My Re-Spring of the S10 ES Shock

[Super08]

I will have spring compressed 22.5mm of preload at 1 up to a max of 32.5mm at the 2 up + bags setting. That is in line with many other bikes I have owned. The stock setup has 16.5mm (1 up) to 26.5mm (max) of spring preload. This is only attempt one for me. Karl and the other guys have done all the hard work already. Ed had 3 setups done by RT by mail, they never had a bike in their shop to use though. He ended up being happier with the 6022 spring over the setups RT came up with. Problem is you can no longer get that spring from them.

Edit: Out of curiosity I measured the gap between the coils on my 500 lb spring. I get 122mm which is very close to the advertised 120mm of spring travel.

Here is the latest version of the seat pressures for all the combinations I was looking at.

 

[Super08]

Yippie! The machine shop said my spacer is completed and it went in the mail today. I should have it by Monday or Tuesday. By next weekend I should be on my new spring.

 

[Karl]

Good stuff, I am sure you will let us know how it goes.

K

 

[Super08]

Ok I got my spring installed tonight. I went out to the garage at 5:00 and was finished cleaning up at about 7:30. I just pulled the shock out with the hoses attached and put a nice blue foam block on top of the footpet and did it on the side of the bike. I just used a set of the Tusk spring compressors. With them lubed up really well with pipe dope on the threads and all sliding surfaces including under the hex and the washer under the hex it went smooth. If I ever have it off or plan to have it off I will get a custom bushing made for the top. The 64mm to 61mm one is still a bit on the loose side for my taste but should be OK. It would be nice to get the id down to 59mm.

Speaking of measurements my stock spring has a free length of 217~218mm. It is longer than the book spec of 213.5mm. The id at the top was a touch under 59mm and the bottom was 57mm. Without getting fancy center section is hard to measure with what I have but I would put the id at 63.5mm to 64mm.

I took some measurements of the sag again before the change over and then with the new spring. I imagine it will sag some more over time. I plan to take it out for a test ride tomorrow.

Bike set us as it is in my profile pic. All the bags are on the bike but nothing really in them to speak of, and my tools that I keep on the bike all the time. I would guess no more than about 5 lb of stuff in the bags. I weigh in about 205 lb with my gear on give or take.

Before:
Sag in 2 up + bags and me off the bike 46mm

Now with me sitting on bike: (Measured by a friend)

Sag in 1 up 99mm
Sag in 1 up + bags 96mm
Sag in 2 up 87mm
Sag in 2up + bags 83mm



Results after installing Eibach 500 lb spring with 1.5 mm top bushing and 15mm lower spacer:

Sag in 1up which I calculated on the spreadsheet to be about what the stock spring was in 2 up+ bags
Result.... 44mm within 2 mm of what I expected it to be.

Me on bike: (Measurements by my wife)

1 up 72mm
1 up + bags 68mm
2up 58mm
2 up + bags 55mm


Just for fun sag in 2 up + bags with me off of the bike was 27mm

So the end result is I now have less sag in the lowest preload setting than I had in the highest preload setting with the stock spring.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Glad this spring swap is working out for you.

After reading through all these spring change threads I have decided to hold off and take my bike in and have the springs done along with a revalve.

 

[regulator]

Looking forward to your ride impressions Doug.

 

[Super08]

Glad this spring swap is working out for you.

After reading through all these spring change threads I have decided to hold off and take my bike in and have the springs done along with a revalve.

Make sure they are aware that the suspension geometry is completely different on the ES than it is on the standard S10. It may explain why they kept putting way too stiff of a spring on Ed's bike as they didn't have a bike just his shock assembly that he mailed in. I can scan and post a page from my shop manual that shows how the linkage arms and the cast link are completely different dimensions.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Make sure they are aware that the suspension geometry is completely different on the ES than it is on the standard S10. It may explain why they kept putting way too stiff of a spring on Ed's bike as they didn't have a bike just his shock assembly that he mailed in. I can scan and post a page from my shop manual that shows how the linkage arms and the cast link are completely different dimensions.

Oh yes!! I'm quite aware of how different the two suspension setups are. I actually had my bike over to RT and the service tech suggested that I drop off the whole bike when I'm ready to have the suspension serviced. What's cool about RT is they have a full service shop including lath, milling machine, spring rate testers, etc. The bad news is it's going to cost a pretty penny. It seems like it's always over a 1000.00 bucks anytime you do an initial full service, revalve, and spring rate change.

What Karl did is really the best bang for the buck. For now I'm going the cheapo route with a raised set of dogbones to get some ground clearance. I'll start a new thread later today after I get them installed.

 

[Super08]

That will be perfect, as far as I know they haven't had an ES in their shop to play with.

 

[Super08]

I just had my bike out for an hour in the 1 up + bags setting. The bike feels sportier and more like it is on rails. A better road feel to it. The ride is only slightly firmer than stock and in soft -1 it feels plush still for touring comfort. I am very pleased with the results and now the ES suspension settings much more accurately reflect how you have the bike set up.

As for weight I weighed myself and the stuff in the bags. The stuff in the bags was a little over 8 lb and myself geared up came in at 203 lb.

Again many that’s to Karl and all the others that have experimented with this and doing the work that has made it much easier for others to follow

 

[Karl]

Good result, happy riding.

 

[regulator]

Have you had a chance to do more riding with the new setup Doug? Any additional impressions?

 

[Super08]

No it has been really miserable, That and two of my dogs had surgery and I was in the process of buying a new truck. I pick it up today. I havent had the chance to get out foe a single ride.

 

[Antanas]

Great post, i have same problem with low level of the bike same ES model but treated it different way just recharge nitrogen gas tank on the shock the pressure was low.

 

[Super08]

That is an interesting route. How much pressure did you end up with in it?

 

[Antanas]

That is an interesting route. How much pressure did you end up with in it?

I didn’t ask, the workshop did it they specialize on suspensions didn’t need to remove shock as well.

 

[Super08]

I was out for a few hours with my wife yesterday. I used the two up with bags setting as I had all the luggage on the bike with about 15-20 pounds of stuff, myself at 205 geared up and my wife about 180 or so geared up. The bike road and handled perfectly. It wasn't squatted right down low like it was before, the ride height was very close to perfect or at least close enough that it didn't feel like it was any lower than it was with me riding solo in the 1 up with bags setting. Very happy with this set up now for sure. The 500 lb spring is plenty for the riding I do and the preload with the 15mm spacer complements it perfectly. (plus the 1.5mm bushing at the top)

 

[ballisticexchris]

Happy it’s working out for you!! I’m excited to get some more miles on mine and have my suspension done.

 

[sblissner]

Please look for my new thread testing the interest in top and bottom spacers to facilitate increasing the spring rate on ES models.

I would be having a local machine shop make a lower spacer per Karl's drawing and an upper spacer similar to the Racetech piece, shown by Super08 earlier in this thread, to take up the space between the upper body and the spring i.d..

Don't have a price yet, I'm sure it will depend on interest and my ability to spread any setup cost over more pieces.

 

[sblissner]

Just posted two sets for sale in the For Sale category.

https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?threads/super-tenere-es-shock-spring-adapters-nashville-tn.30169/