sporster forks

[steve.m]

Yea, more suspension questions, I know...

Anyway, inquired about some progressive springs for the nightster, to which the parts guy informed me i'd need to order new tubes to accomidate the additional length.  Seems counter intuitive to me.  Why not just cram the springs in and get a bit of additional preload?

his proposed solution...

Screaming eagle fork oil.  I believe it's 15 wt so I'll go for the generic stuff and save a few bucks there.  Maybe add 20 wt.
1" spacer under the caps to increase preload.  Between the two, should prevent me from bottoming out the bike on every frickin bump and maintain the warranty.  

Seems like an easy garage mod, just need to match the OD of the spring to the OD of the spacer and throw a washer in between.  Chornbe, 1K, atad...whatchu think?

[Sport-Touring]

[1KPerDay]

chornbe is your guy... not me. Forks have been known to run away in terror at my very approach.   However, the longer tubes thing is BS. Is your parts guy the H-D parts guy?

Stiffer oil may help, but that's usually to improve damping and/or stiffen the ride a bit. It also may have the undesired effect of making every little bump felt. My advice is to do whatever chornbe says to do. Even if it involves a bear suit.

[chornbe]

He drinks. And he probably dresses as a bear... and yeah, in the gay way.

The lowered forks - IF stock and not some silly after market or custom cut-down job   - simply have a spacer spring in the bottom to keep the fork tube from pulling as far out of the slider as a non-lowered version, and different springs, of course. You not only have lowered forks making the bike scrape everything, but you lose at least an inch of suspension travel in the bargain! Way to go, Harley, giving in to the knuckle-draggers.  

(note: you may notice I'm not a fan of lowered suspensions on a bike that can otherwise competently take a turn)

Get the RaceTech spring kit... it comes with the spacers so you can do standard and lowered-height fork rebuilds in one kit. The lowering springs look great in the trash can! They really class it up!

They use a linear-rate spring and with 15wt oil and their gold valves, and drilling the damper rods, the forks turn out awesome. The front end of my sporty feels great. You still have to regulate rebound with damper rods and fork oil weight, but the compression is fantastic!

The back end... eh... could be better. I went with the low-end Progressives and think maybe I should have gone a little longer and gotten better ones, but they're still better than stock as far as keeping me off the pavement around turns. They're a bit harsh, but I've heard lots of folks say the same about Progressives in general.

(the "top out" springs are what can lower the suspension - the kit comes with additional-length springs for the lowering version)
http://chornbe.com/motorcycles/sportster/frontsuspension/

[steve.m]

chornbe is your guy... not me. Forks have been known to run away in terror at my very approach.   However, the longer tubes thing is BS. Is your parts guy the H-D parts guy?

Stiffer oil may help, but that's usually to improve damping and/or stiffen the ride a bit. It also may have the undesired effect of making every little bump felt. My advice is to do whatever chornbe says to do. Even if it involves a bear beer suit.

that i can handle  

[steve.m]

damnit, how'd I know the final solution would involve large sums of time and money!

[chornbe]

damnit, how'd I know the final solution would involve large sums of time and money!

<1 hour, < $300

[atadaskew]

 They're a bit harsh, but I've heard lots of folks say the same about Progressives in general.

I went with the top line 440s with NON heavy duty springs, and yes, they are still a bit harsh.

[steve.m]

dealer said they'd do even trade between my 08 nightster and an 07 sportster R.  decisions...

[atadaskew]

dealer said they'd do even trade between my 08 nightster and an 07 sportster R.  decisions...

take the R for a test ride.  It also has dual disc brakes on the front.  And quite a bigger gas tank, no?

[chornbe]

dealer said they'd do even trade between my 08 nightster and an 07 sportster R.  decisions...

DO IT!

* Standard height suspension! FTW!
* DUAL DISC BRAKES up front!
* Cast wheels (replace those shit tires with Screaming Eagle GT502!!!)
* More comfy seat and bars

That's a bargain, IMO. Do it.

[Rincewind]

DO IT!

* Standard height suspension! FTW!
* DUAL DISC BRAKES up front!
* Cast wheels (replace those shit tires with Screaming Eagle GT502!!!)
* More comfy seat and bars

That's a bargain, IMO. Do it.

Yep, just get a rattle can and spray all the chrome and paint matte-black - voila! - Nightster with actual suspension.  

[steve.m]

I was thinking since mine's newer with fewer miles and an equivalent intial MSRP, i might try to have them paint it like my nightster and make it an even trade  

[Kramer]

Steve.m,
In y2K I had a Sportster and did exactly as you stated in your orig. post.  Heavier oil.   2" PVC on top of the springs, just under the caps.  I had a 1200 custom and doctored up the susp. just a little.  I went with your proposed set-up up front and Progressive 440's in rear.
The probs I was having with the front was simply too mushy and an occasional bottom.  Which is I think what you're seeing (typical Sportster issue).  Go this route and try it out.  It's cheap and quickly reversible.  But I'm betting you'll like it and keep it in place.

Now your rear shocks are something else.  Over-sprung and under-dampened.  They'll actually top-out (as opposed to bottoming out) when you hit a good bump.  That's why I went with the 440's.  Eventually you can go down that road.  They should come in the length you need.  11.5"?  11"?  I forget.

Anyway, there IS a cheap and easy fix for you for sure.  Let us know how things turn out.

[steve.m]

2" compression?  PVC?  I was thinking 1" of 1.5" fence post with a washer on either end.  PVC seems too flimsy, don't want to put anything in the fork tube that'll flake off and cause problems.  

[1KPerDay]

PVC just smaller than the inside diameter of the fork tubes will be fine. And it wont corrode or flake. The factory spacers on most of my forks are thin metal; I'd imagine they'd crumple before PVC would.

BTW I didn't notice you were on a NIGHTSTER. If you want to put "factory sportster" length progressive springs in it you may indeed need longer tubes. I haven't kept up on the slammed sporties because I personally think they're ridiculous. Trade it for a proper Sporty with longer suspension travel.

Or better yet, trade it in on an XR1200. 

[steve.m]

yea i know, i'm trying to make a st. bernard chase a rabbit and expect it to beat the greyhounds.  Love the look of it though

[chornbe]

2" compression?  PVC?  I was thinking 1" of 1.5" fence post with a washer on either end.  PVC seems too flimsy, don't want to put anything in the fork tube that'll flake off and cause problems.  

PVC or aluminum is fine. PVC has amazing tensile strength for the job at hand.

[Kramer]

PVC is a very popular front fork mod.  Tightens up the springs nicely.  Don't be skeered.
Also, I checked my notes.  I actually installed Progressive front springs, went to heavier fork oil AND added the spacers. (I also slid the fork tubes up into the trees an extra inch to improve turn-in.)  With 93 HP /  88 ft.lbs Tq and the suspension I had on that thing, it was quite a fun machine.  I just HATED the forward controls.  I had mid controls for it, but ended up selling the Sporty before I installed them.  I may have kept it had I installed the mids.  Got fidgety in the saddle in too short of time with the fwds.  Hurt the back.

[stevent]

Fuck it trade it for the Roadster. That's the best handling bike Harleys made beside the Street rod, you can always paint it black like Rincewind said......

 

[steve.m]

it's a consideration...a strong one