Awesome, I love mine. That rear shock will change the bike again for the better. Not only does it handle better, it rides smoother too.

 

I really should do this, considering the diving front end is my #1 peeve about the SV, but it just seems like so much work :/

 

someone should really buy me the stuff to do this.

 

You know that set of forks is up on eBay. I do see them from time to time.

But even if you bought all that stuff new, it would be worth it! As a percentage of the cost of the SV emulators and springs are so cheap.


I had not even gotten to the end of my block and I was so shocked about the front end not diving. It now seems insane I went as fast as I did with the old set up. The "new" front end makes the old bike seem positively unstable. What a huge difference. There is so much less pitching back and forth.

If this was something you think you are going to do, go ahead and just do it now. Aside from the $500 I spent at the Lee Parks ARC School this is the best $$ I have ever spent on motorcycles. It's like a new bike for $500.

 

I want to do the emulators asap. I did just the fork springs a while back and that seemed like a huge difference. I also did the rear shock to a gsxr 1000. It is much firmer and more predictable in corners.

 

.8 is a little light... .85 might even be a little light for you but at least you're in the ballpark.

BTW, IMO, the springs & oil make a bigger difference than the emulators.

When you do the shock, the difference will be just as noticeable.

 

Race Tech calculates at .79 for me, Sonic .90

I figured that I would roll with the .80s that came in the modified fork I picked up on eBay. I will likely drop in the .85s later but after I have a feel for the .80s. I like to do these things in graduated steps if I can.

I can't comment on the difference between just an oil swap and Emulators as I came to this whole thing as a package. But OMFG what a huge difference. (picture me waving my hands around a lot)

I was on this forum for a whole year and was always like, oh yeah, the forks.

Wow, the SV is a really nice bike for the $$. With the forks redone it's just a really nice bike at any price.


Seriously, if you haven't, get into the front end soon. You will not regret it.

 

where do you get emulators from and what do they do that the springs dont?

 

Emulators are a pressure operated relief valve.

Suspension smooths out bumps by squishing oil through holes. The thickness of the oil and size of the hole control how quickly the forks can compress or rebound. Stock forks have fixed size holes. Emulators are machined brass valves which use a spring to open and close based on how hard the fork oil pushes against them... so a small bump will push the emulator open a little and a big bump will open it more.
They are also semi-adjustable so you can set them to your liking.

 

Send dan@traxxion.com an email. He'd be happy to give you all the technical information you could ever want. They essentially give you a much better damping curve. Springs don't really do anything for damping.

 

Right, yeah, and don't do one without the other. It's just that wow, holy canoli, together they are great. Some things are just made to go together, and these parts, literally, were.

 

So if I went out and got the Traxxion SV 650 "Drop-In" Damper Rod Kit and a set of spring I would be set for the front end, right? Nothing else to do to to the suspension but the rear shock, right?

I need a solution that I can do super fast because I have to do it in the street in front of my apartment, no garage.

 

Yeah, but might as well get the emulators they have, and the shorter top out springs too.

It can be a fast job.

First side took a while, but the second side was really quick.

 

My roommates 03' has springs emu's and oil, with a GSXR shock. I have an 05' with a USD swap. .90 springs, 7.5wt oil, tuned damping and a ZX10 shock.

EMu's are better than my 05 was stock but it still feels numb compared to the USD forks. Especially in the braking dept the dive is still noticable and the EMU's are bottoming under compression and the only way to adjust that is a tear down.

I did the ZX10 shock before the fork swap, I rode it and found the front would push (lose traction when the rear would hit bumps in the pavement. That was mostly attributed to my high comp. setting.

 

Tax, you ordered a kit just like the one on ebay, and didn't need anything else?

What price did you pay? I'm looking for something similar

 

What annoys me is the harsh ride of the stock shock (2002). Small/sharp bumbs are not absorbed very well.

 

so if someone gets sonic springs, where do you pick up emulators?

 

Check my previous post or go to Racetech.

 

Do the back shock. You'll be ****** again you waited this long. With the back sorted out the entire bike is so much more stable and balanced when you turn in.

Congrats and enjoy the new bike!

 

Out of curiosity, how did you guys remove the bottom hex bolt that holds the damper rod? The auto stores around me stock nothing longer than 3/4 inch ratchet allen/hex bolts and those won't reach the nut. I'd need at least 1.5 inches exposed to get to it. Am I missing something?

In the meantime, I bought a set of those "bent" hext bolts with a plastic handle for easier handling. Dunno how I'll torque the thing back up though.

 

Out of curiosity, how did you guys remove the bottom hex bolt that holds the damper rod?

in my onboard SV tool kit, there happened to be a hex allen wrench that fit the bolt head. I used that and a pair of vice-grips clamped on the allen and they came right out.

IIRC the drop in kits are $280 and the emus are $170. I saved the cash and did the drilling myself.

drilling the dampening rod is very easy if you have a bench mounted vice, 5/16th drill bit, center punch, and a low RPM drill (they all are duh). i actually used a smaller bit to make a starter hole, and the 5/16th went right through both sides of the entire dampening rod easy as pie.

