Did I do it right?... probably not... Front fork oil and preload spacers... Hawk 250

chiefmeat68 · 08-11-2023, 09:59 AM

I finally got around to changing the front fork oil in my 2022 hawk with 4000+ miles on it.

I'm 6'4" and weigh about 250-270lbs so I wanted to add a little more preload.

I didn't measure... but my stock spacers were about 1.5"-1.75". With no weight on the front end (on a stand) the stock spacers fit in the shock tubes and I could start the threads of the shock caps without preloading the springs.

I found an aluminum paint pole in the garage that had the perfect diameter so I cut two more spacers about 1.25"-1.5" and added them in with the stock spacers. So I'm guessing the total length of the stacked spacers is 2.75" to 3.25". I'm bad at guesstimating so it could have even been closer to 4" for the two spacers. To get the spacers in it took a crap ton of force to push them down and get the shock cap threaded.

I'm beginning to second guess that I added too much spacer. Should it take that much force to get the shock caps on? When scouring through all the old posts on this topic I was seeing people with stock spacers of 0.6" to 1.3". Some would say to use 1.5" to 2" spacers but it was unclear if that was total or in addition to the stock spacer. It seems a little stiff but I haven't measured my sag or really had a chance to ride it.

On a side note the stock china oil that I drained out of them stunk terribly... like rancid fish oil. My kid was 'helping' me but left because he couldn't take the stench. It was thicker than I expected and seemed thicker than the 15w oil I replaced it with. Used 210ml/side. It was also black as death and stained my plastics, handlebar pad, and concrete. Weird stuff.

Bill Hilly · 08-11-2023, 10:27 AM

If the paint pole was real thin wall tubing, then 3/4 PVC pipes may be better. That is too much combined length of the spacers. I would say that around an inch more than stock would be a pretty good starting points. If you do use the homemade spacers on top of the stock ones be sure to use a washer between them.

bigdano711 · 08-11-2023, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Hilly

If the paint pole was real thin wall tubing, then 3/4 PVC pipes may be better. That is too much combined length of the spacers. I would say that around an inch more than stock would be a pretty good starting points. If you do use the homemade spacers on top of the stock ones be sure to use a washer between them.

This will be me very soon. If I were you, chief, I'd cut one spacer per side the total length as opposed to stacking them. And my plan was to use PVC pipe.

Bill Hilly · 08-11-2023, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdano711

This will be me very soon. If I were you, chief, I'd cut one spacer per side the total length as opposed to stacking them. And my plan was to use PVC pipe.

I did completely remove, and replace the stock ones on my Hawk with PVC, because the stock ones were only about 5/8" thick, but on my TBR7, I used PVC spacers on top of the stock spacers, because they were about 6" long. I separated them with a flat washer of the proper diameter.

Megadan · 08-11-2023, 02:56 PM

I have roughly 2 inches of total preload on my Hawk, and yes it can be a bit of a struggle to get that cap started. Made more difficult by the fine threads.

The point of preload is to set rider sag. How much you need will be based on the total available suspension travel. The general rule of thumb is 1 in 3 (1 inch sag for 3 inches of travel). For off road bikes some will got 1.25 in 3. So, for 6 inches of travel, your total sag with your weight and the bikes weight fully on the suspension, on level ground, should be around 2 to 2.5 inches from full extension.

For the standard Hawk I aim for about 2.5 to 3 inches of sag since fhe front suspension has right around 7 inches of travel.

chiefmeat68 · 09-18-2023, 02:24 PM

Just a quick followup on this one...

I've had a chance to ride with the extra spacers/preload for a few hundred miles...

It's definitely too stiff... as all of you mentioned... but way better than it was. The front end doesn't dive so hard when braking like it did before. That has taken a lot of work away from my arms and shoulders making it much more pleasant to ride. Especially when I have a passenger.

I can also feel the torsion more and now understand why a fork brace might be nice/needed going forward.

The sag is just shy of two inches so next time I change the fork oil I will shorten the spacers to hit the 2.5 to 3 inches of sag.

08-11-2023, 09:59 AM	#1
chiefmeat68 Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Eastern WA Posts: 20	Did I do it right?... probably not... Front fork oil and preload spacers... Hawk 250 I finally got around to changing the front fork oil in my 2022 hawk with 4000+ miles on it. I'm 6'4" and weigh about 250-270lbs so I wanted to add a little more preload. I didn't measure... but my stock spacers were about 1.5"-1.75". With no weight on the front end (on a stand) the stock spacers fit in the shock tubes and I could start the threads of the shock caps without preloading the springs. I found an aluminum paint pole in the garage that had the perfect diameter so I cut two more spacers about 1.25"-1.5" and added them in with the stock spacers. So I'm guessing the total length of the stacked spacers is 2.75" to 3.25". I'm bad at guesstimating so it could have even been closer to 4" for the two spacers. To get the spacers in it took a crap ton of force to push them down and get the shock cap threaded. I'm beginning to second guess that I added too much spacer. Should it take that much force to get the shock caps on? When scouring through all the old posts on this topic I was seeing people with stock spacers of 0.6" to 1.3". Some would say to use 1.5" to 2" spacers but it was unclear if that was total or in addition to the stock spacer. It seems a little stiff but I haven't measured my sag or really had a chance to ride it. On a side note the stock china oil that I drained out of them stunk terribly... like rancid fish oil. My kid was 'helping' me but left because he couldn't take the stench. It was thicker than I expected and seemed thicker than the 15w oil I replaced it with. Used 210ml/side. It was also black as death and stained my plastics, handlebar pad, and concrete. Weird stuff.
	0

08-11-2023, 02:56 PM	#5
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,034	I have roughly 2 inches of total preload on my Hawk, and yes it can be a bit of a struggle to get that cap started. Made more difficult by the fine threads. The point of preload is to set rider sag. How much you need will be based on the total available suspension travel. The general rule of thumb is 1 in 3 (1 inch sag for 3 inches of travel). For off road bikes some will got 1.25 in 3. So, for 6 inches of travel, your total sag with your weight and the bikes weight fully on the suspension, on level ground, should be around 2 to 2.5 inches from full extension. For the standard Hawk I aim for about 2.5 to 3 inches of sag since fhe front suspension has right around 7 inches of travel. __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	2

08-11-2023, 10:27 AM	#2
Bill Hilly Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 948	If the paint pole was real thin wall tubing, then 3/4 PVC pipes may be better. That is too much combined length of the spacers. I would say that around an inch more than stock would be a pretty good starting points. If you do use the homemade spacers on top of the stock ones be sure to use a washer between them.
	1

09-18-2023, 02:24 PM	#6
chiefmeat68 Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Eastern WA Posts: 20	Just a quick followup on this one... I've had a chance to ride with the extra spacers/preload for a few hundred miles... It's definitely too stiff... as all of you mentioned... but way better than it was. The front end doesn't dive so hard when braking like it did before. That has taken a lot of work away from my arms and shoulders making it much more pleasant to ride. Especially when I have a passenger. I can also feel the torsion more and now understand why a fork brace might be nice/needed going forward. The sag is just shy of two inches so next time I change the fork oil I will shorten the spacers to hit the 2.5 to 3 inches of sag.
	2