Racetech Gold Valve review

Happy New year!

I'm thinking about putting Racetech gold valves into the 82 GPz, and if I like them, the 83 L3. I was looking to for info from anyone who has installed the product. Specifically I'm looking for information about the installation process and if the product makes a difference in the bike's ride afterwards.

I currently have progressive fork springs in the 82 and 83. And I'm running progressive 12s at the rear. The GPz needs new seals so I figure as long as I'm in there.......


Thanks
matt

Matt,

I am considering using them in my race project. I know racetech has the install instructions on their site. Interested to see what you think of them.

Will

I have done one on a GSXR mono-shock. The installation is easy enough if you have the tools and mechanical experience. They include excellent instructions in the kit. I got paper instructions and a DVD that goes through all of the steps. I found the video most helpful.

As for the ride, it seems very nice with the gold valve. However, I went from a totally beat GSXR shock that was more of a pogo stick than anything else. I imagine that a stock rebuild would have given me 75% of the improvement that the gold valve does. It's about like putting fancy spark plugs in a motor that already needs a tune up. Yeah you feel an increase in power, but you would have also felt an increase if you had just put a good set of stock spark plugs. The main thing that the gold valve does is give you much more of a range of dampening adjustment. It gets custom tailored to your specific weight and intended use. You just don't have that range of adjustment with the stock valve. All in all, it's a good product.

Gents,
Thanks for the response. I haven't located specific instructions other than the these

www.racetech.com/download/IP_FEGV_FIT_web.pdf

The instructions seem pretty straight forward, step 5 looks like the irreversible point. So it doesn't look like I need to braze anything, just drill. Since I have no welding skills that looks like a good thing.

testarossa, Nice Bike! Did you do the Gold Valve on the forks also? Thats where I'm planning to try them out.

Thanks
matt

Those are the instructions I was referring to. There was no model specific instruction. I was planning on trying these on the forks also.

mbsween wrote: testarossa, Nice Bike! Did you do the Gold Valve on the forks also? Thats where I'm planning to try them out.

Thanks
matt

No I haven't done the valves in the fork yet. It didn't cross my mind at the time since I rebuilt my fork way before I did the rear shock. By the time the shock rebuild came around it occurred to me that I wouldn't want to be getting into that too often so I went ahead and did it. The forks should get the gold valves the next time I tear into them. That should be another year off.

I put RT emulators in the front end of my wifes SV 650, which has, from the factory has crappy front end. I stayed with the installed yellow springs and gave them one turn and added 10mm preload to the spacer. Initially it was a huge improvement over the stock set up, we rode 2-up and it was great thru the twisties. After she started to ride solo the hi-speed dampening was too stiff and the preload was a bit too stiff as well, over all it was too rough over the bumps for her light weight. I switched to the blue springs with 3 turns to soften up the hi-speed comp. and trimmed the spacer by roughly 1" and added the 2nd gen SV preload adjusters and gave it about 5mm preload over the stock 10mm. Once the sag was set and preload and rebound were adjusted on the new rear shock, she reports the ride is far better and she says it turns in much easier.
Over all if your considering doing the RT emulators in the front, I'd say go for it.

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