If your spring rate is a little light, what is the effect of using preload to get the correct sag numbers vs. using the right springs? What handling characteristics would you see different. My sag numbers are about 8mm too much.
It raises and lowers the front end when you compress the spring or let it go, or thats what I read someplace. If your too soft your gonna bottom out like crazy. You can crank up your compression some to combat it, but that is only a temporary fix.
If you use up all the preload in the spring to get correct sag, the spring will top out. This will cause the bike to ride nose high, thus affecting turn in, mid corner, corner exits, etc etc. You want a spring that allows you the right amount of rider sag and free sag. I'd rather have a spring on the stiff side with more free sag than vice versa. At least in my experiences. Unlike what the previous guy said, your spring rate has less to do with bottoming as does your compression stack or oil level/viscosity.
Kris- You tring to tell me that if you put a rider that rides....lets say .90kg, on a set of .80kg.....he is not likely to bottom out?????????? You hit the brakes and it bottoms at anything over 50mph!
Yes, I'm trying to tell you that the spring rate has less to do with bottoming than the compression valving in the fork, what weight oil is used, oil level, etc. You could run that .80 with heavier oil, raised oil level, and a lot of compression and it wouldn't bottom out. You wouldn't want to ride a fork like that, but it wouldn't bottom out. It give vague feedback and be very harsh.
Thats odd, every suspension person ive dealt with has told me just the opposite. "If you don't have the proper spring(front or rear) your valving isn't going to work for crap." The way I understood it is, the springs hold everything up, the valving controls the speed of the movement...rebound on the way down, compression on the way up. I mean, yes if you springs are too soft you can crank the compression up to full stiff, but then you are riding on rocks...that will still compress and bottom out, just it will take longer. Where as with the proper spring rate, if its stiff enough you can ride a endo and that sucker won't bottom even with compression on full soft. Either way, if you won't get your bike set up for crap unless you have the proper spring rate and valving stacks, front and rear.
Sorry I even tried to help the guy, really. Just loan him all your sport rider mags and he'll figure it out for himself.
