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Need Help Fork upgrade

Wedders

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I have searched the forum for answers but only get mixed messages. So I thought I would ask directly, in your opinion what is the best fork upgrade on a budget. I am a pretty competent amateur mechanic so looking to do the job myself. I have trawled the interweb and come up with a couple of options.
1. progressive springs and new oil
2. A fork upgrade kit
3. New cartridges.
4. New compatible forks
I am leaning towards a fork upgrade kit but which one?
I am on a budget as I’ve already spent thousand on my Ducati, and don’t want to do it again that’s got Ohlins.
BTW it’s a NC750X DCT 2016
Any help greatly received.
 
1) The stock Honda fork springs are already progressive spings. I’ve seen advertisement for “upgrading” to progressive spings, but that makes no sense since the spring are already a progressive rate. Changing springs alone isn’t going to help the forks much, unless you need a spring rate change because your weight is outside the average range Honda builds the bike for.

The most popular fork upgrades seen on the forum seem to be Racetech Gold Valve Emulators, or the Cogent fork upgrade. Both attempt to accomplish about the same thing, but go about it in a slightly different way.
 
Cogent also offers a combination of their DDC valves plus a new set of non-progressive springs, which they claim perform better that the stock progressive springs. They will supply based on your weight. Another additional option with the Cogent upgrade is to install CB900 fork caps with preload adjustment. You can pick them up on Amazon and eBay for cheap.
 
I have been researching all day and I have come to the conclusion that Race Tech gold emulators seem to be the best but not the cheapest. My suspension guy says he can supply me with all the bits, emulators, springs oil etc for £330 all in. What does the forum think. I have decided to do it myself for the experience.
 
I have been researching all day and I have come to the conclusion that Race Tech gold emulators seem to be the best but not the cheapest. My suspension guy says he can supply me with all the bits, emulators, springs oil etc for £330 all in. What does the forum think. I have decided to do it myself for the experience.
Racetech likes to sell their single rate springs. It depends on your riding style and road surface quality. I found their lightest spring rate to be too stiff for me, some I’m using stock progressive springs. I weigh 165 pounds in the morning. You can install the emulators with or without their recommended fork springs.
 
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I have currently sent my forks off to a well known suspension guy semi-local to me to have new springs, racetech gold valve emulators, new seals and bushings put in. I'm not sure what springs he is using, I will ask if I can remember the next time I talk to him. He said the emulators were on back order, he's had my forks for a week already, and was hoping the parts would be in this week, but haven't heard anything.

I weigh 215 lbs without gear, want the forks built strictly for track use (not concerned with street ride quality), so I know he will be using heavier springs in the forks, as it dives terribly now when on the brakes hard. Hoping to have them back on the bike by the end of the month, as I planned on doing another track day June 28th.
 
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I have currently sent my forks off to a well known suspension guy semi-local to me to have new springs, racetech gold valve emulators, new seals and bushings put in. I'm not sure what springs he is using, I will ask if I can remember the next time I talk to him. He said the emulators were on back order, he's had my forks for a week already, and was hoping the parts would be in this week, but haven't heard anything.

I weigh 215 lbs without gear, want the forks built strictly for track use (not concerned with street ride quality), so I know he will be using heavier springs in the forks, as it dives terribly now when on the brakes hard. Hoping to have them back on the bike by the end of the month, as I planned on doing another track day June 28th.
Please keep me updated in case I haven’t done mine by then.
 
Please keep me updated in case I haven’t done mine by then.

Will do. If you like sport riding, I am almost certain this is the best route to go. When I called and talked to the suspension guy, he was looking up specs on his computer about my NC because it's not the type of bike he usually works on. He goes to local track days and tunes suspension for people, and builds suspension for racers. When he looked up whatever he was looking up, he saw that the NC forks are made by Showa and are pretty much same as what comes on Suzuki SV650's, popular budget track bikes. I have read where lots of people run emulators in damper rod style forks on track bikes and had nothing but praise to be said, so I am expecting significant results with emulators and heavier springs.
 
