Two Stroke Motocross
Two Stroke Motocross Forum => General Two Stroke Talk => Topic started by: MyckMcClung on March 19, 2011, 05:45:03 AM
-
I decided during the winter rebuild of my 2007 KX250, to pass on installing heavier rate fork springs during my rebuild/revalve. This was at the advice of my suspension guy,and would allow me to tell the difference in the valving changes he made. He also said something about it being between Thanksgiving and X mas, and that I should wait till the holidays are over and re weigh myself so we get the right spring rate, whatever that meant.. ::)
Well it's been a couple of months now and I can really tell the difference the valving has made front and rear. The whole bike has much smoother action, and it settles into turns now, the "stomp and turn" stigma is gone. The fork no longer deflects on roots, and the chatter I used to get in heavily choppy stuff is gone. The shock is absolutely awesome now, the stock spring rate is right for my weight, and the changes he made to it, I am sure are a lot of what makes the fork feel so good. They are pretty much perfect, until I get into the open and up to speed with a full 3 gallon tank full of gas, then I can tell that the stock .44kg springs are too anemic for me and my fully armored, kickstand, oversized tank, steering dampner having pig of a KX250.
So I was reading last months issue of MXA and there was an ad for a company called Diverse Suspension Products, and their springs are $89.00 a pair or single rear shock, SHIPPED!
Well I am all about saving a buck or thirty. So I went to the website Sunday and ordered myself a set of .48kg fork springs through my PayPAl account. They arrived last night, so I haven't installed them yet, they look nice, and came with a set of Diverse fork wrap stickers, I'm still deciding on whether or not to put them ( the stickers) on due to the fact that I already have a set of carbon fiber look KAYABA stickers on there, and they are a pain in the ass to take off. I'm also trying to schedule a time of not riding, probably be in July, to have my suspension Hard Anodized, and being a cheap bastard, shouldn't waste a good set of stickers that I'll be able to use later. I'm gonna try to squeeze the install in today, I got a ton of crap to do today, and might end up out in the garage at 2 am doing the deed.
I'll keep you posted on how they work, and maybe some pics if I can remember.
-
I am interested in hearing how you like them. I need new springs for the KDX, but I am broke right now. You should see how I am shopping around just for an air filter, looking for the best deal LOL.
-
here is the Diverse website http://www.diverse-mfg.com/home.html (http://www.diverse-mfg.com/home.html)
I keep seeing No Toil filters on Ebay in packs of 2 & 3, not sure about for KDX.
I was gonna put those springs in today, but my 46mm forkcap wrench is missing. Story of my life, so I spent what time i had this morning hunting it down, with no luck.
So I imagine that it will get done sometime this week, I was hoping to have a review tomorrow night. FML
-
I'd never heard of them.Keep us updated.As for the stickers,I'd keep the Kayaba's too :)
-
I want to keep the stickers, I like the carbon fiber look, but the thing is that the green Kayaba logo is the old/darker KX green and doesn't match.
Not that I'm in a hurry for 110 degree 92% humidity weather, but I can't wait to get my suspension Hard anodized.
See, it bugs me.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/myckmcclung/bike018.jpg)
-
Since I haven't installed the springs, or caught the gremlin that stole my f'n 46mm fork cap wrench, I decided to take some pics, prior to the install.
The Diverse springs arrived in a nice, company labeled box. Which is a usually a good indication of the quality of the contents contained within.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/myckmcclung/forksprings001.jpg)
Diverse also threw in a free set of fork stickers, cool!! everybody loves stickers & the springs were wrapped in plastic.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/myckmcclung/forksprings002.jpg)
The springs look very well made, and have a laser etched rate marking on them, a definite bonus in the event that I sell the bike to some skinny kid, which won't likely happen.
Or I lose enough weight to have to drop back to the stock rate,and shelve these, which also won't likely happen.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/myckmcclung/forksprings006-1.jpg)
As soon as I get these bad boys installed, I'll give ya'll an update with pics of the install. And hopefully some of me pounding through some whoops or roots.
-
Talking about front springs, has anyone heard about the new SFF (Separate Function Fork) on the new KXF's.
Seems like a great idea. 1 fork does all the damping while the other does the springing.
The best part about them is you can adjust the front spring preload to compensate for heavier riders and/or faster riders.
Anyone know if they work.?
-
Talking about front springs, has anyone heard about the new SFF (Separate Function Fork) on the new KXF's.
Seems like a great idea. 1 fork does all the damping while the other does the springing.
Didn't Yamaha do that with the PW series? I seem to remember only one fork had a spring in it.
