Suspension Question

I am thnking of going with race tech fork springs up front( i dont have the cash for the switch) but i gotta ask a question regarding the gold valves.

My mechanic is telling me it is a hit or miss thing installing them. Because the hawk is missing adjustments it may be pointless to do so. RaceTech says that i should go with the Gold Valves and Gold Rebound Valves.

HAS ANYONE HAD ANY DEALINGS WITH OR WITHOUT THE VALVES DOES IT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.......I AM A 300 LB rider. And i ride daily to and from work and also like ot put some miles on it the weekend

RC51 fork swap or 954 its the only way to go.

Hey BP

I have been researching this question for a while now. The results, while not 100% conclusive, are convincing.

First, the OEM fork springs are shite. They are rated at .585kg. So unless you weigh in around 98lbs, the springs are way too soft.

Second, an upgrade to RaceTech springs is a good thing. The jury is still out on the Gold Valving.... My understanding is that, unless you spend a lot of time at the track, the valving is overkill. Apparently you get about 90% of your suspension improvement from replacing just the springs.

I weigh around 180lbs and the RT site recommends a .875kg spring rate. They sell the springs in .5kg increments, i.e. .75kg, .80kg, .85kg, etc..

My research indicated that, if you were unsure of your spring rate, that you should err on the soft side. You can always adjust the stiffness of the forks by altering the length of the preload spacer. I have a set of .80kg RT springs in my garage waiting for me to make the time to do the Re&Re. I went with the softer springs because most of my riding is commuting and the freeway is littered with frost heaves & expansion joints. If I find them too soft for the more aggressive back road scratching that I do, I will adjust the length of the preload spacer.

I have a buddy that just finiished installing a set of .85 RT springs in his VTR. He tips the scales at 160lbs. I think that he may find them a little harsh, but we will know more once he gets all the settings dialed in.

I will report back after we have done the conversion on my bike and report on improvements, settings, etc.. for both bikes.

Good luck.

Geoff in Almonte
99VTR

Question would be what is required for the 954 fork swap. Are the forks the same length? Anything else needed? Same question for the RC51 front forks.

I agree that for the moderate street rider, installing springs will be all that is necessary. The stock springs have a progressive rate, making them way too soft in their initial travel. I think they did this to prevent unwanted wheelies with new riders.
It's true that inverted forks transform the bike, but are probably overkill for cruising on weekends. I'll keep pitching a fork brace as the best way to improve the stock forks after swapping springs.
Regarding a change in preload, remember that preload is used to set sag and fine tune bike attitude, but the amount of spring compression doesn't change. You still have the same bike and rider weight resting on a spring with the same spring rate. So you can change where the bike operates in its travel for given conditions, but you can't truly change suspension stiffness. If you aren't running out of suspension travel at the maximum condition your spring rate is ok.

how much and where would i get a fork brace? and what does it truly do.....Maybe i should start with this question first.

The stanchions (upper fork tubes) are small at 41mm and therefore not very stiff. When you turn the handlebar, the rotataing gyroscope that is the front wheel resists turning causing the fork legs to "scissor", one bending forward the other bending backward. A fork brace ties the lower legs together above the front wheel, preventing the scissor effect. The difference is immediately apparent on a twisty road.
Mine was made by Coerce. I have seen others. A dealer should be able to find one in a catalog. You mght bea able to Google one..

RC51 forks are the same length as the VTR forks. I think the 929 forks are shorter. The 929 top triple clamp has a "gullwing" shape, dropping the handlebar location. I used 954 clipons below the RC51 top triple clamp. I'm happy with the halndlebar position. I have heard of several successful 929/954 fork swaps.
I have the only transformed VTR in my neighborhood. People just don't know what they're missing!

Which 996 looks more comfortable? I had just gone past and was pulling away.


Modified by rc996 at 8:32 AM 6/16/2005

Good info man thanks! Here is the next question though...does the fron fender, brakes and lines match up with a RC51 front fork swap? And I would say that your 996 looks more comfy on the track!


Modified by Utah996 at 7:32 AM 6/16/2005

I'm actually tucked over the tank substantially to get that much bend in my arms. The nice thing is I don't have to ride in that position all the time. I was out for about 6 hours last Sunday and was never uncomfortable.

You will use the RC51/929/954 fender and brakes. I installed new lines. Use the front wheel and rotors that go with your fork choice to avoid subtle compatibility issues.

Build the motor too and you will have one fantastic motorcycle!! I wouldn't recommend building the engine up without changing the front end, because you will overrun your ability to get slowed down, at least on the track and arguably on the street.

I rode my friends 929RR last night. I was looking at where the tops of the forks are with our bikes side by side. The 929 forks look to be close to the same length, but I didn't measure them.

Whatever you install. Just be sure the head height on the chassis stays the same as a starting point. You can drop the nose to taste later.

Boy that 929 sure lacks the sweet midrange grunt of the VTR. I'm sure it's fast on a track, but the VTR is a better streetbike.

[2005superhawky]

hi i have a 2005 superhawk with 7000km and just installed race tech fork springs last weekend ( .900kg/mm) im 190 lbs with gear on , i had to cut the new preload spacers to 75mm and the sag worked out perfectly, however the front of the bike now sat substantially higher and steered horribly, ( i had previously made and installed a 6mm spacer above the rear shock which quickened the steering noticably) so i wound up raising the fork tubes 10mm and the bike steers and handles better than ever ,no more excessive dive on braking and the front tire feels much more planted

[jamiedaugherty]

I've found that the Gold Valves make a really great improvement, even on the street. Most mechanics don't know enough about suspension to properly install, setup and tune them. It's not that tough really, the instructions are very clear. I'd suggest them to anyone.

I've found the valves to make much more of an improvement than the springs. It's really best to do both of course.