I'm interested in how they perform on the street for better smoother ride-quality. Years ago I installed progressive springs on a BMW and they made the bike so much more responsive to small road bumps to provide better ride quality.
 
I'm interested in how they perform on the street for better smoother ride-quality. Years ago I installed progressive springs on a BMW and they made the bike so much more responsive to small road bumps to provide better ride quality.
I'm not sure if you have it backwards or not. The stock Honda NC7x0X fork springs are progressive wound. The aftermarket Racetech fork springs are single rate springs.

I once tried two different spring rates of the RaceTech springs and eventually reinstalled the stock progressive springs for their better ride. The RaceTech springs were just too harsh on typical roads where I ride.
 
Old thread, I hope the OP is happy with his mods.

I'm cheap and a believer in doing things one step at a time if I can.
I'd keep the stock springs unless you are sure you're outside the weight limits. See how the forks work with the other upgrades before you spend the money for the single-rate springs...that may not actually be an upgrade.
 
Realized I never updated this thread.

When I got my forks back from the suspension guy (Thermosman Suspensions), it made a world of difference on the track. He chose springs that were right for my weight (215 lbs at the time, I'm about 200 now) plus the weight of my track gear, and did the Racetech emulators, with all new seals and bushings. What a huge difference it made on track. The front of the bike sits about a half inch or so higher now when on the side stand, doesn't sag much when I get on it, and the best part, when I am running hard mid-turn on the track the forks don't compress nearly all the way down. This significantly improves handling and also keeps the bike higher up off the ground which provides more lean angle clearance - also very important when tracking an NC.

I have converted this NC to full track bike, so no insurance, tag, lights, mirrors, etc. So I haven't been able to go on a street ride with it to see how the forks feel compared to the others, but there are bumps on the track....and it seems to soak them up better, in a more controlled fashion, not what I would describe as "plush" like most of you may be looking for. This is probably mostly due to the stiffer spring rate, but it was much needed in my specific application. Overall, VERY pleased with my investment there. Ended up costing me about $550, I think, to get them built.
 
Realized I never updated this thread.

When I got my forks back from the suspension guy (Thermosman Suspensions), it made a world of difference on the track. He chose springs that were right for my weight (215 lbs at the time, I'm about 200 now) plus the weight of my track gear, and did the Racetech emulators, with all new seals and bushings. What a huge difference it made on track. The front of the bike sits about a half inch or so higher now when on the side stand, doesn't sag much when I get on it, and the best part, when I am running hard mid-turn on the track the forks don't compress nearly all the way down. This significantly improves handling and also keeps the bike higher up off the ground which provides more lean angle clearance - also very important when tracking an NC.

I have converted this NC to full track bike, so no insurance, tag, lights, mirrors, etc. So I haven't been able to go on a street ride with it to see how the forks feel compared to the others, but there are bumps on the track....and it seems to soak them up better, in a more controlled fashion, not what I would describe as "plush" like most of you may be looking for. This is probably mostly due to the stiffer spring rate, but it was much needed in my specific application. Overall, VERY pleased with my investment there. Ended up costing me about $550, I think, to get them built.
I’m the OP and can say I’m happy with mine but, as you say they are firmer than expected definitely not a plush ride. I hit a huge pot hole whilst riding and the forks handled it remarkably well.
 
Plush and handling usually don't coincide, so they are about what I expected. With the exception of the excessive "plush-ness" of the rear shock, it feels more like how sportbikes react to bumps in the road. The bike does well as it is right now, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna drop the $600 for the Ohlins rear shock one day or not. Probably not, as I can't really get much faster on that bike without more lean angle clearance now. Exhaust and sidestand drags, and even the pegs with 30mm risers, which is a little over an inch riser. Bike just isn't built for extreme lean angles like sportbikes.
 
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