go to a C14 rear shock.

The rear not being as high off the ground is likely due to the front fork being more extended.  I suspect you have too much oil in the forks.
 
Whaddya wanna spend Tom?

Iffin' you wanna go frugal, cut the factory springs, throw in a spacer, and
change the fork oil.  Then show the rear shock some love.

Wanna drop some coin, the straight rate springs and emulators will
vastly improve cornering confidence, and stop the nose dive.  This
works well with the factory rear shock in place... just rebuild it.

If you need some OEM springs to hack, you can have mine ('06).

Before swapping out the rear shock, I'd consider the 4 pot front brake upgrade.
Better brakes are a good thing, and with a bit of patience, can get a set on the cheap.

Good luck!
 
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