just curious. is there anything else on the market?

 

RICOR Intimidators are a possible alternative to check out. I have already purchased a set of them but I have not installed them as yet on my 1999 XL883. After Christmas I will have some free time to finish the job. I want to put a set of the Race Tech Gold Valve cartridge emulators on my 2007 XL883 so that I can compare the feel of the two different modifications. Race Tech is not too far away from me and I already went to their shop to buy some rear shocks but they did not have what I wanted to buy in stock at that time.

 

how much do the Intimidators run?

 

Please forgive my ignorance but what is a valve emulator?

I know I could google it but this is more fun!

 

I used to use Gold Bond Powder until I got a sheepskin to sit on on long trips.

 

I gave up the Gold for:

 

dorks..haah.

the gold valves, act as an adjustable valve that slids in your front fork tubes, when you switch out your fork springs, to the lowered, stiffer springs, you put the gold valve emulators in, and they resist the fork oil to a certain extent, depending on what setting you make it... they are like 2 discs, with holes in them, you turn one disc and it closes off the holes , making the fork oil go thru the holes , slowing the movement of the fluid, which dampens the bounce and rebound.

or something like that.

 

The RICOR Intimidators are about $300.00 and are a little bit easier to install than the Race Tech Gold Valve cartridge emulators as you just change out the fork oil that is currently in the fork tubes for the recommended fork oil and remove the caps from the top of the fork tubes and then pull out the fork spring in one fork tube and drop in the intimidator and then replace the fork spring then pull out the other fork spring from the other fork tube and drop in the other intimidator and replace that fork spring and replace the caps back on top of the fork tubes and you are done. To install the Race Tech Gold Valve cartridge emulators you have to drain the fork oil and then remove the caps on top of the fork tubes and then remove the fork springs and then remove the damping rods from both fork tubes and then drill out the holes that are already in the shims to allow more oil to pass through so that the Gold Valve emulators can do their job then replace the dampening rods and shorten the fork spring or replace them and add the Gold Valve emulator and change the oil and then replace the caps back on top of the fork tubes and then you are done. This is a much simplified version but you can go to the Race Tech web site to get more detailed instructions. The web site for the intimidators has more detailed instructions too so that you can make up your own mind as to what product you want to buy and install. There are a few other companies coming out with cartridge emulators as well. Works comes to mind and I think Precision has a similar product. I have no idea what the prices are for the other products.

 

ricor is having a 20% off sale on the intiminators. The email they sent said just type the word holidays in the code box for the discount .