New (to Me) 2000 Kawasaki W650

[folmonty]

Weather was starting to turn good so put the Wubya project up front. After 11 years, only one battery and virtually nothing else the pilot jets were boogered up. So decided to ace the air suction system, change jetting slightly, and ace the California Air Resources Board charcoal can. The can is actually tied to the air suck system so makes sense to do both. Also drilled out the air screw cap. After doing the same to our ZRX and KLR the project is much the same. For those wanting to give the Wubya a quick easy jetting fix no need to pay $75 to Dyno-Jet or others. Just buy 4 M4 stainless flat washers and insert under the stock needle. Works like a charm emulating a change of one clip notch down on an adjustable needle. This is for a stock air box and pipe. Anyway, the updates went off without a hitch. For those who haven't seen a W air box out of the bike it's quite a unique design.



Here's source of the trouble. Rough running, slow warm-up and mucho hesitation = pilot jet troubles



Also installed a Super Brace on the forks -



Look at this pile of crap we're fortunate enough to pay extra from here in Kalifornia. And the air box snorkel isn't even in the mix -

Anyway, she runs better than new with the jetting change and EPA crap removed. Highly recommended!

[The Jerk]

Picked up my W from winter storage today!

Been sitting for 3 months (indoors) without a tender, carbs weren't drained prior to storage, no fuel stabilizer. Fired right up and ran as smooth as ever. Love this bike! Been missing riding it. This might be the season to breathe on the suspension a little bit.

[folmonty]

Originally Posted by The Jerk

Picked up my W from winter storage today!

Been sitting for 3 months (indoors) without a tender, carbs weren't drained prior to storage, no fuel stabilizer. Fired right up and ran as smooth as ever. Love this bike! Been missing riding it. This might be the season to breathe on the suspension a little bit.

Nice timing Jerk. That's exactly what I'm shopping for right now. Thinking of Hagon or Progressive front & rear. What's your thoughts on either of those? Don't think I'm going to do anything more than that + fork oil. How bout you?

[Speedo66]

Yesterday took mine out for the first time this season.

Didn't take long to remember how much I like this bike.

The love affair continues!

[hockeygoon]

Originally Posted by folmonty

Nice timing Jerk. That's exactly what I'm shopping for right now. Thinking of Hagon or Progressive front & rear. What's your thoughts on either of those? Don't think I'm going to do anything more than that + fork oil. How bout you?

I have Progressive 412 shocks on the rear, and progressive rate springs on the front with Race Tech gold emulators installed by Evolution Suspension (in San Jose CA). Is a really different bike from stock, much more stable. Handled some of the goat trails up in the Santa Cruz Mtns with aplomb afterwards. Never tried the Hagons, lots of W650 people seem to like them though.

[The Jerk]

I'm looking at Hagons for the rear and RaceTech emulators for the front but I still need to do more research on straight springs vs. progressives for the front. I think RaceTech actually recommends straight-wound springs on the front (if I recall my reading from last year right). I'm gonna have to start looking into it again. What do the W650 thread suspension experts think?

[folmonty]

Originally Posted by The Jerk

I'm looking at Hagons for the rear and RaceTech emulators for the front but I still need to do more research on straight springs vs. progressives for the front. I think RaceTech actually recommends straight-wound springs on the front (if I recall my reading from last year right). I'm gonna have to start looking into it again. What do the W650 thread suspension experts think?

No real definitive answer on that one. Was wondering the same as it's something I ran into with another application on the RT valves. What I have found is that the Progressive springs are longer, and use a cut down spacer where the Hagon's are same length and use the stock spacer. This doesn't answer your question. Think I'll call RT tomorrow and see if I can get clarification. On this low tech front end wonder if we'd even be able to discern any difference? Worth a phone call or email at least.

Today I bought the RT valves. Committed to at least those and rear shocks. Hagon has a good rep among the W crowd on yahoo groups. That's the best bunch I've found. There are two groups. One active and one has been in hibernation for a while. Basically the same folks. As everyone knows there are only so many Wubya's out there anyway.

Spring is around the corner and everyone starting to "get the itch!"

[folmonty]

Originally Posted by hockeygoon

I have Progressive 412 shocks on the rear, and progressive rate springs on the front with Race Tech gold emulators installed by Evolution Suspension (in San Jose CA). Is a really different bike from stock, much more stable. Handled some of the goat trails up in the Santa Cruz Mtns with aplomb afterwards. Never tried the Hagons, lots of W650 people seem to like them though.

Did Evolution Suspension say if they cut the spacer to 2" or anything specific on how they set it up? If anyone would know, have to be you hockeygoon. Roads in your hood are good as it gets and then some. Riding a Wubya instead of a nasty dual sport says something about the bike and you too! Must be sloppy up there right about now?

