Fork drop after 70 profile tyre, hagon springs

Got round to changing out the awful "baracuda" plastic tyres yesterday and fitted a new set of 090's 110/70 140/70..

Whilst I was at it I also dropped a set of Hagon springs in for good measure, and the first ride was errrrr shite if im honest

The bike now sits higher at the front due I guess to the longer fork springs as the standard spring is shorter and has a spacer (no spacer used with Hagons)..

What is the general concensus regarding fork height in the yokes after said changes??.. My gut is saying drop 10mm.

Oh for reference Hagon state using 7.5w oil in the cb500 forks but honestly I went with 10w and even that is still allowing a bit of "pogo" so I may switch out again for 15w, also Castrol 10w is like nats pi$$ compared to the 10w Motul I normally use and will probably go back to Motul ASAP ...

Tar

reference update..

I have just pulled the forks through 8mm and been for a ride MUCH better, the bike now turns as it should. The 10w fork oil is adequate and I will stick with it until the warmer weather comes and speeds can increase.

So basic setup for a set of forks with Hagon springs and 090 tyres would be, 10w oil as a base start not the 7.5w as im sure it would be to soft then pull forks through 8mm and job is a goodun..

Next up rear shocks...

trinituner wrote:reference update..

I have just pulled the forks through 8mm and been for a ride MUCH better ...

I wander if this is because of the 090s or the hagons... or both?

I haven't got a set of hagons, so I can't comment on them, but I do know that the tyre profile can severely effect how easily the bike turns in - pulling the forks through the yokes should make it turn in easier - people have done this with the standard setup and got an improvement.

Hi,
Combining the sport/race 090's and stiff suspension is going to make a
fair old difference to the handling, it'll work well or not depending on
the roads you ride. Tyre profile is a key thing, as said. Pressures on the 090's are important too, 30/38 iirc.

I've had 090's on, 4 sets so far. They do make the bike turn in much faster but easily adapted too. Road tyres feel a bit heavy afterwards. Downside is that the 090's aren't great in the cold or the wet, I don't reckon they get warm enough. They go from good to unstable quite fast as the middle wears to a squared off look before the edges go.

I've hagon front springs fitted and use their 7.5w oil. I find the set up fine for normal/fast riding. Your front end must have very little travel and a very hard ride?

I did have hagon rear shocks on and initially they are hard. They have only 3 adjustments too. I set mine on middle setting and it put more of my weight on the bars (renthals), worked fine so left the forks alone.

NB Do check that you've put the springs in the correct way round (really), its the opposite to Honda springs, tight wound at the top iirc.

atb

m1

I would say the biggest difference was due to the springs, the old plastic tyres where the same profile I.E 70 but in a third world commuter sense..

Ive used the 090 tyre for about 10 years as I have a hankering for sports 400's and imo are about as good as you will get for a lightweight sportsbike, they didn't quite offer the outright grip level that the Dunlop Alpha 10 did (RIP) but there was more feedback..

Hagons where installed as per instruction with coil at the top, before pulling the forks through there was quite a bit of "dive" under braking and the forks where far from stiff or atleast in the sense that im use to aka sportsbike stiff, that was with the 10w oil and I dont weigh that much (mr average)..

I think by pulling the fork through it has weighted the forks a bit more taking up a tiny bit of load and thus causing the front end to behave better. When the new springs where installed the front end was higher by a noticeable amount, the 8mm drop has drought everything back inline as per feel goes..

Once the tyres are worn in and the monsoon has dried up I will be able to get out and play a bit plus I have a summer of trackdays lined up for the CB as im getting back to basics, the carbon gear wankers that turn up to brands for there first trackday with a full tenkate blade and race truck was making it far to serious.. Hopefully the little CB will be a giggle machine???