More progressive spring info

From: SMTP%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu" 22-MAR-1995 13:31:35.72
To: MEL1523
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Subj: Progressive springs 2

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Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 14:33:01 +0000
To: MEL1523@ACS.TAMU.EDU
From: lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu (Jim Lawrence)
Subject: Progressive springs 2

>Date: Mon, 23 Jan 95 13:40:00
>From:
>Subject: Progressive springs 2
>To: mx%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu"
>Cc:
>X-POP3-Server: bchm1.aclcb.purdue.edu IUPOP3 V1.8-1/UCX
>X-POP3-ID: 1995-01-23.13:53:04.3520
>
>From: MX%"mnielsen@hprnd.rose.hp.com" 15-AUG-1994 22:31:17.74
>To: MX%"hawkgt@dsea.com"
>CC:
>MX%"dayton@shadow.scs.unr.edu",MX%"Steven_K_Girouard@ccm.fm.intel.com",MX%"todd
>gh@shadow.scs.unr.edu"
>Subj: Progressive Springs Report (longish)
>
>
>
>Progreesive Front Fork Springs Report (with other suspension mods as well).
>
>
>It's a snap. Takes about 1.5 hours (taking your time, losing tools and
>end caps, etc).
>
>
>--
>
>After months of deliberation, I decided to "bite the bullet" and pick
>up a set of progressive front fork springs. I don't necessarily support
>any company (in this case, Progressive), but they are the best known
>aftermarket suspension solution provider that I know of.
>
>It is necessary to drain the fork oil before changing your springs.
>This can be done one of many ways, one of them being "remove forks
>and drain" - ala Service manual, or you could do it the better way
>and follow some of the following steps:
>
>0) Make sure you have app. 2 liters of fork oil ready. I used EXACTLY
>(by blind luck, I assume) 2 bottles of app. 1 liter each. I also used
>10wt, which I will explain later.
>
>0.5) Go to your local hardware store and pick up some thick guage
>1" PVC piping. About 1 foot should do. Then Cut the PVC into 2 3"
>pieces, removing and plastic residue from the pipe. Clean it thoroughly.
>These will be your new and improved spacers. (note: you can make
>them bigger/smaller to adust preload. Buy extra PVC if you want
>to have spares. Hell, it only costs about 22 cents a foot.) This will
>save you from cutting your stock spacers to pieces.
>
>1) Pop off the fork tube end caps. Be careful not to allow them to fly
>across the room, and BE SURE THE FRONT END IS SUSPENDED BY ANY MEANSN
>NESSARY! If not, you'll end up with a broken Hawk, a pissed owner,
>and a huge mess. Suspend the front by placing a large block under the
>engine block, of by strapping a rope to the triple clamp (upper) and
>tying the other end to the rafters in the garage.
>
>2) After removing the end-caps, find a larger (1-2 liters) container,
>preferably a 1/2 gallon milk container or an old Sunny Delight bottle.
>This will help in collecting the copious amounts of spooge out of
>the forks. Something with a pouring neck would be perfect.
>
>3) Remove the spacers from the fork tubes.
>
>4) find an (8 or 10) mm wrench (sorry, I can't remember which). Loosen
>the small drain bolts at the bottom of the fork leg. They are located
>about 6 inches or so above the bottom of the leg on the backside (side
>on the fork closest to the engine). Get the bottle du spooge ready,
>and remove the first bolt. The liquid will fire out as if propelled,
>so adjust the bottle accordingly.
>
>5) Repeat the same process on the other side. Drain as much of the oil
>as possible but pumping the forks or turing the forks side to side. You
>might want to replace the bolts when done, or you could end up with some
>residual spooge all over your front wheel and rotor. Trust me, this
>is not the preferred method. It's really hard to stop with oil all
>over the rotor. Again, trust me. :-(
>
>6) If you have a "bolt picker" (the long rod with the hooks on the end),
>get it. If not, find a metal hanger (no, the chique little plastic ones
>won't work) and bend it until you have a straight rod with a hooked
>end. Remove the forks with this magic tool you've just created. HAVE
>A TOWEL READY!!! The forks will still have a bit of spooge on them, so
>be careful.
>
