springs and oil

[Scrambled]

I just changed my fork oil in my '78 standard E . The shop manual and the owners manual both say I can use up to SAE 30 weight , so I tried it and now it feels even worse. I thought the heavy oil would stiffen up the front end a bit but it did not .

So, I need new springs, at least the seals are good , no leaks. Are the springs from Mike's / XS Direct any good ? And , while I am at it, are any of the rear shocks ? I am just a little guy, I only weigh 275 pounds , so I can't understand why I keep wearing out my suspension.....

 

[5twins]

Mike's fork springs work OK but they're not worth the price since they jacked it a few years back. You can now buy real Progressive Suspension springs for the same money so why buy Far Eastern knock-offs? Also, Progressive offers a heavy duty version which you could probably use. Mike's rear shocks basically suck and would be a total waste of your money.

Call 3M at 650Central. He can set you up with both the Progressive fork springs and some of their rear shocks, spring rates matched to your weight.

With good springs up front, your forks should work well using the specified 10wt. fork oil. Use about an ounce more (7 instead of 6) than the spec.

 

[Scrambled]

ok, that's good to know. I don't want to spend too much on my bike right now but I don't need to buy junk either. That is one thing all stock XS have in common, really cheap suspension . They probably work ok for light riders but the way the front end dives just drives me nuts .

 

[jd750ace]

If the 7 ounces at 10wt and the HD progressive springs should do wonders for your front end.