2013 bonneville suspension advice

[kev93]

Hello everyone. I am buying a 2013 bonneville with mag wheels. On the rear I am running hagon shocks but I need advice on front suspension. My dealer suggest emulators over progressive springs. Any suggestions?? Thanks

 

[2Monkeys]

Hello everyone. I am buying a 2013 bonneville with mag wheels. On the rear I am running hagon shocks but I need advice on front suspension. My dealer suggest emulators over progressive springs. Any suggestions?? Thanks

Hey welcome to the forum! Good question, there are lots of threads to read thru with suspension info so I would start there, but I know lots of guys like the Ricor Intiminators... I am running thruxton length progressive springs with the thruxton preload caps on my bonnie and love them.

Throw up some picts here when you get your bike! We love picts here Cheers!

 

[Baltobonneville]

Progressive springs will reduce the brake dive at the cost of a stiffer ride. Intiminators work as advertised, many of us like them. I have Intiminators with the stock springs as recommended, removed the progressive springs I originally tried.

Beyond that, it's more expensive and more serious work, but the people that have done it (not me) feel that it's worth the effort.

 

[KingOfFleece]

If you want it done right and can't do it call Jim Hamlin at Twisted Throttle.
One of the best and most knowledgeable Triumph guys you'll ever run into.

FITW-RaceTech gold valve kit will be much much superior to Progressive springs. Yea, I know-bold statement to some. The Triumph factory set-up can never be made to work 10% as well as a proper install of the GoldValve kit. The internals are not there and anything to mod them without the changes the kit does is just lipstick on a pig.

Your dealer told you correct.

 

[tooblekain]

You got a good dealer there.

He speaks truth.

I run Gold Valve Emulators on my Ninja 250 race bike and it's a world of difference. It will require you to disassemble your forks and actually use a drill press to put more and bigger holes in the damper rod. So if you do not have the right tools and don't know how to disassemble and reassemble forks, have a shop do it.

Other than emulators, you can go about doing the Honda CBR 600F3 fork upper and internals. That way you have a cartridge kit. I have done the HondaCBR 600 F3 mod and absolutely love it...much more adjustability. I didn't like Racetech's recommendation of 5W weight oil for the F3 forks. I went with 10W fork oil and I believe a 140mm air gap and it suits me.

 

[drlapo]

Race Tech emulators are super easy to install
just take the fork apart, drill out the damper rod holes and drop in the emulators
you will need an impact gun to get the damper rod bolts out
and a broomstick handle to hold the rods so they don't turn

 

[rodhotter]

depending on $$$ bitubo makes a drop in cartridge unit which other devices are trying to copy, i have their WME shocks which are a DeCarbon style at a fair price, they are excellent. you do not show where you live so you limit suggestions at times, my triumph dealer Hermys in PA is affiliated with Herdan.com a bitubo dealer, there are a few in the USA

 

[ratlab]

racetech emulators are a good fix for the front end.i also used them on my 250 racebike and about 3 or 4 other bikes i have owned.i think it's the best you could do next to the honda conversion and bitubos. i am looking to do the bitubo drop-ins in the future.

 

[gunnersugden]

I have both the Honda stanchions and the Ricor Intimidators........both are an excellent value for money purchase.

Rob

 

[Blkbny]

I drained out half of the 10w OEM fork oil and topped it up with 5w for an average of 7.5w., left the airgap at the larger end of recommended. Handles very well and my trapezoids don't bother me anymore after a long ride.

 

[squidsix]

I hated the nosedive under braking and the smooshy feel of the front.
I added 5ml of 15w oil to each fork tube. Completely sorted it.

 

[beemerrich]

@Blkbny - I'm pretty sure you meant your trapezius muscles...

===================

Did progressive springs on my thruxton. Helped some, but still pretty brutal on Michigan's not-so-perfect roads.

Upgraded to Traxxion emulators & the fork wasn't tuneable until I fitted single rate springs....vast improvement; no dive and much less chatter. Worlds better than stock or progressive springs only.

Now I have F3 forks....again, the progressive springs that were stock in the F3 forks had to go and single rate springs set to my weight fitted in order to properly set up the fork for initial sag. Very compliant/confidence inspriring now, but in retrospect its hard to say if the improved rubber on the F3 wheels was responsible for most of this...probably about 50/50. I can say that it certainly was an improvement over the dampner rod fork w/ emulators since I ran the F3 forks w/ mag bonnie wheels for a few months and noticed an improvement...

YMMV,

--Rich

 

[Kingpin]

progressive front & rear

I have progressive shocks on the rear and springs in the front with 15wt oil. Handles and rides much better than stock. A little on the firm side but not jarring at all. 2010 Bonneville.

 

[Blkbny]

@beemerich - checked my Grays, you're correct trapezius.

Wondering, what were the single rate springs that you used, and did you still use the OEM spacer or did they occupy the entire fork cavity?

And by the way, I'm pretty sure you meant your damper rod

 

[beemerrich]

The single rate springs for the honda forks were to length, with all the preload I needed set at the fork cap. On the thruxton, I used some short spacers. Both springs were supplied by traxxion dynamics. They recommended either a 0.85 kg/cm or 0.90 Kg/cm spring rate for my 170 lbs body weight - depending on how I use the machine. I'm running the 0.85 kg/cm spring rate since I do 99% of my time on the street and rarely track my bike...

Next thing you know, you'll be telling me I spell 'colour' wrong.

Cheers,

--Rich