My Re-Spring of the S10 ES Shock

regulator

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It surprises me that they are discontinuing the 6022. I bailed on the 800lb. spring at the beginning of the season - definitely not the right spring for me - and picked up a 9.0kg 6022 which is more to my liking. RT emailed at the time of the 6022 order to ask if I planned to use it on an Africa Twin. I figured they would continue production if it is being used on both models.

I can't say why RT decided that the 800lb. spring with minimal shims was "correct" for my setup, and decided it wasn't worth another conversation with them. So, I read through this and the 6022 thread again, then piggybacked off the collective expertise of the forum to arrive at the latest, and best to date, setup.

Maybe someone should get a bunch of Karl's spacers made up to allow for use of an appropriate Eibach 0800.250 spring.
 
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Super08

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Karl RT sells a set of spacers to go with the Eibach spring now I was told. I suspect It is the same as yours but 14 mm long instead of 10mm. Also there is a bushing that I suspect goes at the top to make up for the diameter difference. I was thinking of maybe going with a 525 or 550 Eibach with those spacers. Problem is on the website they show spacers for a RT 2.25" diameter spring not the Eibach spring the guy on the phone says they use now. I will have to call him back and get more info.
 

Karl

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I would probably add a few more mm of preload. I end up riding with the shock set to 2up without luggage because I am 1up always with some luggage. I am still pretty heavy compared to the average bear at 110kg plus gear.
 

Karl

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That would work to increase preload but does not help much if you are heavy or carry a lot of gear where you also need spring rate increase.
 

regulator

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I would probably add a few more mm of preload. I end up riding with the shock set to 2up without luggage because I am 1up always with some luggage. I am still pretty heavy compared to the average bear at 110kg plus gear.
I believe the difference between 1+luggage and 2 is 7mm. Would you add that much?
 

Super08

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When I was out measuring mine yesterday I got the following:
One rider..........................0mm (baseline)
One rider w/ bags........2mm
Two riders........................8mm (Actual was just under 8, about 7.8 so I rounded to 8)
Two riders w/ bags .10 mm (Actual was about 9.9mm)
All measurements are total distance from baseline of one rider not the distance from one mode to the next.

Don't know if all years are the same or not or if there is some variance between shocks. I rechecked my measurements 3 times cycling the shock preload.
 

Karl

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Probably not that much for me personally, but I do not ride 2up and I rarely ride with more than a topbox. If I was running panniers as well as strap on camping gear on the back seat, I would consider more spring rate and preload.

You can do the math on (spring rate) x (extra preload) = extra weight you can get on there for a given ride height.
 

Super08

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Here is the chart that I made on Excel running the numbers for some springs. If I get time tomorrow I can plug in the numbers for more preload on Eibach 500, 525, and 550 lb springs.
seat pressures.jpg

Edit; Out of curiosity I just ran the one rider setting for the Eibach 500 lb with a free length of 220 mm which I believe would be a 17mm spacer. It came in at 450 lb seat pressure. Just a bit less than the RT 476 lb spring but with the higher spring rate should give the same ride height. I don't know what the available travel of the spring is to know if it is safe to go to that thick a spacer without binding the spring at full travel.
 
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Super08

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I just ran the numbers for the Eibach 500 lb with a 17mm spacer

one up.........................452
one up+bags............492
two up.........................610
two up+bags............650

The numbers are just slightly lower than the RT 8.5 but slightly higher spring rate should give the same or less sag.
 
B

ballisticexchris

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See how it's not touching Jeff. That's a ground open ended spring. Here is a typical Race Tech closed ended spring. All the Race Tech springs that I have purchased over the years have been closed ended.
100-srsp552550-race-tech-rear-shock-spring-50-kg-mm.jpg

And here is my closed ended one mounted on the Beta. Even when removed the coils touch at each end. The reason they make it like that is to get good sag and consistent spring action throughout the travel range.

IMG-0504.JPG
 

Super08

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I found the specs for the Eibach 500lb spring. It has 120mm of travel and blocks at a height of 83mm. So with a 17mm spacer that would give the 203mm long spring a free length of 220mm. The installed length at 2 up plus bags would be 187mm. So with zero sag (wheel off ground on center stand) we have used up 33mm of travel before compressing the shock. The shock has a travel of 89mm. Combine the 89 with 33 and we are up to 122mm. That puts us over the 120mm of travel available so we would end up blocking the spring at full compression. The max spacer size would be 15mm.
The other springs have less travel. The 525 has 116mm travel and the 550 has 113mm. So by the numbers the max spacer for the 525 would be 11mm and the 550 only 8mm. The guys using Karl's spacer by those numbers would block the spring when the suspension bottoms out. With only 2mm I personally don't see it being an issue but I don't think you would want to go anymore than what Karl has if you think you will be using full suspension travel.
When RT put the 800lb spring on regulator's bike they may have reduced his suspension travel. The 800 lb spring only has 107mm travel. That only leaves room for a 2mm spacer. Any more than that and the spring blocks before you use up full shock travel.
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
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See how it's not touching Jeff. That's a ground open ended spring. Here is a typical Race Tech closed ended spring. All the Race Tech springs that I have purchased over the years have been closed ended.
View attachment 57791

And here is my closed ended one mounted on the Beta. Even when removed the coils touch at each end. The reason they make it like that is to get good sag and consistent spring action throughout the travel range.

View attachment 57792
Yeah, I see that, once mounted though, it’s closed.


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