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RaceTech Gold Valve Emulators and Springs...

Yup. It's surprisingly easy for something to turn sideways in those fork tubes, even when they seem to be the exact same diameter.

I assemble the entire thing - spring and all - and slide it in on its side to help avoid this. Even then, I've still done it.
 
I more or less used the "magnet on a stick" trick.
I have telescopic magnetic part retriever tool.
I stuck it to the head of the bolt on the valve.
I then slid all the rest of the parts over the handle of the magnet tool to insure everything was seated where it should be.
Then the whole assembly can be lowered into the fork tube and seated in the top of the damper rod.

The funny thing is I had heard of people not getting the valves seated somehow so I went to great lengths to insure that I did not do the same.
Then I screwed it all up by just dropping the washer in there.

Lesson learned.
 
Going to try to revive this old thread as I just got a set of Gold Valves. Many of the pictures are bad links now. QQ Do you need to pull the stanchions and bushings or can you get the damper rod out and valve in with them in place? Looking at the manual it seems the stanchions do not need to be removed.
 
Going to try to revive this old thread as I just got a set of Gold Valves. Many of the pictures are bad links now. QQ Do you need to pull the stanchions and bushings or can you get the damper rod out and valve in with them in place? Looking at the manual it seems the stanchions do not need to be removed.

Remove the fork, remove the fork cap, remove the spacer and spring, remove the bolt at the bottom of the fork, turn it over and dump out the dampener.
 
Thanks 670cc.

What settings on the valves are you guys using? It looks like most of you are running Blue Spring w/2 turns of preload and 4 holes...?

Also, I was thinking of just keeping the space the same before cutting them. See if the 1/2" of preload makes a difference on the fork spring. Always easier to cut it later then try to make it longer.
 
Sounds good for a starting point on the emulator setting.
 
I'm about to do this myself as well. Should have them in a couple days. Directions show 6 holes total... IP FEGV EMULATOR LIST

Honda V4 is the directions racetech said to use. Is that what you recieved as well?
Thanks 670cc.

What settings on the valves are you guys using? It looks like most of you are running Blue Spring w/2 turns of preload and 4 holes...?

Also, I was thinking of just keeping the space the same before cutting them. See if the 1/2" of preload makes a difference on the fork spring. Always easier to cut it later then try to make it longer.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
I'm about to do this myself as well. Should have them in a couple days. Directions show 6 holes total... IP FEGV EMULATOR LIST
Honda V4 is the directions racetech said to use. Is that what you recieved as well?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

So my friend and I kept going back and forth on this misunderstanding of holes. There are 2 places where you end up drilling.

1. is in the damper rod itself. This should be 6, 1/4" holes per the instructions you linked. This MUST be done.

2. is in the compression damping plate of the valve. It's the brass circle under the spring. Holes can be added here to adjust the damping. My set came with 2 sets of these plates, one with 2 holes one with 4.

It get's confusing when you talk about drilling holes if you don't clearly specify WHICH holes.

So far I'm liking it. The front end feels a lot stiffer. I was shocked when I rolled it off the center stand. But it seems to be stiffer and also absorb big bumps better... I need to do more testing on some open road but so far so good.
 
So my friend and I kept going back and forth on this misunderstanding of holes. There are 2 places where you end up drilling.

1. is in the damper rod itself. This should be 6, 1/4" holes per the instructions you linked. This MUST be done.

2. is in the compression damping plate of the valve. It's the brass circle under the spring. Holes can be added here to adjust the damping. My set came with 2 sets of these plates, one with 2 holes one with 4.

It get's confusing when you talk about drilling holes if you don't clearly specify WHICH holes.

So far I'm liking it. The front end feels a lot stiffer. I was shocked when I rolled it off the center stand. But it seems to be stiffer and also absorb big bumps better... I need to do more testing on some open road but so far so good.
Thanks! I started this today but misplaced my 17mm hex. I'm going with the yellow spring with 3 or 4 turns with the 5 hole brass plate and 6 holes in the damper rod and 10wt oil. I plan to keep the space at the stock length to help with my 235 pound body weight. Similar to what you did?

