I just upgraded about three weeks ago. I ended up going with the 8kg/mm spring. Glad I did because I'm a few lbs heavier than Mason and I carry a lot of stuff. Awesome upgrade and easy to do.
I've done pretty much all mods on my 2013. Changing front and rear springs was my best mod as far as feel and drive. 2nd is ability to put on a 16 tooth front sprocket when I travel. Just found channel. Very nice.
+wd40 ducttape Hey, glad you found us :) I totally agree with the suspension mods. Makes a big difference. I have a 16 tooth sprocket but so far I haven't installed it and a couple times i have wished i had a 14 tooth :D Cheers!
This is really good info. 6'1 and 215. Had my GF on the back for the first time today and I really noticed a difference accelerating and shifting. I've had my stocker set at 5 since the first week. This looks to be the perfect answer. Thanks as always!
I did the same thing to my 2011 KLR and it made a world of difference, especially when riding two up or loaded with gear. We are heading from Ottawa where we live to Charlottetown PEI so it was necessary once loaded with camping gear. Hope for Safe travels on your trip brother.
Thanks for sharing your experience with your TG spring. I'm planning an upgrade to my 16 this fall. I think I'll go back and watch that Rocky Mtn video again...
Added the Progressive front springs, TG 8.0 and EM lift links to my '13 couple months ago. Being 6'1" and fluctuating between 225-230lbs and 32" inseam, the ride hight is just right. Yet for daily commuting with no gear/panniers off and preload set at 1, it is just a little overly stiff. Wish I went with the 7.4
Whoa! I just replaced my spring with the same one! I ordered from the source. Their customer service is top notch!! I wish I had seen this video prior to doing my swap! I didn't need to replace any oil, only had 3k miles on the OEM.
Hey Mason, would you recommend going straight for the cogent rear shock or replacing the sprints and rebuilding the shock? You’ve done both, so figured I’d ask :)
Are those aux lights mounted on your KLR dash risers? I like that.....been thinking about aux lights but wanted them higher up than what the fender mount gives you.
Although stock suspension is limited in some ways.I believe you can achieve what you're after playing around with oil weight, spring rate and nitrogen pressure. The CRF seems ok with my weight but I'm still curious to see what it could be. The front forks are spring in one leg and dampening in the other I believe. I remember cutting PVC pipe spacers to put under the fork tube cap to increase preload and also changing oil weight in the sportbikes without any a suspension adjustments. Would be worth looking into. Suspension has to be the most overlooked mods, people seem to lean to engine first.
Hey Mason. Good video. I have a 2006 model KLR and I'm running the exact same spring from Top Gun, the white 7.4kg. I weigh 195lbs. With my riding gear on, I'd guess I maybe come in close to 210lbs or so. I was trying to adjust my chain the other day with the back wheel off the ground and I realized the chain was just as tight with the back wheel off the ground as it is with the back wheel on the ground. I started pulling on the subframe and realize I don't have any static sag with that 7.4kg rear shock on there. My pre-load is set to number ONE. I'm flummoxed. If I understand correctly, cranking down on the preload to a higher number will stiffen the rear, not soften. So how can I adjust it so that I get ANY static sag out of the rear shock with that beefy spring on there? I haven't even tried to adjust the rider sag yet. I wonder if maybe this spring is too stiff for my weight, but surely it should be adjustable so that I can get some static sag with me OFF THE BIKE.
Hmm, that is a weird one, Douglas. I'm fairly certain mine had some static sag and I ran 3 to 4 on the compression so that is strange. A couple things spring to mind (lol), remove and lubricate the lower shock linkage and the swingarm bolt in case they are binding and have someone measure rider sag to see if you are close to spec. if so it may not be an issue. I have gone to the Cogent suspension so I can't just run out and check for you. Good luck!
@@masonsadv Hey Mason. Thanks for the reply. I called Rod at Top Gun and talked to him about it. He's a wealth of information and a super nice guy. Then I had a buddy measure rider sag with me on the bike. I'm at 3.25 inches of rider sag, which is roughly 30% of the overall suspension travel of the KLR650. So I think I'm good! Thanks again!
Did you eventually upgrade front springs? If so, what rate did you go with? Racetech says .70 for me 220lb. My KTM friends asked if I was putting 3/4 ton springs on my KLR, lol. I'm afraid .70 may be too stiff.