[ORexpat]

Haven't tried Progressives . . . . think there must be a little dive with the soft initial response . .

Race Tech rocks, IMHO. Springs and emulators. Kit contains enough tubing to make new spacers--simple hacksaw work. Even a dork like me can do it . .

Made a huge difference in the front--even more so with a superbrace.

Hagons helped in the rear, but I think Dave at Hagon's USA talked me into a little too much spring. Ride's a touch brutal--but certainly not slushy like 10 year old stock shocks . . .

[hockeygoon]

Originally Posted by folmonty

Did Evolution Suspension say if they cut the spacer to 2" or anything specific on how they set it up? If anyone would know, have to be you hockeygoon. Roads in your hood are good as it gets and then some. Riding a Wubya instead of a nasty dual sport says something about the bike and you too! Must be sloppy up there right about now?

I don't recall to be honest. I had it done about 5 years ago now.

[The Jerk]

Race Tech, on the FAQ section of their web site, have this to say about progressive springs in forks:
-----------

Q: I have heard of progressive springs and this concept makes sense to me. Why does Race Tech recommend Straight Rate Springs for forks?

A: When setting up the spring forces in a bike you want a setup that is progressive enough yet not too progressive. A setup that is not progressive enough will have a tendency to feel too harsh yet when a big hit is encountered bottoming occurs. A setup that is too progressive will either drop through the travel feeling mushy and then feel as though it hits a wall or can feel good until it hits that wall. On front forks there are two forces we consider to be "spring" forces. First is the coil (mechanical) spring and second is the force due to air pressure and oil level. Even if you run zero air pressure the oil level causes the pressure to increase as the forks are compressed. By its very nature this increase in pressure is very progressive. We have found that in combination with a straight wound spring we have a good level of progressiveness. If we want more progressiveness we simply raise the oil level.

Another subtle benefit of straight wound springs is that they are easy to understand. In order to make sense of progressively wound springs you really have to map out the force as you compress the spring. For example a spring marked 20/40 lb/in (excuse me for the Imperial units but this will work with metric units as well) may start out at 20 lbs/in in the first inch but where does the 40 refer to? It might be referring to the rate in the 4th inch or it could be referring to the rate in the 6th inch. This would cause a huge difference in ride.
-----------

Any thoughts on this line of reasoning? It kinda makes sense to me but then I'm no suspension expert.

[ORexpat]

Ain't now engineer. But RT works for me.

Besides, the Dubya's along way from a high strung race bike. But any improvement in the handling is welcome. I won't--and I suspect most of us won't--press the bike enough to notice subtle differences.

[hockeygoon]

Huh, you know, I thought I had progressive rate springs up front, but my suspension guy did all the ordering (I just picked out the purty rear shocks), so it might just have been springs rated for my body weight, but straight rate ones. I likely lost the paperwork when I moved back east, but maybe I can poke around and find it to know for sure.

I'm no suspension expert either. I'd guess those Race Tech guys know what they are doing.

[The Jerk]

Hmm I think I'll call up Race Tech to consult. I'm definitely thinking gold valve emulators and RT fork springs. They have a nice online spring rate calculator but I'd like to double-check it with them.

In other news, I did get in contact with Dave Quinn Cycles for the Hagon rear shock upgrade. Based on all my info they recommended the stock spring rate (110 lbs/in if I recall correctly). The Hagons use progressive springs. They noted that if I didn't like the spring rate after test riding, they'd swap springs out for free, so ORex maybe you outta call 'em up if you think yours are too stiff. Maggie at Quinn's took my order this morning and told me I'll have the shocks tomorrow(!)

I also ordered a SuperBrace. Seems like a simple way to achieve a good benefit.

[Speedo66]

Originally Posted by The Jerk

Hmm I think I'll call up Race Tech to consult. I'm definitely thinking gold valve emulators and RT fork springs. They have a nice online spring rate calculator but I'd like to double-check it with them.

In other news, I did get in contact with Dave Quinn Cycles for the Hagon rear shock upgrade. Based on all my info they recommended the stock spring rate (110 lbs/in if I recall correctly). The Hagons use progressive springs. They noted that if I didn't like the spring rate after test riding, they'd swap springs out for free, so ORex maybe you outta call 'em up if you think yours are too stiff. Maggie at Quinn's took my order this morning and told me I'll have the shocks tomorrow(!)

I also ordered a SuperBrace. Seems like a simple way to achieve a good benefit.

Did you go with the "road" shocks or "custom" shocks, and what was the difference?