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I used the lightest spring supplied at 2 turns and thought it was too stiff. So after speaking face to face with a Racetech guy at a show, he sent me a set of even lighter springs (I think they were silver) for free.

Part of my problem, too, is that my fork seals seem to have too much stiction.
 
Thanks! I started this today but misplaced my 17mm hex. I'm going with the yellow spring with 3 or 4 turns with the 5 hole brass plate and 6 holes in the damper rod and 10wt oil. I plan to keep the space at the stock length to help with my 235 pound body weight. Similar to what you did?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Yeah I kept the stock spacer so I got an extra 1/2 preload. You can always go back and cut it with out even having to drop the forks. I did Blue springs, 2 Turns...? It's hard to actually determine that... and 15 wt Maxima oil.

You can just take the rubber out of a Sparkplug socket and put it on an extension backwards for a 17mm hex for the axle.
 
Yeah I kept the stock spacer so I got an extra 1/2 preload. You can always go back and cut it with out even having to drop the forks. I did Blue springs, 2 Turns...? It's hard to actually determine that... and 15 wt Maxima oil.

You can just take the rubber out of a Sparkplug socket and put it on an extension backwards for a 17mm hex for the axle.
Sounds good. I completed today but still need to mount. I went blue, 4 turns, 4 holes in the emulator, 6 in the damper and 10wt oil. About 530ml each fork. Kept the space the same as well. Figured it would be good with my additional weight. (240lbs)

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I used the lightest spring supplied at 2 turns and thought it was too stiff. So after speaking face to face with a Racetech guy at a show, he sent me a set of even lighter springs (I think they were silver) for free.

Part of my problem, too, is that my fork seals seem to have too much stiction.
Good to know. I'll have to test a little and see what I think. I'm hoping the blue, with 4 holes in the emulator and 10wt oil will work. Otherwise I'll pull it and decrease emulator preload to 1 or 2 turns before looking to get the silver spring.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Good to know. I'll have to test a little and see what I think. I'm hoping the blue, with 4 holes in the emulator and 10wt oil will work. Otherwise I'll pull it and decrease emulator preload to 1 or 2 turns before looking to get the silver spring.

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Per the Racetech guy, don’t bother going below 2 turns. At that point get the lighter spring.
 
I have just rebuilt mine with the racetech gear. I made the mistake of drilling the holes above and below the existing as it looks like in the instructions. Anyway when I realised I drilled them in the correct place and found that the small sleeve at the base of the damper rod virtually covers the wrong holes. I don’t think that they would cause a problem anyway as it’s supposed to be the valve that controls the oil flow not the holes.
Go on tell me I’m wrong I’m used to it.
 
Went out on my bike today the first time since doing the suspension. Anyway it’s like night and day the bike almost feels like a proper one with good suspension. Gone is the front bottoming and the shocks through the body over small ripples in the road. It was even soaking up huge potholes. If anything it felt a little too tight so as I’ve fitted preload adjusters at the same time I’ve let a little preload off and will try again and report back.
 
Preload has no effect on spring rate or harshness. It only affects ride height within the range of travel. If "feels tight" is a description of shock absorption you might try backing off compression damping or if no adjustment for that, try lowering the oil level.
 
As dduelin stated, letting “a little preload off” will simply lower the height of the front end. The spring rate and dampening will remain the same. If you were topping or bottoming in the fork’s range of travel, the preload adjustment might be effective, otherwise, follow dduelin’s suggestion on dampening adjustment/oil level. Changing the oil level can alter “harshness“, because the air in the forks is compressible, but the oil is not.
 
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The suspension isn’t harsh just a little tight. It was harsh before the alterations. I have a Ducati fitted with full Ohlins and had the same feeling from the suspension. I asked my suspension guru what to do. BTW he does for superbike teams etc. He told me to remove a little preload which worked so as that’s the only option I have I thought I’d try it.
 
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