Emulator Tip For Damping Rod Forks

[Mel]

Hey guys,

I thought I would pass along a tip for getting the most out of your Race Tech Gold Valve Emulators for damping rod forks. I want to make it clear up front that I am no expert at suspension tuning. I'm mostly a trial and error kind of guy, trying to get my damping rod forks on my FZ6 to work as best they can. I am running 20wt oil, along with Race Tech fork springs, and the Race Tech Gold Valve Emulators. The emulators did improve the compression damping, but I still felt they fell a little short from what was promised. I went with the recommended 3 turns of spring preload on the emulators for the street, but over a sharp bump, or sections of rough pavement, the initial travel in the forks was harsh. I tried backing off the spring preload on the emulators to 2 turns, which didn't seem to help a lot with that initial hit over the rough stuff, and the low speed damping suffered with too much front end dive when hard on the brakes. The front end dive was controlled with the 3 turns of preload. I went up and down with the spring preload tension on the emulators, but still couldn't find a sweet spot.

I talked to Matt Wiley from Race Tech, and explained the problem I was having. He recommended going to a lighter weight emulator spring, and gave me some tuning tips for the emulators. I found out that the spring weight controls the high speed damping, and the preload tension on the spring controls the low speed damping. The emulators come with the yellow springs (64lb), and he offered to send me the blue springs (40lb), which would be more compliant over the sharp bumps and rough pavement, yet still control the low speed damping. I put in the 40lb springs when I got them, and started out with Matt's recommendation of 3 turns of preload. The 3 turns of preload wasn't quite enough and after experimenting with different settings, I ended up at 4 1/2 turns of preload for what I felt was the best compromise for smooth and goaty roads. This made a huge difference in the high speed damping, with the forks now being very compliant over the rough stuff, without any excessive front end dive when on the brakes. 

The reason for this post is that I don't think a lot of guys using the emulators in their damping rod forks are aware of the spring options, as it is not mentioned anywhere on the Race Tech website. Most guys just set their spring preload on the emulators to the recommended settings, or go up or down a turn, and call it good. If you are experiencing the problems I had with your bike, I would definately suggest trying out the blue 40lb springs, especially for riding on the street, whether it be spirited backroad riding, or just touring/commuting. Your forks will feel more compliant over the rough stuff, yet still have excellent low speed damping. I'm sure the lighter emulator springs might not be the answer for all bikes, but it definately made the difference for my FZ6. The good news is that if you contact Race Tech, they will send you the blue springs (40lb) for free. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Mel

[cobra23]

Mel,

Wow, now this is the reason for a forum.

Your post is very detailed, and informative. Excellent work !!

Thank you !

[Mel]

Ted,

Thanks for the kudos. I saw the link to the KZ forum in your profile and checked it out. Damn, that is some fantastic work you've done on your KZ! It's cool to see that you are a standard bike kinda guy with your KZ and Monster. I got tired of clip ons and being hunched over on a street bike, so that's why I got the FZ6 rather than an R6 this time around.

I also saw that you are an Iraq vet. Welcome home brother! I'm an old guy and did a tour in Nam in 69-70. Looking forward to meeting up with you sometime and maybe get some riding in.

Mel

[cobra23]

Mel,

Roger that !!