Springs selection impact on suspension?
- Thread starter bergerhag
- Start date
iancp5
New member
At 220lbs you would benefit from heavier springs. I'm 245lbs naked and on my EC300 run 5.7 rear with 0.48 fronts. I think 0.48 was a bit hard for my woods terrain and you are lighter so would expect 0.46's definitely better for you unless you are riding hard, fast stuff. Not sure on rear for your weight and an FSE. I find fork spring rates are similar whatever the bike, even my KTM 4 stroke. Again this is all terrain specific but for woods, once the correct springs are in, you probably want a lot less compression than the manual states.
Hopefully some FSE owners will be along to provide better advice.
bergerhag
Silver Level Site Supporter
Hmm, I made a miscalculation on the weight, I'm 230 lbs(105kg) in my skin. 255lbs(116kg) in full outfit.
Stock spring rates I'm told are 0.42 front and 5.4 rear.
Sag measured to 40mm front, 35mm rear
race sag: 100mm front, 135 mm rear.
I ride a lot of woods terrain with a lot of loose fist-size rocks.
My idea is .46 front, 5.6 rear? Or should I go for the .48 front?
Stock spring rates I'm told are 0.42 front and 5.4 rear.
Sag measured to 40mm front, 35mm rear
race sag: 100mm front, 135 mm rear.
I ride a lot of woods terrain with a lot of loose fist-size rocks.
My idea is .46 front, 5.6 rear? Or should I go for the .48 front?
iancp5
New member
Should work well.
skid jackson
New member
boy 62 sounds really stiff .... but i'm not a suspension guy.
Stock is 52. I weigh 195 in the buff and about 210 to 220 when geared up. I currently run . 44 in front and 54 in the rear. I'm still trying to sort out hte bike but with about 30 hours on it... I'm thinking I might try a 52 on the back.
Stock is 52. I weigh 195 in the buff and about 210 to 220 when geared up. I currently run . 44 in front and 54 in the rear. I'm still trying to sort out hte bike but with about 30 hours on it... I'm thinking I might try a 52 on the back.
widebear
Banned
Sounds to me like there has been something ,lost in the translation here. I just can't see it being @ 6.2 kg per mm spring? I dont think that Ohlins even make a spring that heavy and even if they did you'd have to run your rebound damping so tight, to keep you from getting tossed over the bars like your the guest projectile for some medieval assualt weapon.
bergerhag
Silver Level Site Supporter
Actually the guy who initially bought the 6,2 kg spring returned it because he needed a yet heavier spring. He runs a EC300, and he is quite big.
Oh, and they do make these heavy springs. In the swedish main öhlins distributor's website, they list the 57x270 mm springs from 3.6 to 7.25 kg
After all my research on the net, and with the input from you guys, I'm now going for the .48 front and 5.8 rear, as I'm 116kg dressed to go. And taking into account that the FSE is 15kg heavier than the EC, and I have added some extra weight in bark busters, radiator braces and skid plate, and with my camelbak water supply (+2kg), I'm guessing these will be spot on.
Oh, and they do make these heavy springs. In the swedish main öhlins distributor's website, they list the 57x270 mm springs from 3.6 to 7.25 kg
After all my research on the net, and with the input from you guys, I'm now going for the .48 front and 5.8 rear, as I'm 116kg dressed to go. And taking into account that the FSE is 15kg heavier than the EC, and I have added some extra weight in bark busters, radiator braces and skid plate, and with my camelbak water supply (+2kg), I'm guessing these will be spot on.
bergerhag
Silver Level Site Supporter
New springs installed.
I was convinced by my local suspension guy who had discussed it with another suspension expert to use 4.6N/mm front and 62 N/mm rear.
Front springs are Race-Tech , rear is Öhlins.
I have now 25mm front sag , and rear is set at 40 mm.
My race sag is front: 65mm, rear 105mm.
I went for a quick test ride, not fully dressed, missing a few kilos of protection.
