Suspension upgrade advice please

[nt1]

Hi folks

Looking at upgrading the suspension on my 2010 WEE that's got 24k on it. I mainly ride solo but also do some long trips two up fully laden.
Any suggestions for both front and rear springs and bearing in mind I really don't want to spend a fortune on the whole process.

Thanks very much for any advice  

Neil

[frez]

Cheapest upgrade would probably be a Hyperpro rear spring and Hagon fork springs which will improve things but may not be absolutely ideal for you. Overall cost around £200.

If you want a setup designed for your particular weight, then Race Tech can sell you specific weight fork springs and Nitron can sell you a shock setup for your weight. Overall cost around £500.

[Juvecu]

+1 to that, frez has given the exact advice I would The Hagon springs up front and Hyperpro one on the rear will make a huge difference for the money spent, you can't go wrong there  

[Jacksnipe]

Nt1, If you are on a tight budget I have virtually new fork springs off a Glee, they are progressive and superior to the ones on your bike. I upgraded my Glee's springs as I do a lot of two up riding. The springs had done less than 2000 miles.

You can have mine for £30.00 plus postage. A new set of Hagons or Hypero will set you back over £85.00 poss more.

( Before I get any moans I have already offered them up on the forum before and was surprised at the lack of interest as there is a big differece between the Fork performance (for the better) on the Glee compared to the Wee mainly down to the better springs and then change /upgrade the Fork oil and take advice re the air gap.

WM

[nt1]

Thanks very much for the replies , £200 for both front and rear springs sounds very good. Is it just a matter of changing the spring on the oem shock for a Hyperpro one and how easy is it to do ?

 

Neil

[frez]

http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php?topic=10564.0;wap2

Unless you have the gear already or have access to it then it is probably better to pay someone for the half hour it will take to do it.

[Juvecu]

If you have spring compressors that will fit (like the type used on car coil springs) then it should be easy enough to do the rear shock yourself. Otherwise a place that does bike suspension will take 10 mins to swap it and probably won't charge you much either (cost me "a tenner for the tea kitty".)

Front springs are easy enough to do with basic tools, just takes time to take it all off. You want to take the forks off, take the caps off (best loosening them while still on the bike, just undo top triple clamp bolts first.) After the caps are off (wind the adjusters all the way out before you take them off), take the springs out, pour the old oil out (pump the forks to get as much as you can out), then hang them upside down over an oil pan and have a cuppa/beer. Then it's new springs in, fresh oil in and putting it all back together. Careful not to cross thread the fork caps, it's easily done and they are only soft aluminium.

[gixerpaul]

On the rear shock of a 2010 wee I know you do not compress the spring to change springs. You need to compress the preload collar about 1/4" then remove a circlip under it and then the preload collar and spring come off from the top.I think you can buy a tool on ebay from hyperpro, I just made one though out of a couple of very long threaded bar and two old 3/4" bread boards

oops just saw the link a few posts ago..... what he said.

I tried spring compressors on the collar , they move about too much ,will damage shock or injure yourself that way :limp:


calsports, hyperpro rear shock spring removal tool £80

[Locky]

+1 to Hagon fork springs and a Hyperpro spring on the rear . I done it to my first Wee (K5)and swapped them over to my second Wee (L0) .
http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk/catalog/c ... x?TypeID=F    
The fork springs take about a hour if your good with the spanners , I got extra fork oil to give them a flush out .
http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcy ... prod/64423
The rear spring is a bit harder to change but I done it quite quick the second time . I made my own jig/compressor out of timber and a few brackets the second time but also seen it done using ratchet straps .

[geekay]

bit of a thread resurrection - I've been searching!

Does anyone know if the spring kits - front and rear - are the same for any year model of 'Wee' ?

I have an L0 model - the last of the wee model, but some places (hagon) advertise different part No's for the K4-K7 and K8-K9 models - whereas some places (hyper pro) list the same parts for K4-> onwards.

any ideas?

