Increasing front fork spring rate

[skiri251]

82' GL1100A

Today's newbie question.

As you see in my avator pic, my Wing has a sidecar attached. This puts extra load on the front forks. While the bike on the sidestand, I see only 3~4" of travel left. I tried to increase front air pressure but couldn't go beyond 20 psi (the max. range shown in the gauge).

Front is not really bottoming out but that short travel left makes me uncomfortable.

What are my options?

I guess the cheapest is to put PVC spacers in and increase preload (but it must be hard to put the caps back on..) I see progressive springs mentioned. Are they any good in this respect?

Thanks.

 

[joedrum]

yes and the caps are a little hard on them to .....but you dont loose no travel like a spacer....progressive springs is the best upgrade for the forks on these bikes

 

[skiri251]

Thanks.

I understand that stock springs are in two pieces (upper and lower in parts diagram). Is the progressive spring (from Progressive Suspension?) one piece, replacing both stock upper/lower pieces?

I looked them up but the pics looked all the same single spring per fork (maybe they just show generic pic).

I remember when I put fork oil in only the upper spring came out. Not sure lower one is attached to something or just comes out freely.

 

[joedrum]

yes one peice the proggressives are ...ive often thought to change the upper stock spring with somthing tougher as i hav alot of spring stuff around and im going to try this soon .....the bottom spring dose just come out when you hook it with something :mrgreen:

 

[Tory]

I have the progresives in mine and they work well for the sidecar.
I use no air without the hack,and about 10psi with the hack.
Also,when you switch to the proggresives,they recomend changeing to a SAE20 non detergant moter oil rather than fork oil or atf(like the manuel says).

 

[skiri251]

Thanks again.

Seems like progressive is the way to go.