| Author | Message | ||
     Lemonchili_x1 |
It's something I've always wondered about... While I realise that whatever spring is chosen by the manufacturer is a compromise for comfort/handling and different rider weights (among other things), if you compare the fork spring charts from Racetech or Traxxion most bikes have very soft springs... Anybody know why? Most cars come set up to naturally understeer as a safety net, is soft springs for bikes similar? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Most riders aren't big gigantic Americans. I'm assuming that the R1 sold in the US is the same R1 sold in Europe except for minor differences. I'm assuming the springs aren't one of them. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
"Most riders aren't big gigantic Americans. " But even bikes sold in the U.S. seem to always be equipped with soft springs standard... | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
road conditions like pot-holes and whatknot are in need of more forgiving springs.... and comfort is a factor.... | ||
| Blake |
The stock springs on my Cyclone were reportedly 0.95Kg/mm. The racetech upgrades for my weight (220 LB plus gear) were 1.00 Kg/mm. My take on the stock rear shock springs is that they are often stiffer than what one would choose for one-up riding. Of course racing springs having to endure near 2g loading associated with the extreme lean angles that sticky racing tires and tarmac allow while leaned over may necessarilly be stiffer, for obvious reasons. If I recall accurately, the progressive rate springs on the S3 ended up at somewhere like 900 LB/in from their starting stiffness of around 450 LB/in. Front springs may be similarly biased in order to accomodate two-up loading. | ||
| Spatten1 |
FB is right. Sport motorcycles and standards are generally designed for small and light riders, especially race replicas. The US is not the biggest motorcycle market, so they are not designed for us. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
From doing a little research newer sportsbikes (say after 2004) seem to have stiffer springs, but earlier bikes often seem to have .80 or even softer springs. eg My X1 has .75kg/mm springs standard and I'm changing to .95's. |