What a difference this made. The bike now feels lighter than before, kind of more vigorous( can I use that word about bike?).
Am I right in thinking that I should increase rebound a little, and decrease compression damping, just to compensate for the stiffer springs?
On thursday I'll take it out on my usual rocky, root-infested enduro trail. Can't wait to get there
I was convinced by my local suspension guy who had discussed it with another suspension expert to use 4.6N/mm front and 62 N/mm rear.
Front springs are Race-Tech , rear is Öhlins.
I have now 25mm front sag , and rear is set at 40 mm.
My race sag is front: 65mm, rear 105mm.
I went for a quick test ride, not fully dressed, missing a few kilos of protection.
What a difference this made. The bike now feels lighter than before, kind of more vigorous( can I use that word about bike?).
Am I right in thinking that I should increase rebound a little, and decrease compression damping, just to compensate for the stiffer springs?
On thursday I'll take it out on my usual rocky, root-infested enduro trail. Can't wait to get there
bergerhag
Silver Level Site Supporter
Sorry, Newton meters was a typo, should be N/mm.
I mounted the 6,2 kg/mm rear spring, sag was 40mm, race sag was 105mm. Does that make me a light Ford Truck then?
Aren't those numbers pretty good? Perhaps if I set the sag to 35mm I would get a race sag of 100mm? Bike weight is 130 kg, My fully dressed weight with water backpack 118kg. Thats 286 pounds for bike and 260 for me.
The Ec300 has 5,2 kg stock spring, the FSE has 5,4 kg.
Are you sure that my spring rate is that much off? Every suspension page I have come across says race sag should be ~100mm.
I mounted the 6,2 kg/mm rear spring, sag was 40mm, race sag was 105mm. Does that make me a light Ford Truck then?
Aren't those numbers pretty good? Perhaps if I set the sag to 35mm I would get a race sag of 100mm? Bike weight is 130 kg, My fully dressed weight with water backpack 118kg. Thats 286 pounds for bike and 260 for me.
The Ec300 has 5,2 kg stock spring, the FSE has 5,4 kg.
Are you sure that my spring rate is that much off? Every suspension page I have come across says race sag should be ~100mm.
bergerhag
Silver Level Site Supporter
I have now been out on a few test rides. It's hard as a light Ford truck 
when riding slow to intermediate speed. When I increase speed to what feels like "world champion" speed, it works very nice. However my adrenaline levels are reachin critical.
Tomorrow I hope to test it on my ordinary enduro trail, that will make final judgement. As of now, I think I'll switch one of the fork springs back to 0.42 kg.
Darn this suspension thingy. I want Plug and Play.
when riding slow to intermediate speed. When I increase speed to what feels like "world champion" speed, it works very nice. However my adrenaline levels are reachin critical. Tomorrow I hope to test it on my ordinary enduro trail, that will make final judgement. As of now, I think I'll switch one of the fork springs back to 0.42 kg.
Darn this suspension thingy. I want Plug and Play.
For a linkage bike I use this formula:
Static sag 20-25mm/rider sag 100-105mm. That would indicate correct spring weight for a given rider. From there it becomes rider preference. I set static to 20-25 and then check rider sag. It's pretty obvious if the spring is too soft or too stiff, as you have the static set to your desired number. If rider sag is more than 105 spring is too soft. If under 100 spring is too stiff, etc...
Looks to me like you went too far on both ends. Probably .46/5.8 would get you closer to the "numbers"? You want about 30mm static on the forks and 80mm rider sag.
Static sag 20-25mm/rider sag 100-105mm. That would indicate correct spring weight for a given rider. From there it becomes rider preference. I set static to 20-25 and then check rider sag. It's pretty obvious if the spring is too soft or too stiff, as you have the static set to your desired number. If rider sag is more than 105 spring is too soft. If under 100 spring is too stiff, etc...
Looks to me like you went too far on both ends. Probably .46/5.8 would get you closer to the "numbers"? You want about 30mm static on the forks and 80mm rider sag.