>6.5) Be sure you've remove the spacers and the washers just below the
>spacers (between the spacers and springs).
>
>7) Using said hangar tool, make it as STRAIGHT AS POSSIBLE, and measure
>off about 7 inches on it. Measuring from the top, measure about (no,
>exactly) 5.5" down, and mark that spot. This will be your new fork
>tube dipstick. Mark off the 4.5, 5.0, 5.25, 5.50, and 5.75 spots
>on the stick with masking take or something similar. (Progressive
>suggests that you go NO HIGHER than 5.5" in the tubes with the fork oil,
>so this is what is necessary on the Hawk).
>
>8) BE CAREFUL!!!! THIS STEP COULD REALLY SUCK IF YOU'RE NOT!!!! Find
>a bungee cord, and bungee off the front brake lever, forcing the brake on.
>This will help you from picking up the Hawk from the floor. Using a friend
>or SO, remove the blocks from under the Hawk and SLOWLY allow the Hawk
>to rest on the stops in the front end. It will look really silly, but
>it's the best way to do it. The Hawk should now look as if it were
>"raked", with the nose diving heavily into the ground and it's butt
>in the air. The forks should be totally and completely collapsed,
>and the springs, spacers, and washers should be removed.
>
>9) Fill up the forks using your fork oil and whoopie tool (fork dipstick).
>Fill the forks until the OIL LEVEL IS 5.5" BELOW THE TOP OF THE COMPRESSED
>FORK!!! Exactness in each fork is absolutely mandatory. If one is 5.44
>inches, make both 5.44". Oh, and be sure the drain plugs are in the
>sockets. Otherwise, go buy more fork oil!! I had to use a straw to
>remove miniscule amounts of fork oil to exact the sides. It took a
>bit of time, but well worth it.
>
>10) Stick the motorcycle back up on it's blocks, suspending the front
>end again.
>
>11) Insert the New Springs and washers (old washers). Insert the new
>PVC spacers on top of the washers. 3" is the recommended height, and
>seems to work well so far.
>
>12) Replace the end caps. Tighten up all bolts to specs, and BE SURE
>THE TIRE/ROTOR IS CLEAN!!! Icky slides and anti-stops are a problem
>with oil all over the wheels. Once again, trust me.
>
>Notes:
>
>Fork oil weight: I used 10 wt, partially by the recommendation of a
>Honda Guru (who now works for DynoJet in Vegas), and partially because
>I hated the stock damping rates. MUCH better now.
>
>Preload: I used the stock preload settings of 3" spacers in my bike
>with the 10wt fork oil. Seems to work extremely well so far.
>
>Rear Preload: You may have to adjust the rear to compensate for the
>front. I have cranked up mine most of the way, and in comparison to
>the front, the rear is totally pathetic. I want a Fox now. The
>superb front truly points out the deficiencies of the rear in both
>rebound damping, compression, and preload.
>
>ObHandling: The Hawk handles absultely wonderful now. I wish I had
>done this a year ago or so.
>
>ObStoppies: If you have sticky tires, and are fairly daring, the Hwak
>will stoppie for days. NO MORE FRONT END DIVE!!!! The front barely
>shudders when you are under hard, I mean HARD braking. Time to
>buy a set of GP's (Sportmax).
>
>
>Well, I truly hope this helps everyone out. I think it was well worth
>the monetary and time investment.
>
>Later!!!!
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Mike Nielsen / Hewlett Packard Company
>(916) 785-3293 Office /__ ___ 8000 Foothills Blvd - MS R3NB
>(916) 785-4711 Fax / / /__/ Roseville, CA 95678
> /
> ((:< mnielsen@hprnd.rose.hp.com >:))
> Mike_Nielsen@hp5200.desk.hp.com
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>From: Mike Nielsen
>Message-ID: <9408151734.AA28884@hprnd.rose.hp.com>
>Subject: Progressive Springs Report (longish)
>To: hawkgt@dsea.com (HawkGT)
>Date: Mon, 15 Aug 94 10:34:36 PDT
>CC: dayton@shadow.scs.unr.edu (Dennis Dayton),
> Steven_K_Girouard@ccm.fm.intel.com (Steven K. Girouard),
> toddgh@shadow.scs.unr.edu (Gary Todd)
>Mailer: Elm [revision: 66.25]
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>Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 13:39:52 EST
>From: lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu
>To: LAWRENCE@ACLCB.PURDUE.EDU
>Message-ID: <0098AE4F.440A6100.61@aclcb.purdue.edu>
>Subject: Progressive springs 2
>
>