Hey Dj, I finally bit the bullet and went with a full cogent dynamics setup and absolutely love it! The top-gun coil and heavier oil was a good stop gap measure but I only changed the oil in the front forks at the time. Now I have proper front and rear suspension.
@@masonsadv did you upgrade both front and rear suspensions with congent or keep the top gun rear spring? I'm gettting ready ro buy a 18 model and planned a progressive front with the white spring rear. I was also thinking of a congent front with the top gun rear spring.
I'm waiting for Cogent now. Did the .70 with dampeners. Top gun rear 8.0 with 10wt. I'm not that technical on riding. Every bike I've owned has had shit whopped out so I'm looking fwd to something that's close to proper.
Haha Thanks Shawn, No I don't do this professionally but I have been fixing equipment and motorcycles personally for years. That was my first KLR rear shock though. Lol. It wasn't too bad to do. Cheers man.
Do you realize that this spring does have the Moses option? You can go straight through the puddles and it will diving it just where you go! Maybe you need a few attempts... But it will work I promise! :-) nice one thanks... When we see it in action?
I'm always reading on all the forums about people forking over (pun intended) good money to buy a spring compression tool to do this. Is there anything wrong with using the loan a tool program from Autozone or Advance or whatever stores are in your area? That's what I plan to do at least.
That's a great question. I'm not sure if they will have a set as small as the ones specifically designed for the motorcycle coils but it's worth a shot! The automotive coil compressors that I've seen in the past are way to big but they were truck specific so a small car set may work. Good luck! Cheers :)
Hey thanks Mason for the reply. BTW I love your video's and thanks for taking the time to produce and upload them. I was going to do the spring upgrade but talked myself into the whole shebang with Cogent Dynamics DDC's/fork springs and rear Adventure shock.
Hmm. the rebound damping is fairly subjective. I was running 3 but I also had the top gun coil spring. When your 2up you may want to drop it further down to 2 or 1 and see how it feels. Cheers!
@@masonsadv yes I know , planning doing spring up grade , did so many up grades . But for now set it to 5 an 3 turns from clockwise on damping , I have a wash broad not to far from house will do a test drive on it see what I think . Thanks 😊
Oh man don't remind me of that shock valve cover. Mine took 10 minutes and shattered into 5 pieces. Put an aluminum valve cover on it and haven't looked back. Mine is an 02 so that plastic was extra tough
+joecrennan the rear coil? Im not sure. I can tell you that it is less than 7.4 by quite a bit. The new shock allowed me to set a proper sag with head room left over and that wasn't possible for me and my gear with the oem coil
Always great when you spend time, money, and effort on something and it actually works!
So true Twisty. I've had good luck with the mods on the KLR so far. It sucks when it goes the other way. lol
I just upgraded about three weeks ago. I ended up going with the 8kg/mm spring. Glad I did because I'm a few lbs heavier than Mason and I carry a lot of stuff. Awesome upgrade and easy to do.
Good call, It sure does make a big difference! Cheers!
I've done pretty much all mods on my 2013. Changing front and rear springs was my best mod as far as feel and drive. 2nd is ability to put on a 16 tooth front sprocket when I travel. Just found channel. Very nice.
+wd40 ducttape Hey, glad you found us :) I totally agree with the suspension mods. Makes a big difference. I have a 16 tooth sprocket but so far I haven't installed it and a couple times i have wished i had a 14 tooth :D Cheers!
This is really good info. 6'1 and 215. Had my GF on the back for the first time today and I really noticed a difference accelerating and shifting. I've had my stocker set at 5 since the first week. This looks to be the perfect answer. Thanks as always!
+Scratch Babble Yeah Scratch, it really makes a huge difference especially 2 up, and the price is reasonable. Thanks for watching man :)
I did the same thing to my 2011 KLR and it made a world of difference, especially when riding two up or loaded with gear. We are heading from Ottawa where we live to Charlottetown PEI so it was necessary once loaded with camping gear.
Hope for Safe travels on your trip brother.
oh absolutely :) it has made a huge difference on my bike. That sounds like a great trip! You guys ride safe and enjoy!
Thanks as always! Ordering a white coil now!
Nice! Enjoy :)
Thanks for sharing your experience with your TG spring. I'm planning an upgrade to my 16 this fall. I think I'll go back and watch that Rocky Mtn video again...
