GP suspension/penske upgrade

well one of my front forks is leaking and i decided to buy new valve kit,springs and upgrade the forks,also ordered a penske 8983 rear shock. Should be done in a couple of weeks.

Can't think of a better excuse reason to upgrade the suspenders...you're going to love it!

--G

Interested in knowing how it went... I am thinking of upgrading my suspension too with new fork springs by traxxion dynamics and the penske sport shock (8900). No new valves in the forks at this point...

Luis

any aftermarket suspension upgrade will be FAR better than stock...

Read in a periodical, "the only thing better than after market (just thrown at a scooter) is well sorted OEM. I played with OEM and had good results. The FJ comes with a decent suspension package. Then, went to after market with the intent of spending the time to dial it in. It takes time to get the best out of it. Why spend the $ for adjust-ability if your not going to use it?

gumba said:

Read in a periodical, "the only thing better than after market (just thrown at a scooter) is well sorted OEM. I played with OEM and had good results. The FJ comes with a decent suspension package. Then, went to after market with the intent of spending the time to dial it in. It takes time to get the best out of it. Why spend the $ for adjust-ability if your not going to use it?

Click to expand...

I would cancel your subscription to that rag that you are reading. I would agree that an aftermarket suspension that is not properly matched is no better and maybe worse than stock. However, the FJR in stock form is undersprung in the rear and lacks proper valving in the forks. With a decent shock package and a properly dialed in valving & Spring package up front the FJR transforms from a wallowing pig in the twisties to a sweet carving machine that tracks like it is on rails.

The stock FJR suspension package properly dialed in for an average sized person is passable but you can do much better. If the magazine you are reading is talking about some of the current sportbikes on the market then it is a different story. Most of the current crop of the full-on sportbikes come from the factory with good suspension components and it is just a matter of adjustment to match the rider. You still may have to change out springs to get the sag set correctly but you will be much closer to the correct settings than in the past.

When I did the GP Suspension upgrade, I just gave them the info about our riding weight, type of riding, etc. I put the forks and rear shock on and haven't touched it for a year and half. I don't think it could be tuned much better for me. It is much firmer, doesn't wallow in sweepers and is much more predictable. A good investment for sure.

Just adding the RaceTech Gold Valves and springs in my forks and a new rear shock made a lot of difference on my bike. I really thought some of the claims were BS until I rode it after the change. It just seems to soak up the bumps better without being so harsh. The new front reduced the front end dive under hard braking, and the bike just handles better. I really like it.

Just replaced a Penske with a spare I had on the bench. The first one puked a 33060 mi. Purchased from the same vendor - set-up by the same dude, and they were in a completely different tune. Had to modify each adjustment. Questioned the set-up dude and he said it had to do with machining. Don't get me wrong. I like the Penske, vendor, and set-up dude.

One other point. I picked up a pointer in the Penske tec. manual that changed my whole approach. When you suspect a correction is needed - go 4 clicks in a direction and come back 1 click at a time to fine tune.

I also have a slightly weepy fork seal, on top of both front and back suspension that feels like crap after 58k miles. Just made arrangements at the local shop, MRP, a Race Tech dealer, to get gold valves , .9 springs, bushings and seals, plus a Penske 8983. Going to do a ride in on Presidents Day. They were at the bike show and had a deal on the valves and springs - $50 off, plusss they gave me a break on some of he labor.

Looking forwardd to finding shangri-la I've heard so much about. For the money, I'd better.

juniorfjr said:

When I did the GP Suspension upgrade, I just gave them the info about our riding weight, type of riding, etc. I put the forks and rear shock on and haven't touched it for a year and half. I don't think it could be tuned much better for me. It is much firmer, doesn't wallow in sweepers and is much more predictable. A good investment for sure.

Click to expand...

Exactly!

I asked him if we needed to set it up before I left the garage and he chuckled and said he set it up while building it. ...and he nailed it the first time. Quality product, quality install backed up with expert knowledge = awesomeness! An entirely different league compared to the stock suspension.

Has anybody noticed pitting on their chrome fork tubes?

I believe the fork tubes are stainless steel, should not be any rust pitting. There may be pit marks from debris hitting the fork tube.

I wouldn't swear to it but I'm pretty sure the tubes are chrome plated steel. Everything I have worked in the past has been that way and once they get pitted it's like razor blades on the seals. Usually a quick check with a magnet will givw you an answer if it is good stainless. Some has enough ferous material that a magnet will stick to it.

Here is a trick that works. Take a piece of 600 grit emerycloth an inch wide and just enough material to wrap around the fork. Then use a towel wrapped 1 and 1half times around the emery cloth and pull on both ends of the towel to get the emery cloth rotating. This will polish the tube.

ULEWZ said:

Here is a trick that works. Take a piece of 600 grit emerycloth an inch wide and just enough material to wrap around the fork. Then use a towel wrapped 1 and 1half times around the emery cloth and pull on both ends of the towel to get the emery cloth rotating. This will polish the tube.

Click to expand...

I put the tubes in my lathe and polish them but nothing will replace the chrome that is missing from pitting. <_<

AuburnFJR said:

I believe the fork tubes are stainless steel, should not be any rust pitting. There may be pit marks from debris hitting the fork tube.

Click to expand...

No stainless in the forks, its chrome over mild steel.

I had GP rebuild and upgrade the forks and build a Penske shock for my FJR. They asked my weight and riding habits and level of performance. After the install, the suspension was a little too harsh for my liking. A few clicks off the compression dampening and a turn or two off the preload and it's right where I want it. No more wallowing in the corners and the front end feels much more planted. :yahoo:

Well the FJR has just finished her suspension upgrade (full front forks-new everything including the fork tubes,valves,and springs) also added the penske rear shock. I have not done any adjustments yet but will tell you the bike is a new ANIMAL! The rear did seem to go up a bit maybe 1/2 inch. Thanks to the GP group and for still giving the FJR discount-great people to work with and an easy removal/re-install for a DIY job.