Suspension Springs

[hughes]

Hey guy's I'm planning on buying a fresh kx500 early 07. I'm trying to plan ahead on parts needed. First thing  I want to get the correct springs for my weight but race tech doesn't offer anything heavier than a .48 and I need a .50 for the front forks. They have a rear spring that I need. What are my options?? Would .48 up front and the correct rear spring make the bike handle funny? Valving has no effect on the suspension far as rider weight is concerned right?? Unsure if the bike will be used for woods or might set it up for motocross.

[KXcam22]

Hughes,
  You can also look at non-KX springs.  I am running race tech KTM300 springs .46 in my 92.  Swapped a guy for the .42 I had in there.  The race tech site has the PN listed and with some searching you can cross them over.  As long as the ID is not too small it will fit.  The only ID constraint is the plastic spring guide inside, and that can be shaved down if necessary.  The length can be adjusted within reason, add a spacer or heat and compress the end coils.  If you need more bottoming resistance you can always run more oil.  On my new springs one had a smaller ID than the other for some reason (quality?). I shaved a few mm off the plastic guide on a lathe and was in business. Hope this helps.  How did the footpeg bracket work out?  Cam.

[hughes]

Thanks kxcam22, A guy at my work is making the brackets for me as we speak. It will be about 2-3 more weeks before I quit riding for the winter season. I'll try to post pictures of the end results.


Back to the springs. Will their be any ill effects to having the correct rear spring and not the correct froks springs?? For my weight I need .50 up front and a 6.1 or 6.4 rear spring. Let's just say the bike will be set up for woods riding, nasty roots, rocks, pot holes single track. I really don't want to mod. the spring , I would perfer to slide'em in and go.

What's the big boys doing to get the suspension set up right?

[Polar-Bus]

Hey guy's I'm planning on buying a fresh kx500 early 07. I'm trying to plan ahead on parts needed. First thing  I want to get the correct springs for my weight but race tech doesn't offer anything heavier than a .48 and I need a .50 for the front forks. They have a rear spring that I need. What are my options?? Would .48 up front and the correct rear spring make the bike handle funny? Valving has no effect on the suspension far as rider weight is concerned right?? Unsure if the bike will be used for woods or might set it up for motocross.

I think the first thing you want to do is pick a clear preference ie: motocross or woods.... You can somewhat woods ride an MX suspension, but you definately can't ride a woods suspension on the MX track (at least without a good supply of Advil). Honestly I don't think you would ever notice a difference between 48's and 50's. I tend to favor a slightly softer spring, and simply adjust fork fluid level to avoid hard bottoming. I am bummed, I had a complete set of Factory Connection springs for a 230ish lb rider, I had an 8.0 rear spring, and a set of 48's, I threw them in the trash. (I only weigh 155lb. so they were useless to me)

[hughes]

Threw them in the trash    . I'll know more after I find the bike I'm looking for. Thanks for ya'lls input.

[kx666]

THrowing away good parts is a sin!!! the motorcycle Gods are frowning upon you!!!

[KXcam22]

Hughes,
  When I first got my KX I rode for a few years and even raced with my 210lbs and the .39 kg/mm stock springs.  I just used the oil level to control bottoming.  It wasn't bad.  Of course getting the right springs is better but being a touch softer and using a higher oil level is certainly not the end of the world.  I think with woods riding there is more leeway.  Hope this helps. Cam.

[b0dem]

not to change the subject, but will you be selling your old 500?

[don46]

Race tech recommends a .46 spring for a 210 lbs rider on a 98-03 kx500

[Polar-Bus]

Race tech recommends a .46 spring for a 210 lbs rider on a 98-03 kx500

I dealt with Race Tech ONCE. I bought R/T street bike fork emmulators for my 82' GS1100E, and the things would not even fit inside the fork tube. I called their tech support, and all's I got for input was a bunch of "well our catalog shows they should fit", "we will have to get back to you", "we don't know why they don't fit" and so on. NEVER got a logical explination. So IMO they suck, and are useless.

[hughes]

not to change the subject, but will you be selling your old 500?

No. The 87 500 is staying. Sorry.