Project VF500F2

Suspension is so subjective. There are good baseline rules, but it's going to come down to application and your specific preferences. I went against common recommendation on my race bike this weekend and went over 3s per lap faster than my previous PB on a very soft rear spring. I felt way more comfortable with it mid corner despite the spring rate being outside of the commonly recommended starting point.

I think you've got a good plan together and you're doing the right things to get what you need. You'll only learn what you like by trying it out.

 

More riding this weekend with a good chance to back to back the suspension, can’t wait to get the front end sorted on mine! Not heard back from Jamie yet unfortunately.



My rear valve cover gasket is also weeping oil - any experience with the pattern ones available out there? I see the Athena ones are readily available. Same question for the valve cover bolt rubbers, if I replace them whilst I’m in there is it worth the extra for OEM?

 

Looking good.

ABSOLUTELY need to replace the grommets. The cover bolts are shouldered, so it's the grommet that applies the correct pressure to seal. You likely could cure your weep with just cleaning the original gaskets and replacing the grommets.

Had many customers balk at the grommets only to have their new gaskets still leak. Seen it too many times to count.

 

That makes a lot of sense then, I’m fairly sure I changed the gasket not long after the first few engine runs when I built the bike back up. Set of grommets on order - thank you!

 

A day of wins and losses today. The bike needed a new rear tyre since the rebuild but I’ve been putting it off, mainly because I wasn’t happy how little clearance the 150/70 was running (on the right I had around 1mm at best to the swingarm) Every other size options seemed to be an issue with rim width or just lost more rear ride height.

I then saw a post online of someone fitting Michelin Road 5s to their bike and they commented it seemed narrow side by side with the old tyre. I have Road 5s on my Street Triple so I did some measuring and both front and rear came up as narrower by a few mm than the spec width of the tyre. I then checked the Pilot Road 3s on the 500 and both came up wider than spec (155mm for the rear). This seemed promising so I decided to take the risk and order a set, sure enough the Road 5 is around 6-7mm narrower and I now have a much more tolerable level of clearance


It’s still pretty tight but at least now definite clearance!

As for the losses - I’ve learnt my lesson on the single use calliper bolts:



Luckily the remainder came out pretty easily with a cheap stud extractor bit, but the test of the new tyres will have to wait for the new bolts to be delivered.

 

I have found Michelin and Pirelli run the narrowest for a given size. My Hawk GT with a 5.5" rim needs the Michelin. And my VF1000s with 5.5" rims need the Pirelli to clear the chain. I'm sure a Mich would work just fine on those too. Avons run WIDE, a 170 measures ~180.

 

I've never had to replace a caliper bolt that has been under my watch. I do have to replace some that other hacks have over-tightened repeatedly.

 

That's good to know! I'd read old threads from 15 years ago that the Michelin 150/70 tended to be wide and that seems to match up with the PR3 I had on before. I was hesitant to go with the Michelin again because of it but like you say they now seem to run narrower, this one measures around 148mm and I'm much happier with the clearance it gives. It's a shame none of the tyre manufacturers publish actual fitted sizes, I think I found one old Pirelli catalogue that did list a "maximum in use width" , but I guess most people aren't looking for it.

Guilty as charged I guess then! It was the final tighten trying to get the click from the torque wrench that did this one. Good to know they aren't a mandatory replace every time the calliper is off though as that would become a bit tedious.

 

For springs, any spring(s), check out "Cannon Racecraft". They tell me they can wind any spring made! They did springs for my 1990 Yamaha DT200R. This is a Canada only model, in North America. Very hard to find accessories for. I was able to source Cartridge Emulators from Race Tech. They didn't list frt. or rear springs though. Cannon Racecraft asked me to send them the inside and outside diameters and the length and spring rate desired. They did a perfect job and I also got them to do a spring for my 2019 Honda CRF450L. Good people, great products.
https://www.cannonracecraft.com/