DO THE FRONT END MOD asap. whether it's spring/oil/emu or a gixxer bolt on, do it now. stop eating out, sell soda cans you scrounge at work, save your dimes and pennies, this mod is a must.


-deanV

 

Get a regular hex-key and chop off the bent end. Use the corresponding socket size on a wratchet and turn away.

 

Ahh, makes sense, I'll try that.

 

I've ridden the stock fork, springs and emulators, a stock GSXR front, and a tuned GSXR front. Not talking about brakes, but simply the suspensions feel I'd rank them like this, front worst to best:

- Stock front - Dives under braking and is harsh with bumps (as everyone knows). It's just not very good or fun.

- Stock GSXR (Tied) - Definitely better from stock, but because it's tuned for a GSXR it was very harsh. Virtually no brake dive and it just felt planted (so long as the road was smooth).

- Springs/emulators (Tied) - It definitely felt better than stock, but I could never really get it running quite right, and having to tear the fork apart to mess with it was annoying. The only way to adjust low speed compression and low speed rebound is to change the fork oil, and they cannot be adjust independent of each other.

- Tuned GSXR - After riding this, I can't think of the emulators as anything but a band aid fix. I can feel the road perfectly and what the bike is doing, but it's comfortable. Dive is beautifully controlled, and the thing just works. It's a lot cheaper than most people think.

 

I know a few people have upgraded to new springs and oil, then to emulators, then to gsxr forks. is the full new fork swap with brakes and wheel good enough of an upgrade to wait a year or two before doing the others to save up? this for spirited daily commuting with fun rides with my wife on back every so often. and me weighing 250lbs geared up and her around 150geared up?

 

I know a few people have upgraded to new springs and oil, then to emulators, then to gsxr forks. is the full new fork swap with brakes and wheel good enough of an upgrade to wait a year or two before doing the others to save up?

Simply put: No.
The fiddling with the emulators is not as bad as it is described. I had my forks open twice after the initial install until I found the best setup. It included removing the fork caps and springs, fishing the emulator out with a magnet, adjusting it a bit and putting it all back together (fortunately, rebound was right from the beginning so I didn´t have to change the oil). Very easy job, but not one you´d like to to very often, of course. After that I drove a full year without changing anything - and took the SV of my wife for some spins in the meantime just to feel like riding my rocking horse at the age of 5 again (her machine sports a GSX-front now as well).
The GSX-R forks have the potential to be better, but the emulators go a loooooong way before feeling inadequate.

To put it short: DO IT. Including the emulators. And get a friggin rear shock if you don´t have already, even if it is a Kawa or GSX-R one.
Skip exhaust, mirrors, undertail, hugger, blinkers, basically any mod you intent and do the suspension first. My words of wisdom (worth 2 €-Cent), extracted from 9 years SV riding.

Ciao
Jan

 

I think the springs should go on ASAP even if you are waiting for a whole new fork setup.

The springs just make so much of an immediate impact.

Still not sure what adding the emulators is going to do feel wise. Just riding street and not pushing the bike super hard, just riding for enjoyment.

The .85 springs sure did increase my enjoyment though. I weigh 170 just as info.

 

It is acutally hard to tell what the emulators do when you first ride. It feels a bit "stiffer" as the road feedback makes it to your wrists and shoulders more. Just a bit more. But the first time you are brakeing and feel like it might slip on something, and doesnt, you go ...."....woah....." if i did not have that control on the fluid up front, i'da lost it.

It is pretty profound within about 30 mins. You can really push the bike more and feel comfortable.

Do it.

 

Ok, to beat the long dead horse... and possibly stave off the departure of a passionate SV owner to a "flashier" SBK, can someone confirm the below for me?

If I order the Traxxion Dynamics "Drop In" Damper Rod kit (http://traxxion.com/store/detail.asp?product_id=SVDR) along with .85kg springs from Sonic Springs & 10W fork oil,I would have everything necessary to swap over my front end?

Short of disassembling the forks and tweaking the emulators over and over, how do I best set them up for the 1st install?

Thank you,
Chris

 

Traxxion has springs too.

They're a bit more, but it seems often times he'll cut you a 10% deal for buying everything thru him, that it makes the cheaper price at Sonic moot.

 

+1 that is what I did. 10% off.

Why not just get all your gear from one place.

Easy easy. Mine were shipped with 2 turns. I need to fish them out for another 1/2 turn.

Don't forget the crush washers that go in the bolt that holds the dampening rod down. Your forks will leak and make you sad. Yes i Forgot them and I am sad.

 

The racetech manual specifies 2 turns for street, 4 for the track, with half turn increments for changes. So there's not that much to fiddle with. Besides, changing the emulator is easy. Just pop the fork cap and fish it out with a magnet. And Traxxion should be able to give you the proper emu setting and spacer length for your weight and spring rate.

Don't forget to get a couple of damper rod washers that go on the bottom of the fork to prevent fluid leaks.

 

Has anyone tried the Traxxion cartridges?

 

Board member Currently and several others have the AK20s and sing the praises of the upgrade. I contemplated the move but couldn't swing the cost.

In steps, I install springs and Gold Valves.

 

I got some progressive rate springs and 20wt oil for my front end after having installed a zx10 rear shock. I am assuming the progressive springs will be better than stock, anyone know anything about them?