I'm thinking of winter projects and think that £200 might be well spent on spring upgrades (and oil replacement up front) for two-up and / or luggage riding.

any thoughts?
oh also - can the front springs / oil be replaced with the forks still on the bike? - perhaps using a vacuum Brake bleeding kit that I have - is that possible? - I'm worried about taking the forks off, but this is probably easier than I am thinking is it?

thanks
g

[Locky]

Yes they are the same . I removed my Hagons and Hyperpro from my K5 and transfered them to my L0 ..

[geekay]

Yes they are the same . I removed my Hagons and Hyperpro from my K5 and transfered them to my L0 ..

great - thank you

was it an easy job?

I'm reasonably mechanically competent (a sparky by trade) but never stripped forks!

[Gassoon]

Hi geekay - if your bike hasn't done too many miles and the forks don't need a complete strip replacing seals etc, then there is a way to 'cheat' , as outlined by frez HERE

Read all of his comments re: supporting the bike, though...!

I've just received my Hagon fork springs (oil included) and will be doing mine over the winter, too. I've never had the forks off the wee before, but its the same as any bike...whichever way you do it, make sure bike is supported, and loosen off as much tension from the spring as you can (extend forks etc). As a final precaution, especially if you keep them on the bike, don't lean over the caps as you finally remove them! :limp:

[hookie]

Any of the suspension specialists should be able to tell you if you need to change the springs based upon your weight and also be able to supply and/or fit them for you (especially the rear one)  if needed. You could go onto the Race Tech web site http://racetech.com/index.aspx and look at "spring rate search" where you can find out what springs you may well need.

[geekay]

no disrespect Hookie - but I don't need a "suspension specialist" to tell me that the front end is soft as crap and needs the damping action improved - which I hope will be achieved through a change in oil grade. I have enough riding experience to decide for myself - Its simply too bouncy with too much dive on brakes.

In many ways, Suzuki acknowledged it themselves by raising the rating of the glee springs and making them a progressive action.

likewise, while the rear is fine solo and lightly loaded - the spring is simply too soft for two-up riding and both my wife and I are quite "light" people. Although the rear does appear to have quite good damping action.

all IMO of course - but my addition to this thread was about the "how to change" - not "do I need to change".

(also appreciate I 'jacked' this thread.... sorry)

[hookie]

Point taken but randomly fitting new springs may not make any improvement but could make matters worse. Getting the right springs for your weight is the best starting point and then using the right grade of oil for the damping, which might take some experimentation could make the bike much nicer to ride. Asking the advice of a specialist on the right springs  and what oil to use shouldn't cost you anything. When describing a soft front end this can be due to springs being too soft or poor compression damping or a combination of the two. Hence the first step is getting the springs and pre-load right. The damping can be altered by changing the oil grade (or fitting different damping valves inside the forks) as the Vstrom forks have no external adjusters. Both of these factors need to be right and working together to get the front end right and can transform the way the bike feels and handles, and with the right information needn't cost too much.

[geekay]

You're right, of course - it does need thought.

I'm about the 12st mark - from charts I've seen, the "0.95" spring seems to be about the right level - oil weight I'm not sure on and may need experimentation to find what I like. I've read a lot of conflicting stuff on the various forums about grades of oil.

thanks again,
g

[Jacko]

It's a dark art suspension setup, that's for sure. Just when you think you've sussed it it surprises you with weird logic and head scratching.

[Gassoon]

Point taken but randomly fitting new springs may not make any improvement but could make matters worse. Getting the right springs for your weight is the best starting point and then using the right grade of oil for the damping, which might take some experimentation could make the bike much nicer to ride...[etc...] .

Good, succinct advice, hookie, cheers!

I'm beginning to think we should have a 'Suspension' topic all to itself...along with 'screens', 'tyres' 'exhausts' it's probably one of the most common mechanical replacements/upgrades people embark upon with their stroms...

[Redsoul]

The only upgrade I made for handling on my wee was to add a fork brace.This year have travelled more than 7000 miles round Europe 2 up fully loaded and suspension wise all I have done is wound the back up to max and left the front at factory settings.