For all the tightwads, cheapskates and poorboys...

[movenon]

George,
I probably could have gotten away with the 900 lb/in OEM  spring if I was going to be the only one on the bike, but when my teenage son got on the back, I knew there was no way that one was going to work. I'm working on a secondary chassis brace to carry some of the twisting forces acting on the upper shock mount, I haven't started on it yet but it should be fairly simple to implement.
Joe

Thanks for the info Joe.  Do you think that twisting forces are going to cause a problem?  I gather it has been seen but I wonder if the bikes were severely mistreated.  Stock FJ springs go as high as about 1200 Lbs from what I have been able to find out.  I checked my upper mount carefully for corrosion, cracks etc and found no problem.  That said there has been at least 3 frame related cracking issues on the forum in the last year (probably more).  With aging bikes I guess it is an area of additional periodic inspection. 
Let us know what you come up with. Keep up the good work.
George

[Country Joe]

Just got through with a group ride last Saturday, I met a group of Yamaha  FZ 1 riders at the Hub in Marble Falls, AR.  I put about 400 miles under the tires by the end of the day. The ride leader was a local guy that lives in Marble  Falls, he and his significant other was on a VFR 1200. The others in our group were on 2 first gen FZ1s and a Kawasaki Versys.  I was pretty amused at their amazement at the antique Yamaha keeping up with the rest of the group. The Versys was the only bike that  I had a horsepower advantage over, but that little bike was a terror in the tight stuff. Light weight and gobs of clearance made it very hard for me to keep him in sight.

I just wanted to update my observations on the Goldwing shock. It just never gave me any reason to give it a second thought, whether we were on Hwy.123, running the switchbacks, Hwy. 215 smoking through the sweepers or slabbing it home on I-40. I know some suspension guru (I think it  :cray:was either Paul Theide with RaceTech or Max McAlaister with Traxxion Dynamics) said "The best you have riden is the best that you know" Of that I have no doubt. But  I am quite satisfied with the results that I am getting out of this swap.  I am truly anxious to meet everyone that makes the trip to Arkansas in July, and  I am willing to have others ride the Bruise to give me a critique of how  well it actually works.

Joe

[movenon]

Thanks for the update. What are you running for forks ?
George

[Country Joe]

Thanks for the update. What are you running for forks ?
George,
The forks are all stock internally, new bushings and seals, 5 mm higher oil level than the manual calls for, using Dextron II ATF, 2 fender washers on top of the preload spacers, preload  adjuster on the middle setting, damper adjuster on the middle setting.

Joe