Race Tech Help !!!!

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I own a 2007 Electra Glide Standard and bought a race tech front suspension kit ...Gold emulator and springs. The gold emulators come with small 1" long springs that open and close the emulator, yellow springs (64# )in a bag and blue springs ( 40 # ) attached. After reading the directions it said for my year bike 1980 to 2008 attach the yellow springs with 2 turns of the nut for spring preload. Just in case I called Race Tech technical support to double check since the blues were attached and the yellow ones in a bag... The guy says oh no use the blue springs already attached... I says well why not put that in the chart included in the instructions ?.... he hems and haws and says well the blues were found to be better? Quite a difference in the resistance of the 2 springs 40 # blue and 64# yellow... Does any one know the real deal ?

Thanks
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Pat from Joisey

 

I can't help you with an answer, but will you post your opinion of the new suspension set-up when you're finished? I'm thinking of doing the same mod. Thanks!

 

I'd say the "real deal" is to do what the tech says. I ran the Gold Emulators in a Road King with the front end being lowered about 2 inches (had a 21" front wheel). The ride was improved over stock. I think it would have been much better if I had not lowered the front. Loosing that 2 inches of travel takes a lot away from the suspension. I went a different route with the Custom Bagger I built and had the forks reworked by Traxxion. Traxxion solves all front end issues on a Harley style front end.

 

Maybe you guys can help me as well, I had the racetech kit put in my 07 SG, and was wanting a 1 inch drop, it ended up being a 2 inch and the forks feel almost softer than stock, what did my tech do wrong? the preload thing might be my imagination, but I need some travel back as I bottom the front constantly. (bad roads where I live)

 

have put race tech gold valve emulators and race tech 1kg constant rate springs in my 07 rk plus the 15w recomended fork oil. my instructions were pretty clear to use the heavier rated spring (blue) on the emulater, swapped them over. really pleased with the difference the set up made. they basically change your suspension from a damping rod set up to a cartridge type. I recommend these to anyone wanting a more responsive front end. I know some guys will put heavier oil in there damping rod set up to get a firmer ride, the problem with this is, all it really does is slow down the flow of oil through the rods. So in effect if you hit a good pot hole you could get a hydralic lock in the front end and send that jolt through your bike. where as now if i hit a pot hole the big valve on the emulator opens allowing the oil through cushioning the jolt. I love these things. I put them in my old fxrs and will do it to any other bike i get that has damping rods--cheers hope this helps

 

I think my kit came with the .95 springs, but I need to check what my tech put in for the emulator....I'm also not sure how he cut the spacer for it to be sitting so low...I need to fix it.

 

hey flyboy, do you know what length preload spacer the tech put in, it really seems odd it is bottoming out. he may not have pre set the valve spring on the emulator and the valve could be opening on lesser pressures or the preload mau be to light--good luck

 

Well, one of the problems is the preload spacer, can the preload be adjusted? It is too soft...the other problem is it's 2 inches lower than stock. There is simply not enough travel for the roads I have to ride on. I can actually bottom it if I brake hard...not good.

 

emulators--i would definately use the 64lbs/in (yellows) emulator valve spring in touring models, with valve spring load 2 turns from zero spring pressure, remember to tighten lock nut once adjusted. if your bike came back from the tech sitting lower i would say the preload is to light. there is no magic setting, if your bike is bottoming out it needs more preload on springs(longer spacers in forks) or a heavier rated spring . I ran blue 40lb emulator springs with .95kg constant rate fork springs in my fxrs lowrider with around 35mm spring preload and i used the 64lb yellows emulator springs and 1.kg constant rate fork springs with about 40mm preload in my 07 kingy both worked extremly well----its hard to get a nice low look and comfort and performance in one package--id go performane over looks but thats just me--cheers and good luck--grimster

 

Hey thanks for the help...I do want perf over looks thats why i went with the racetech over just a drop. If just ended up too low and not really performing well. When you say 40mm preload is that the length of spacer? I'll check to see which emulator spring he used...I'm thinking blue, and I know the fork springs are .95 I didn't want to go too stiff, but maybe I should have gone heavier.