-
Well i'm sure they work, at least better than the new yamahas are doing, this weekend. lol. But I am actually interested in checking them out.
-
Well hot damn!!! I finally got around to installing those Diverse springs today, haven't had a chance to really ride with them yet. But I rode around the yard for a few minutes trying to plow over anything that I could find that would make an impact and it soaked up a couple of curbs, a parking block, and dead limbs like they weren't even there; the install was a snap, and if it weren't Easter this coming weekend I'd be out riding, so you'll have to wait till next week for an update.
-
Good deal, keep us posted. they don't even offer them for my KDX, but I am still curious to know how they perform.
-
not even the shock?
-
I got to finally ride with the new springs Sunday.
The front end is definitely better at speed, with no wallow, excellent action, and a much more confidence inspiring feel. I made no clicker changes at first so I could feel the difference in the heavier rate spring. I did however lower my forks in the clamps 2mm lower than they were before I installed the springs. I had them even with the top of the forks at the cap junction, and flushed them with the top of the cap at re-installation. This was fantastic at high speeds and allowed me to rail the crap out of wide sandy and flat packed turns with great confidence and stability. But when I got into the woods, it didn't chop and dice like it did previously and took a bit of reluctant "getting used to". I will be raising them back to where they previously were as I'm in the tight more than the open. After my initial test & break in, I went back to camp, bled the air from the forks, and took 2 clicks out of the compression, as they were feeling a little too firm, the rebound felt fine, and the shock felt a tad soft. With the 2 clicks out on the compression of my forks the whole bike was perfect. Plush action, solid, planted feel, and very predictable as to how it soaked up everything I threw at it. Roots were nothing, where as the whole bike would chatter before I had it revalved, and still did ,somewhat, before the stiffer fork springs. The whole bike settled nicely into turns and tracks smoothly on exits, maintaining excellent traction on the pinestraw laden bunny trails we were riding, as well as over the debris in the clear cut sections. The small stumps that litter the trail, while in the past would have had me trying to avoid hitting at all costs, were but minor inconsistancies in an otherwise marshmellow feeling trail.
All and all, I do believe that the suspension work I have done to this 2007 KX250 is the best money I have ever spent on anything in my life.No, Logan's Roadhouse Prime Rib special, while a close second, still doesn't take the center podium.
-
GREAT looking bike and glad to read that the forks worked out good
-
Thanx Harley
-
Sweet! Great to hear things are working out so well on your bike. And thanks for passing a word along on the company too. Will certainly keep them in mind if I need to re-spring.
I did a little suspension tweaking myself yesterday -- simply reset the sag in the shock. Took about two turns out. I am amazed at what a difference that made. Like you - I was out on the trails plowing over things just for the sake of trying it. The bike was so much more settled and balanced - I'd highjack your thread talking about it all. I'm pumped to get back out and ride again.
-
Ha ha, that's cool man, that's why I posted, everyone likes to talk about tweaking thier ride, especially when it's a positive tweak. Did you notice increased stability at speed as well? The adjustment you made to the preload on your shock spring, increased the rake at the head tube, it should be a lot more stable at speed now, if it's too slow turning, raise your forks a tad in the clamps, 1-2 mm.
-
Thanks for that tip! I wasn't able to try any real high speed stuff, but at a decent pace on some typical New England trails the bike feels a lot more stable and holds a line a lot better. It had an annoying tendency to kind of fall into corners before, making it hard to stay on line.
The biggest improvement was how well the rear stays planted. It used to kick and buck rather unpredictably, and make the front feel heavy in whoops or rough stuff. It's so much better now - the rear is composed and plush, and it holds its line up or through all kinds of junk. I had some fun goofing around trying to double jump rocks and logs on the trail yesterday.
I honestly just pulled the bike out of storage where it's sat for a handful of years. I had a shop revalve the suspension for woods shortly before I parked the bike, but I wasn't able to spend much time getting it set up. I just had the bike out for its first ride last weekend, the second ride last night... So even with my limited seat time - I'm really impressed.
I see a lot of kids on message boards asking what mods to do to their bike - pipe, silencer, etc. I always though it was the old boring guys that would harp 'save your money and do the suspension'... but man... now I'm one of them I guess.
-
You will never know till you do it.
You can spend $1000s on motor mods and exhaust systems to produce more or better power, fancy billet this and that to lighten the bike up, the best tires in the world, the newest armpump eliminating handlebars, etc.....
But you will never know the true performance potential from your bike until it has the proper spring rates for your weight and a quality valving job for the conditions you ride.