fix front end dive for $3 on a bandit 600s

[JRK5892]

well i was sick and tired of the sacked out springs... so i called my contact at progressive and talked to him about what i should do for springs and how much i am going to need to preload them for my body weight... in speaking to him he tells me that all the springs for my bike are the same they sell it is just the pre load that changes the stiffness... so i hang up the phone and figure, why not first try that with my stock springs.... took about 15 min to do completely... got some 1/2 PVC, 2 fender washers... and had at it... i used the 1/2 cause it will fit inside the top caps on the tubes and not allow it to move around... i first tried, 3/4 but that did not give me enough rode the same, then 1 inch, about the same but a bit more firm... then 1 1/8... that was the magic number!!! works awesome! i can not believe how much better this bike is to ride now! granted i have the GSXR rear shock mod as well... but i HIGHLY recommend this change!!!

to do this mod:
1: lift the front of the bike to get the weight off (i was putting on a new front tire so i pulled the front rim, but this is not needed to do the mod)
2: just remove the top cap, (you have to loosen the upper tree pinch bolt) be sure you put a towel or something over the top cap as you pull it as it is under pressure  
3: place fender washer in tube, put cut PVC spacer on top of that, place fork top cap on that... bolt back in
4: tighten top cap to TQ spec as well as pinch bolts... all done!



what you will need


fender washers you will need


cut the PVC to length

[bullet5]

Did you not try upping the preload by adjusting the bolt heads ontop of the forks?

Nice work on the bike, and you deffinatly did a good job... but get that PVC piping out of there now! You can't seriously believe a piece of 1/2" pvc piping will stand upto the abuse the bandit will ask of it..? Those two pieces of pipe must be able to stop a 200kg+ bike, along with fuel, rider and any other luggages, over potholes and speedbumps. You'll crush the plastic in notime.

[JRK5892]

the top caps do not have an adjuster on these... and yes the PVC will 100% be fine... progressive suspension uses it as a pre load the suspension that they sell... 1 1/8 in of 1/2 PVC will hold ALOT of weight... way way more than i could ever hope to throw at it.  our shop does a TON of bike suspension kits and 99% of them (excluding monotube cartridge style suspnsion) use PVC... there will be no problem at all using this... pick up some 1/2 PVC and give it a try... sustained pressure and load on it the pvc will maintain alot... blunt force is about the only thing that will cause it to give... this will not see any of that... calculate buckling force... it will easly prove what i am saying