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Post by Chuck78 on Apr 22, 2020 23:15:31 GMT
Since RaceTech does not list the PE in their product search listings, does anyone know what part numbers of these RaceTech Gold Valves fit what years of PE? I believe for some of the 36mm fork models, the #3301 fits. Some of them need an adapter, however, most likely the 1970's model damper rods iirc.
You can manually verify by tearing down the fork and measuring the damper rod with this link below, but tearing apart the fork before you have the parts in hand is not always the preferred approach.
FEGV 3801 may also fit the 38mm PE175 Full Floater 1982-1984 models as well if my sources are correct.
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Post by ESR80PE on Apr 23, 2020 2:39:41 GMT
FEGV3301 for 36mm forks - PE All 77-81 & 82 250/400
FEGV3801 for 38mm forks - PE 175 82-84
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Post by Chuck78 on Apr 23, 2020 11:48:32 GMT
It looks as if adapters needed for the earlier forks? I know on the RaceTech website, if you look up a 1978 RM250, it tells you an adapter is needed, and I recall someone with a 1977 PE250B saying the same, and I believe they were swapping in 1980/1981 PE400 damper rods due to the preferable design at the top not requiring an adapter. Here's what Race Tech says for a '78 RM250: "Some damping rod forks require an adapter to mount our Gold Valve Cartridge Emulators. If they are listed here, they must be purchased separately. Many of the early vintage bikes do not have piston rings and therefore provide inconsistent damping. Our Adapters for these models have a piston ring built in to eliminate this problem." I know the Betor forks on my 1974 Rickman 250 do not have piston rings and thus require the damper rod piston adapter, I'm not sure about the early Suzuki PE's KYB, they may have piston rings but the top I believe is unsuitable for mounting an emulator as it has a large protrusion in the middle that the spring sits down around that the gold valve will not sit on. |
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Post by ESR80PE on Apr 23, 2020 12:35:34 GMT
Yes you need adapters for the 77 PE250 forks. Look at the app listng for 77 RM250 or 370 DR250 and 78-82 36mm PE forks dont require adapters because the top of the damper rod is already cupped.
82-84 38mm PE175 forks dont need adapters either
more info here
I have done all the leg work anyway so no need to measure your forks. Your DR rods are the same as PE 36mm 80-82 but just a bit shorter in length and maybe different rebound/comp hole szies thats it. 3301 emulators fit these 36mm forks fine.
PE/RM/DR forks have piston rings
like 3rd photo from top here
77 RM125 and 78 RM are much like this and 77 PE250 is similar too
This type needs an adapter.
Also you can usually find the emulators cheaper on ebay than RT's site. Just put FEGV 3301 into ebay OEM Cycle is a good seller on there
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Post by Chuck78 on Apr 23, 2020 18:24:40 GMT
Yes, $119 cheapest eBay price on the FEGV3801, $129 cheapest eBay price for the FEGV3301. Sure beats $179-ish retail price!
unfortunately with so many different springs available, it seems as if ordering direct from racetech for springs is most of the time the only option.
I think perhaps you had mentioned some other springs available from another website perhaps in the UK at one point?
so the damper rods are actually longer on the PE forks than the '82-ish 36mm DR250 forks? The DR250 forks have longer travel iirc(?), must be some other design difference.
Thanks again for sharing your research & knowledge, Leith!👍
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Post by ESR80PE on Apr 23, 2020 22:15:01 GMT
Yeah the 80/81 PE damper rods are bit longer than 82 DR from memory. You can check but i am pretty sure i am right because i was searching around for alternate 36mm forks for my TS yrs ago and i got measurements of pretty much all suzuki forks and i remember the DR forks being shorter than PE forks but still too long for my use.
you can compare DR to PE here. I am pretty certain DR is not the same as dimensions in bold which means damper rods are shorter.
ALL
PE175 80-81
PE250 80-82
PE400 80-82
Chrome inner tube total length - 753mm
Damper rod length under head/piston - 308mm
Outer tube/slider length (axle hole to top) - 325mm
Exposed chrome inner tube (measured from to top edge of slider) when fully bottomed - 344mm
Exposed chrome iner tube with fork fully extended - 585mm
Total length of fork (chrome 585 + slider 325) - 910mm
FORK TRAVEL - (extended chrome 585 - compressed chrome 344) - 241mm or 9.488 inches
If you mean main springs some are here www.motoduro.co.uk/149-springsracetech.com/page/title/FRSP-RT%20Fork%20Spring%20Listif you mean alternate rate springs to fit on the emulators, they are available from RT too but i think the kit may come with a set of each rate springs? |
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Post by Chuck78 on Apr 27, 2020 18:08:01 GMT
I was pretty certain I recalled finding a period Suzuki sales advertisement with a specification stating that the DR250Z and D models 1982 - 1983 had 9.8 inches of suspension travel (or the metric equivalent). I do recall having to do a lot of digging to find that, and I have not been able to unearth that same sales literature sense then.
I still have the forks sitting on the shelf, so I can perhaps measure their specifications this week if the wife doesn't keep me too busy and away from my own bike projects!
for now I'm just interested in the overall length and the travel versus what is listed there. I know the advertised travel is misleading because it measures with the top out spring compressed, which very seldom ever happens. I will remove the fork spring out of one leg and check the travel and mark it.
I have been picking up some more 175 parts here just recently, hopefully I will get to those bikes here soon. The State Forest and National Forest trails are all closed currently everywhere near me, so no public land riding on developed trails probably until June I hope no later! I will probably have to sneak out and do some private land riding at some point though at my buddy's family hunting cabin in Vinton County. Old strip mining areas reforested, as well as a lot of logged out areas that are owned by land holding companies that just log them out every 50 years or so. Quite the waste land in some areas, but some very challenging riding.
As far as springs, I was talking about fork springs Not Race Tech emulators springs.
also I would like to point out that there is apparently a street version of the FEGV 3801 that has an "S" before or after the 3801. I believe the dirt version has extra valving springs or different valving springs.
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Post by ESR80PE on May 1, 2020 23:40:31 GMT
What the suzuki Brochures say is never correct.
What is the total length of your DR forks from axle hole to top of the chrome fully extended?
For example suzuki says 9.84in (249.9mm) for 80/81. The real measurement is 241mm or 9.488 inches.
They always quote around 6-8mm more by including compression of the rebound spring on hard top outs but this does not normally happen. They are a stuff spring. Even if they do compress another 6+mm its not all the time , they dont get this extra 6mm in all conditions/situations. Its just a way for them to cheat and say extra travel in the specs.
The DR's might have same travel as PE but i was pretty sure they were shorter overall, but i could be wrong. Its been a while since i had specs on DR 250 forks
if you can measure them and then we know for sure. To do the travel you can just remove spring and compress fork and subtract from the extended length.
I do know either the DR outer of inner tubes are the same as 82 PE250/400 - EDIT, the inners and damper rods are different part number. The LH outer tube is same part number though. Not sure what RH tube is not. Might be mistake on Alpha-sports? The reason the inner tubes are different is either due to different length or wall thickness. I know some of the DR's used thinner or Thicker? wall tubes than PE's. I cant remember if it was thinner or thicker. I think this was DR400/500 and the RS250/175 from memory. Suzuki dont like to just create a new part for no reason so theres a difference in the DR legs somewhere.
If you compress the fork and measure the exposed chrome then you can compare to PE spec above and we can determine length of DR inner tube assuming your sliders are same length of 325mm.
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