Showa T.C. forks: Q's Re: reshimming for woods, and Company size prefs.

A.Dumbledore

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Jun 28, 2004
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I’m new to this forum/site but I’ve been reviewing the forum archives and it seems like you guys know what you’re talking about. So, here is my question…

I have a 2000 CR250R w/ the Showa twin-chamber forks. I primarily ride trails in the NJ, PA area and find the current action quite harsh. I changed the stock 0.43 springs for 0.39 ones, based on a “spring-rate generator” tool on a suspension web site (I’m 155lbs in normal clothes), and this seems to help somewhat. However, the high speed compression (for all the darn rocks, roots, rocks, ruts, rocks, ridges and (did I mention?) rocks in my area) still seems harsh. I am probably going to have to bite the bullet and get a “reshimming” of my valve stacks for acceptable performance, but I don’t know if the stock valve ports are sufficiently large. Can I just have a competent shop change the shims on my fork midvalve, or will I have to also replace the piston to one of the high-flow models (like a Gold-Valve or Ultra-Max) to get sufficient flow for woods riding? If anyone has had their T.C. forks “reshimmed” for woods riding, I would very much like to hear about your experience.
I am also debating whether to have this work done by a large company (like Race-Tech, MX-Tech, Factory Connection, etc.) or one of the smaller (and more local) shops. My experience with companies of various sizes (when it comes to technical matters) is that the large ones are more likely to know the perfect settings for an application because they have more experience and R&D time. However, the small shops usually handle the work with more care and attention to detail (they won’t rush the job because they have 50 other sets of forks to do that week). Also, it is usually easier to get tech support from a small company (though they “probably” won’t know as much as the large ones).
If anyone has had experience with work done by both large and small companies, I would like to hear your opinions on the subject. Thanks, in advance, for any help you can provide.
 

A.Dumbledore

Member
Jun 28, 2004
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I forgot to mention a couple of other modifications I was considering incorporating when I have the forks reshimmed. One is changing the I.C.S. damper spring for a softer rate. I have heard that this can make a big difference in the feel of the T.C. forks. The other would be some "ultra-slick" teflon bushings/seals like the ones Race Tech makes. Any feedback on these items and their effect on fork performance would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

James

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Dec 26, 2001
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The stock valve ports are sufficiently large. They look to be very comparable to the gold valve in volume but there may be some effect due to the shape of the ports.

Some things you can do is reduce the compression valving by removing a few shims, you can add a two stage stack, you can remove a shim from the mid-valve or convert the mid to a check valve. You can also run the oil level at minimum to get a better ride if you don't need additional bottoming resistance. Mine are very soft/plush using stock components.....I wouldn't dump a fortune into fancy bushing and coatings until you made a good effort on tuning what you have.

I think a good shop should be able to tune what you have and maybe only need to add a few shims if you are going the two stage route.
 

jrg

Member
Nov 25, 2001
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i have an 01 cr250, i also ride woods and my suspension was way harsh, i installed gold valves and a softer ics spring and dropped to .42 springs, now i can tune it for woods or go in about 5 clicks and ride the local mx track, i think you could get the same results without the gold valve though, the ports arent that much differant, i think the biggest change was converting the mid valve to a standard check valve, thats when it started getting plush! :)
 

JTT

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Aug 25, 2000
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I think you will find that a good revalve will fix your issues. After MUCH work I finally got my 2000 CR250 to work decent in the woods....save the work and send them to a reputable tuner. I'm sure you'lll be impressed with the results. Oh, for what it's worth, I left the midvalve intact in mine and still got them working.
 
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