[icantdrive75]

I was just gonna post in the other thread, but I figured if anyone was ever searching for this info it'd be helpful to have to specific topics.

Anything you can do there? I'm sure it's expensive, but I just thought I'd ask.

I hear the front end on the EX 500 is notoriously soft...but I can almost bottom mine out just by pushing on it hard. My friend told me to check the fork oil, but I have no clue how to do that. Any tips?

 

[knightslugger]

The front is HORRIBLY soft! Garbage if you ask me, even for street riding! Racetech performs spring upgrades and damping solutions for your forks AND does the work for you! It's pretty reasonable...

Upgrading your forks is probably the first thing you should consider when doing any modification to your bike. Because a FE isn't going to help your cornering or your braking...

 

[McBiggity]

racetech .95 springs, emulators, and 15w fork oil.
i weigh 170lbs w/o gear.

 

[icantdrive75]

racetech .95 springs, emulators, and 15w fork oil.
i weigh 170lbs w/o gear.

Well I'm fat. 220lbs. How much stiffer of a spring would you recommend?

 

[knightslugger]

i weigh 230 and racetech suggests a .95kg/(mm?) for street and a 1kg/(mm?) for racing for BOTH my EX and CBR. you'll be amazed at what a difference a stiffer spring will make. you will gain gobs of confidence around fast corners. it just feels so much more stable under braking too; it doesn't dive so quickly!

the calculator is on the Racetech website.

 

[luke]

ok, so I'm around 150 but could probably stand to lose 10 pounds, and I think I'll actually be ambitious enough to do so (replace light beer with liquor). Anyway, I find it pretty spooky how much the front end plows when you decide to get on the brakes. I'm not a fan of looking for cobwebs under the front fender while riding. I know virtually nothing about upgrading the forks. I know mine has recently replaced seals. can somebody that knows more kind of outline what it would take to upgrade these things and some kind of dollar figure?

 

[McBiggity]

For the front end-
The race-tech springs are $109.
The emulators are $159.99.
a good quality fork oil- around $12/quart. One quart will do both forks.
You could just upgrade the springs and add heavier fork oil.
The emulators are a nice upgrade but not needed if it's just for street riding.

 

[knightslugger]

...and Racetech will install them for you.

 

[McBiggity]

it's actually very easy to install these. save youself the $$ on the labor.
I'll pop the tops off my forks tomorrow and post up some pics of what's in there and what order they go in.

 

[maverick9611]

hey bigs ,have u tried works perform. front spring kit?just wondering

 

[McBiggity]

no, just the rear shock.
can't comment on the WP spring kit.

 

[icantdrive75]

For the front end-
The race-tech springs are $109.
The emulators are $159.99.
a good quality fork oil- around $12/quart. One quart will do both forks.
You could just upgrade the springs and add heavier fork oil.
The emulators are a nice upgrade but not needed if it's just for street riding.

What exactly is an emulator?

 

[McBiggity]

Gold Valve Cartridge Emulators

basically it makes a damping style fork (like the ex500) act more like a cartridge type fork.

 

[sihing_steve]

I'm actually having the .95 springs put in my front forks today! I may do the emulator, but one thing at a time for me right now. I'll pass on my comments on how different the bike handles after I get it back. Yes, the 500r is much to soft in the front end especially when I wheigh 210.

 

[luke]

could somebody maybe do a writeup or some other kind of guide for this stuff?
that would be awesome.

 

[knightslugger]

what would you need to see? a "How-to: Change front fork springs" like write-up?

 

[HotRod]

I can't give EX500 specific info, that seems to have already been given by people in this thread, but I can give an short explaination of how a fork works. In my web page

http://www.members.cox.net/rodneyj123/motorcycles/motorcycles.htm

choose "Front Forks".

 

[McBiggity]

could somebody maybe do a writeup or some other kind of guide for this stuff?
that would be awesome.

i plan on taking some step by step pics, but I am in the middle of moving and have had very little time to work on the bike. But I will get to it eventually

 

[luke]

yeah, basically in terms of front suspension, I know virtually nothing. I could probably do some research and learn all about it, but its not really crucial at this point. But to have write ups that I could pretty much take to the garage and see the real deal first hand I think is worlds better. I guess if I was more familiar with what all was going on up there I'd feel al ot more secure doing something to change it. because one thing is for certain, if I grab that front brake hard in a corner, I'll scare the **** out of myself. If theres a cost effective way of changing the setup to be stiffer that I could do myself I'd be more than willing to do it. maybe there should be a n00b section or something that explains the general functionality of things. I have pretty good knowledge of every other aspect of bikes, but its always been the case for me that the suspension Just Works, so theres no need to monkey with it. Racing generally doesn't interest me a whole lot. If I were to get into racing I'd probably do it with the dirt bike. Other than that, the motorcycle serves to get the chicks to go for a ride, and then maybe afterward hop on the motorcycle ;D

 

[sihing_steve]

Well I've had my first day of riding after the front spring install and MAN, what a frickin difference!! Probably one of the best upgrades you can do on that bike. I feel like I am riding the bike now, before I felt like I was almost leaning over the front end.

Although I have to be much more careful now in the twisties. Before it felt like I was fighting the bike through the turns, now it feels like I am really turning, not fighting the bike. I.e. this has made it much smoother and much quicker through the turns. Fortunately I took it slow yesterday, any faster and I may have wound up in the ditch!!

Seriously, everyone talks about upgrading their mufflers, jetting or dropping teeth in their gears when in my opinion you should go after the suspension first.

BTW. While this was not that expensive overall, compared to other upgrades, it still cost some money. I paid about $100 for the .90 kg spring and about $75 in labor to have a shop install the spring. (Some heavier oil too, not sure on the cost)