So there's an excellent thread by Skooter about adding a ~7/8" tall PVC spacer into front forks in order to artificially add preload.

You can find it here.

Anyways, I have a 2006 and I've ground down what may be the correct size PVC pipe (still waiting on 6mm hex impact socket so I can remove handlebars to install spacers).

Any recommendations on what I should set the front compression damping clickers to? If you add preload, do you soften compression to go with it?

I do enjoy riding this thing primarily offroad, and do take it on very small jumps. I ride primarily in hard dirt/grass with the occasional soft loose dirt.

I will get proper stiffer springs probably next fall/winter, but wanted to do something in the meantime.

Thanks!

 

You can get away with preload spacers for a little more stiffness factor. Very little. Keep in mind, the KLX's are really under sprung from the get go, and if you want better off road suspension performance, IMHO, springs are the first thing you should budget for. Later on you can get into the valving set up when you save a little more coin.

You mentioned using an impact on your bike to remove the bars. That could mean several things. But, I would advise against using air impact wrenches on your motorcycle. My two cents.

 

If you add spring force, you require more damping to overcome it, so you increase compression to have the same feel. Just leave it as-is, with the spacer, and try it out.

 

And adding a spacer isn't "artificially" adding preload. It IS adding preload. Some factory bikes come with rolled steel tubing for added preload. My 550 had about a 1-1/2 to 2 inch spacer to preload. When I installed PS springs I think I added a 1" preload spacer to them.

The preloading may work for some lighter riders or riders who are a bit more casual off road riders, saving some money for them. Not at all a bad idea. Not everyone needs tricked out springs. Of course it does seem nearly all bikes from the Orient are sprung for 125 lb riders. Always has been that way.

 

Well, the original spacers I made weren't quite the right diameter, and it was difficult enough to get the regular cap and washer back on over the spring, even without the spacer! I don't know how you guys did it. I had problems threading the spring far enough down around the wrench keeping the nut in place.

I got the right PVC pipe and I'll do the mod next week.

However, this does lead me to another question/concern. Oil level!
In this situation where the forks are still in the triple clamps, and I'm using a lift to lift the front end (and pop springs out the top), how high up should the oil be?

I know that the normal oil change routine where you completely remove the forks from the triple clamps says around 100mm or ~4" from top. The oil looks a lot lower than that. However, I don't have the forks removed or disassembled at all, plus I only had one fork unscrewed at a time (so not sure how compressed they were with them both unscrewed together).

If I had both end caps unscrewed at same time, and springs removed, and front assembly lifted up, does that give you an accurate oil level reading without removing the forks from clamps?

 

I believe all oil level specifications are given at full compression (bottomed out) with no springs. Probably because it puts oil level closest to the top of the tube making it easier to measure since the distance is relatively short.

 

Awesome, I was thinking the same thing. I'm thinking my oil level would've looked a lot higher if I had unscrewed/unloaded both forks before lifting front assembly. The fully assembled fork would've prevented full compression.

 

I tried 1 inch pvc spacers & that didn't do much, then I fitted 2 inch spacers which was better with less front end diving & feeling firmer on fast roads but it did lift the front end up & I felt like I was riding on top the suspension, with a strange springiness at certain speeds & loads.

Best thing I did was buy a beefed up set of springs from MotoPro (the correct length) & they felt wonderful compared to the spacers. Well worth the 90 bucks.

 

Yeah, I may not mess with spacers after all since threading the cap back on was already a pain in the **** without one. Might just wait a bit and buy RaceTech fork springs off eBay or something ($100 rather than $120+).

 

Don't get me wrong, the spacers do work & make a big difference compared to the terribly weak stock springs without spacers. They are easy to fit btw, I had no problems screwing in the 2 inch spacers. Wouldn't hurt running spacers while waiting to get firmer aftermarket springs.

Below my pvc custom spacers!