Spring rates, again.

[mx_361]

I have an 05 RM250 that I am looking to have revalved. The shock felt to soft when I got the bike (205 without gear) so I installed a 5.4 I had and everything seem to even out. I checked the RACETECH spring finder and it said 5.4 and .44 so I felt pretty confident that my springs were good. Until I called Pro Action and they recommended a 5.9 and .47! That is stiffer in the rear than what I had on my 04 CRF450! So what gives. I have always been told and heard that the springs are to hold up your weight and should be pretty constant. I have run .44's and 5.4's on every 250 that I have had since 91 and I had .48's and a 5.6 in my 450 (heavyer bike heavyer springs). So why the huge diff from pro action. They have done my stuff before and never got anywhere near these rates. I must say bottoming on this bike kicks butt but both ends seem to chatter on acceleration bumps. I also get the sensation that the bike will try to rebound me out of a corner if I do not get into it gently enough or on the gas soon enough. Anybody have any advise?

 

[marcusgunby]

Sounds too mcuh spring to me-your rates sound close.

 

[bclapham]

i am 220lbs, and at the advice of a good tuner i am running 5.5 in the rear with slightly heavier valving and 0.46 up front with lighter valving on the forks. The front has good action but is still a little stiff, however, i will stick with the 0.46s to keep it up in the stroke so it wont headshake.

i know what you are talking about with the rear chattering on accelleration stuff- however, it seems to be different from track to track. Try turning the rebound adjuster out.

FWIW, a friend of mine had his done locally- he also weighs 220 and they put 0.47s up front and 390ccs of oil.

see if you have the old springs from your CRF- the stock rear is 5.5 and the fronts are 0.47s- they fit and would be worth a try. I dont think you will notice the 5.4 vs the 5.3 much- i was quite a way in with my comp clickers stock.

as for comparing it to other bikes, my 01yz250 had 5.6 on the rear and 0.45s up front, both ends were terribly stiff compared to my RM!!! Damn, i hated that bike, even after the 15th revalve, LOL!

 

[steve125]

I have found that the RT spring chart works for me just about every time. But the Gold valves have been a crap shoot, never know what im going to get. :|

I would stay away from pro action. :coocoo:

I would go with FC or MB-1, mainly because they won't try and sell you shock/fork valves that you don't need.

 

[bclapham]

I have found that the RT spring chart works for me just about every time. But the Gold valves have been a crap shoot, never know what im going to get. :|

I would stay away from pro action. :coocoo:

I would go with FC or MB-1, mainly because they won't try and sell you shock/fork valves that you don't need.

LOL- FC will try and sell you chamber springs, HS adjuster springs and new bottoming cones! :coocoo:

 

[steve125]

LOL- FC will try and sell you chamber springs, HS adjuster springs and new bottoming cones! :coocoo:

Yea, but you can get your suspension re-valved by them without all that stuff, the other places wont even do a re-valve without their valves installed. IC springs and bottoming cones while they are options in the re-valve, may help in some instances. But having to buy/replace the fork or shock pistons is not necessary IMO.

 

[Crash 142]

RG3 tried to talk me out of buying different springs. I wanted to experiment so tried it anyway, and am now back to stock springs (what RG3 told me to stick with). I think RG3 tries to make money by making their customers happy. I've taken 3 bikes to them now.

 

[bclapham]

But having to buy/replace the fork or shock pistons is not necessary IMO.

LOL- you have that in writing now Marcus! :worship: Steve, you change your mind about stuff more often than my Mrs!! :blah:

how much do you weight crash??? a friend had RG3 valve around his valving, but at 200lbs with pro speed it just wasnt happening- a CRF that suffered headshake!!!

thing is, there are so many ways to get a good setup- so some tuners may feel that you do need springs.

 

[Crash 142]

I weigh 160-165. I was just trying to plug to RG3, because I was impressed that I was telling them I wanted to try different springs (lighter), and they were advising me not to buy them (even at the cost of losing out on a sale). I bought the springs anyway, through RG3, and took a few weekends to decide the stock springs were in fact better for me, so I had RG3 put the stockers back in.

I don't mean to say RG3 can revalve stock springs to work for everyone, just that they're not a company looking to squeeze every penny out of you by pushing additional parts you may not need.

I'm still glad I tried the softer springs. It's fun to test and learn more about how your bike reacts to adjustments. It cost me two hundred bucks for the knowledge that I don't need to spend two hundred bucks on re-springing my bike, and somehow I think that's worth it.

 

[marcusgunby]

Bruce im saying nothing on this one, steve has been right on a few things in the past so we will cut him some slack:) i think at the end of the day no company gets it right 100% or even 75%, suspension is so personal and few really know what they want or like, its how hard the company tries after the initial purchase thats very important, we would all want it perfect first time but its unrealistic, i suggest going on reputation but would also say try to find someone good thats local as well, as if you have problems and have to send stuff back its gets very expensive and time consuming.

 

[russ17]

I think at the end of the day no company gets it right 100% or even 75%, suspension is so personal and few really know what they want or like, its how hard the company tries after the initial purchase thats very important, we would all want it perfect first time but its unrealistic.

Marcus! you get the quote of the year award !!!!!!!!!! well put


Russ

 

[mx_361]

Thanks guys, I am going to play with the clicker for a while and if I get to picky I will problably send it for a revalve. My first choice would have been Pro Action because they have always done me right but after that phone call it has me second guessing them. Those spring rates just sound nuts. I'm in west KY so I don't think ANYBODY is local. I tried the gold valves once but could never get it right. Although that was on an 02 CRF450 and I hear nobody could get those things right. RG3 sounds cool. Anybody else have a good personal experience? FC done my 04 CRF and it cost me $600.00 bones and the difference was neglagable. But then again that bike was good to start with. I am deff open to suggestions.

 

[steve125]

Bruce im saying nothing on this one, steve has been right on a few things in the past so we will cut him some slack:)
.

Hey Brucie, the important part is I'm on the right track now, after testing for myself..... so> :fft: :nener:

 

[bclapham]

I weigh 160-165. .

I dont think anyone would argue that stock springs wernt on the money for you!