The Spring vs the XT

[tx246]

ok. here is my situation. i have a very unused xt600 of the 86 vintage and have been dualsporting with those spiffy xr650r guys. my 20 yr old suspension is holding me back. i have found an easy fix for the fork but need some help in the back.

the rear shock has adjustable dampning and spring preload. i manage to overwhelm the rear at times even with the preload cranked up. i dont have a rear kicking problem at the moment.

i am headed to mexico with these crazys and would like to have some more bottoming ability because i will be carrying 20Lbs extra in gear ect. since aftermarket springs are non existenet for this bike, is it possible to add a collar to the spring adjuster( maybe 1/2 inch worth) to up the tension on the spring. i know im going to create coil bind at the bottom but what other effects would that have? i know this is not an ideal solution but would it help more than hurt?

thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[dezryder]

late reply

This is a pretty old thread, but the answer to your question is 'YES' you can fabricate a preload spacer for your rear shock. PVC or ABS pipe is commonly used in forks for preload adjustments.

If ABS is used on that diameter I would think the fit and cuts would have to be perfect or it would blow right out.

Probably a better material would be steel for the rear.

 

[evenslower]

My uneducated guess would be that PVC or really any plastic w/the exception of some thick "biscuit" type material would be a problem waiting to happen. It would seem that the rear is under much more pressure than the front when unladen, add a rider and you're compounding the issue.