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Best front and rear Suspension upgrades


squintyeyes

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Hello, New to the forum and motorcycle riding. This is my very first bike and im a complete motorcycle newbie. i understand other people have asked but searching thru all the posts and forums i don't really find anything explaining the essentials suspension upgrades and the best for those options. I'm sorry if this is adding to the clutter, but i felt better to ask the professionals then just go head first. 
 
 
[span]My question is what are the essential suspension upgrades needed from stock and what are the best options for those upgrades if money were not a factor? It would also be awesome if the options included a red rear spring because i have a red/white/black theme going on with my bike. I am also a heavier rider at 250lbs and plan on lowering with a lowering link in the future if that affects anything. Riding in what i believe is pothole heavy streets of Colorado.  
 
 
I already have all the other little upgrades done and a yoshi exhaust and ejk on the way. Figure i get started researching the final upgrades. 
 
 
I really appreciate any help you other fz-07 owners can provide.- Steven [/span]

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Probably the best current setup would be to send your forks into Traxxion, who would gut them and install the AK-20 cartridge kit.
 

I am continuing our 25% off sale for one more week. Sale ends 11/7 
The AK20s will upgrade your stock damper rod front end to a super high quality cartridge fork with full adjustability, preload, rebound and compression damping. You will notice greatly reduced brake dive, better handling, more feel, and much improved bump absorption.
 
 
 
Because we are going from damper rod to a cartridge, in house installation is recommended (send your forks in)
 
 
The kits are normally $1299.95, we will do the first five sets at 25% off, with free installation (normally $225).
 
 
 
Our damper rod kits include RaceTech Emulators, springs matched to your weight, preload spacers cut to the right length, and our new damper rods engineered to work with the emulators setup. This means no cutting, no braising holes closed on the damper rod, no drilling holes in the damper rod, no going back in your forks 5 times until you get it right, no buying new damper rods because you screwed the stock ones up trying to drill them, etc. A true drop in kit. We even set the Emulators for you. Retail is $350, 25% off.
 
 
email me at Dan@traxxion.com unfortunately, I can't keep up with PM's.
 
 
 
Read more: http://fz07.org/thread/658/ak20-damper-rod-group-forks?page=1#ixzz3He64DMuf
 

Everything went braap.

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We will be selling custom made Elka rear shocks here soon, they are designing one now.
 
You can also get ahold of our supporting Vendor, Traxxion dynamics, and they do awesome work. they have posted a 10% off code in their Vendor section on these forums.
 
FYI, their fork damper kit is so worth the money. Much better than just dropping new springs in the stock forks,

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For the rear shock, you might decide to wait for a little while. Products are still in development.
 
If not, Traxxion would still probably be the best to consult. They installed a full setup for @fzrdr, he details it below.
 
http://fz07.org/thread/1416/pics-fork-removal

Everything went braap.

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Thanks so much for the reply guys, So it seems the best path is to send the front forks in to Traxxion for the ak-20 kit and for the rear is to wait for more option currently being developed? 

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You'll have more options, but penske does currently have some high end offerings.

Everything went braap.

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To the OP, I'm still very impressed with the Traxxion set up.  
 
I've got the AK-20 up front installed in forks, sent them in directly to TRAXXION Suspensions and the penske 8983 fully adjustable shock in the rear also purchased from them.  And I'm right at 185 lbs in riding gear and the difference in the way the bike handles now is night and day!  Hobbs tagged my write up above, and the other write up is also in suspension thread, " an honest review of the AK-20 and Penske Shock"
 
Good luck, let us know what you do and what results you have.........
 
 

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Dude, if you're new to riding, why are you doing suspension upgrades? Do you feel the stock suspension is inadequate? Of course you can spend the $$ without a clue of what you're doing and why, but that makes little sense.

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I plan on upgrading my suspension, but I plan on waiting until I feel the stock setup is inadequate. I am thinking it will be a year or two.  I would not be surprised to find out I will wish I had done it sooner, but that is the current plan. 

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No problem with that. I am nowhere near what the stock suspension is capable of yet. I am enjoying slowly pushing my limits as I get closer to the bikes limits.

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Ok thanks for replies guys, i really appreciate the help. I am new to riding but i already feel the suspension having problems with the bumpy pothole filled Colorado streets, but with all your suggestions i think i might hold off and see what else comes out of development. For now im happy with the smile the yoshimura puts on my face :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

You don't have to be a newbie NOT to pursue suspension upgrades. Sure, you don't yet realize just how bad the OEM suspension is because you're not pushing it, nor do you have a reference of "better". But I'm sure anyone here with a decent amount of experience under their belt will heartily agree that stock is woeful to put it nicely. If you're over 160lbs the deficiencies become that much more pronounced.
 
In order of MUST do:
1 fork springs for your weight
2 competent rear shock and spring for your weight
3 fork damping improvements
AK-20 $1000+
3rd-party cartridge (90% as good as AK) $400-800 nee GP Suspension and others
Gold Valve Emulator ~$250 (IMO don't waste money and time, just go cartridge. GVE aren't even close)
...
9 bodywork and farkles
...
99 exhaust and jetting/FI
 

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