|
|
Post by bigmick1981 on Jun 4, 2014 20:05:22 GMT
So in an effort to improve my xj600 im looking to improve my braking and front suspension ( rear sorted with almost new xj6 shock and spring )
Are the options for the front limited to progressive spring set and thicker oil or making a front end from another bike fit ?
|
|
|
|
Post by amorti on Jun 5, 2014 6:42:08 GMT
So in an effort to improve my xj600 im looking to improve my braking and front suspension ( rear sorted with almost new xj6 shock and spring ) Are the options for the front limited to progressive spring set and thicker oil or making a front end from another bike fit ? What else would you have in mind?? FWIW I put hagon springs and their recommended oil (which was actually 7.5, where stock is 10) in my old single disc divvy, and the transformation was incredible. It might well be all you need to get where you want to be - do keep in mind the Divvy is never going to be an R6. Tell us more about the XJ6 shock swap, please? |
|
|
|
Post by bigmick1981 on Jun 5, 2014 8:12:33 GMT
Wouldnt want a r6 as it would be wasted on me as would never in a million years use it to half its potential and its way to small ( read as cramped as the last time I rode one it was like my knees were at my ears ha ha )
Being a big lad the front suspension is just a little to soft and bouncy. Have lost a lot of weight recently but still the front end is a bit on the bouncy side.
Read on american seca forums about guys using heavier grade oil and preloading the springs using 10 x 2 pence pieces under fork caps to add preload, some even cutting out coils from the spring and replacing with spacers which helped stiffen springs up and raised the front end as bike weight on springs sag was down to half an inch. Wanted to see if any you guys had heard of or had experience of these "mods"
The rear shock on mine is from a 2010 xj6 which was a direct swap with no mods required and as this is my first divy I have nothing to compare it with or info on specs of the two shocks to compare but having a shock from a bike that had only done 2800 miles has gotta be an improvement on a 15 year old well used shock.
|
|
|
|
Post by amorti on Jun 5, 2014 9:54:11 GMT
Cutting coils off is supposed to raise the spring rate, and if you replaced the cut coils with a longer spacer you could increase preload at the same time. You run the risk of coil-binding the forks though, which isn't good.
Some idiot told me about using 2p pieces for preload, too. I got as far as jacking the front up before I noticed that actually, they fall down the middle of the spring. And that was on the skinny single disc forks!
All in all, your best bet is get some springs from Hagon. It's about £85, but well spent indeed.
I might look into that shock upgrade, if I do decide to keep my Divvy. £20-odd for a bike that handles better than this one will do on its 85,000km shock wouldn't be a bad economy.
|
|
|
|
Post by robski on Jun 7, 2014 11:59:12 GMT
So in an effort to improve my xj600 im looking to improve my braking and front suspension ( rear sorted with almost new xj6 shock and spring ) Are the options for the front limited to progressive spring set and thicker oil or making a front end from another bike fit ? I had my forks rebuilt by Penrith Motorcycles, I supplied the seals and labour was £48 [ 15 grade oil upgrade] its like a different bike ,much firmer than original . |
|
|
|
Post by bigmick1981 on Jun 7, 2014 12:21:47 GMT
I do all work myself bud got new seals new circlips and rubber stanchion covers for 24 quid already have oil sitting for it
48 quid seems realy cheap for both oil and labour so good job on that score mate tho I would say that would be a service unless he also done the bushes aswell
|
|
|
|
Post by teejayexc on Jun 8, 2014 7:38:22 GMT
Some idiot told me about using 2p pieces for preload, too. I got as far as jacking the front up before I noticed that actually, they fall down the middle of the spring. And that was on the skinny single disc forks! Actually the 2p's do work providing the forks have the blanking disc on the top of the springs. How did yours hold the fork spacers in place without them? So perhaps the *idiot* was right after all? (And no, t'wasn't me)  |
|
|
|
Post by bigmick1981 on Jun 8, 2014 16:14:25 GMT
Some idiot told me about using 2p pieces for preload, too. I got as far as jacking the front up before I noticed that actually, they fall down the middle of the spring. And that was on the skinny single disc forks! Actually the 2p's do work providing the forks have the blanking disc on the top of the springs. How did yours hold the fork spacers in place without them? So perhaps the *idiot* was right after all? (And no, t'wasn't me) how many do you have in yours teejay ? I read 10 x 2p per fork |
|
|
|
Post by teejayexc on Jun 8, 2014 19:00:59 GMT
20p a fork! Do you think I'm made of money?  When I did do it to a D6 a few years back I think I used about 5 per leg. |
|
|
|
Post by CD on Jun 11, 2014 14:26:55 GMT
The fork damping works only on rebound so going too stiff can cause the forks to pump up. Oil grade won't have any effect on brake dive because there is no damping on compression.
Hagon or Wilbers progressive springs are softer initially but stiffen as the soft coils bind up. This might be why they use light weight oil.
Sent from a widget that can't spell.
|
|
|
|
Post by amorti on Oct 4, 2014 19:56:46 GMT
Some idiot told me about using 2p pieces for preload, too. I got as far as jacking the front up before I noticed that actually, they fall down the middle of the spring. And that was on the skinny single disc forks! Actually the 2p's do work providing the forks have the blanking disc on the top of the springs. How did yours hold the fork spacers in place without them? So perhaps the *idiot* was right after all? (And no, t'wasn't me) The 2p fits down the middle of the fork spring... even if you sit it on the washer between the spacer and the spring, it will still fit into the middle of the spring, and do nothing. You could increase preload by using a longer piece of PVC tubing than the original spacers... but you will still have an inadequate spring rate in there. racetech.com/ProductSearch/2/Yamaha/XJ600%20Seca%20II/1992-98This is for the original XJ600S. Stock Front Spring Rate 0.463 kg/mm If you give the weight of the rider as 12 stone, you get this: Recommended Fork Spring Rate: 0.848 kg/mm So it's not like the spring rate is a little bit off, it's miles off. Once you increase to the recommended spring rate, you find the fork is overdamped on 10w oil, which has been used from the factory to shore up the soft forks. So you put the recommended 7.5w in, and it works great. No amount of preload can save the single disc forks, because the fork spring rate is so far out. I reckon the dual disc forks aren't much better, since I can pump them near to bottoming out just standing there, and I am neither heavy nor strong. Unfortunately that later model did not make it to the states, so racetech doesn't know about it. |
|
|
|
Post by Manfred on Aug 26, 2015 18:40:40 GMT
To take a slight tangent, what other front-ends will fit a '94 D6 and provide fitting for twin calipers? Preferably blue spots?
Later D6? (no, 82.5mm mounts)
Later D9?
Fazer 600?
FJ1200? (ok, that would require an alternative top yoke).
Other thoughts:
Is the fork spacing for later D9 the same as later D6? (use the D6 yokes).
Will later D9 bottoms fit D6 stanchions?
|
|