Hey no problem. Yeah that's a great "how to" vid
Added the Progressive front springs, TG 8.0 and EM lift links to my '13 couple months ago. Being 6'1" and fluctuating between 225-230lbs and 32" inseam, the ride hight is just right. Yet for daily commuting with no gear/panniers off and preload set at 1, it is just a little overly stiff. Wish I went with the 7.4
Ah ok, Thanks! that's some good info on your findings. It's almost a guess when you buy one but the 7.4 is perfect for me. Cheers
Whoa! I just replaced my spring with the same one! I ordered from the source. Their customer service is top notch!! I wish I had seen this video prior to doing my swap! I didn't need to replace any oil, only had 3k miles on the OEM.
Oh nice! Yeah it really helps :)
I just finished a "half-assed" video that'll be public tomorrow. Wish I had saw this, I would've picked your brain.
Aww shoot, yeah anytime! Cheers Ron :)
Looks like a worthwhile addition. I've been thinking of a suspension upgrade, will check this one out.
Yeah its an inexpensive way to pick it up a bit. The full rear suspension would be nice but this works well for now :) Cheers Elwood.
Hey Mason, would you recommend going straight for the cogent rear shock or replacing the sprints and rebuilding the shock? You’ve done both, so figured I’d ask :)
Thank you....
Your welcome Stew!
Are those aux lights mounted on your KLR dash risers? I like that.....been thinking about aux lights but wanted them higher up than what the fender mount gives you.
Yes, I have my spots mounted up there. It works well but my floods on the fender are my favourite and throw a ton of light. Cheers
Although stock suspension is limited in some ways.I believe you can achieve what you're after playing around with oil weight, spring rate and nitrogen pressure. The CRF seems ok with my weight but I'm still curious to see what it could be. The front forks are spring in one leg and dampening in the other I believe. I remember cutting PVC pipe spacers to put under the fork tube cap to increase preload and also changing oil weight in the sportbikes without any a suspension adjustments. Would be worth looking into. Suspension has to be the most overlooked mods, people seem to lean to engine first.
Yeah the 10 weight oil and heavier coil has really helped.
Hey Mason. Good video. I have a 2006 model KLR and I'm running the exact same spring from Top Gun, the white 7.4kg. I weigh 195lbs. With my riding gear on, I'd guess I maybe come in close to 210lbs or so. I was trying to adjust my chain the other day with the back wheel off the ground and I realized the chain was just as tight with the back wheel off the ground as it is with the back wheel on the ground. I started pulling on the subframe and realize I don't have any static sag with that 7.4kg rear shock on there. My pre-load is set to number ONE. I'm flummoxed. If I understand correctly, cranking down on the preload to a higher number will stiffen the rear, not soften. So how can I adjust it so that I get ANY static sag out of the rear shock with that beefy spring on there? I haven't even tried to adjust the rider sag yet. I wonder if maybe this spring is too stiff for my weight, but surely it should be adjustable so that I can get some static sag with me OFF THE BIKE.
Hmm, that is a weird one, Douglas. I'm fairly certain mine had some static sag and I ran 3 to 4 on the compression so that is strange. A couple things spring to mind (lol), remove and lubricate the lower shock linkage and the swingarm bolt in case they are binding and have someone measure rider sag to see if you are close to spec. if so it may not be an issue. I have gone to the Cogent suspension so I can't just run out and check for you. Good luck!
@@masonsadv Hey Mason. Thanks for the reply. I called Rod at Top Gun and talked to him about it. He's a wealth of information and a super nice guy. Then I had a buddy measure rider sag with me on the bike. I'm at 3.25 inches of rider sag, which is roughly 30% of the overall suspension travel of the KLR650. So I think I'm good! Thanks again!
Did you eventually upgrade front springs? If so, what rate did you go with? Racetech says .70 for me 220lb. My KTM friends asked if I was putting 3/4 ton springs on my KLR, lol. I'm afraid .70 may be too stiff.
Hey Dj, I finally bit the bullet and went with a full cogent dynamics setup and absolutely love it! The top-gun coil and heavier oil was a good stop gap measure but I only changed the oil in the front forks at the time. Now I have proper front and rear suspension.
@@masonsadv did you upgrade both front and rear suspensions with congent or keep the top gun rear spring? I'm gettting ready ro buy a 18 model and planned a progressive front with the white spring rear. I was also thinking of a congent front with the top gun rear spring.
I'm waiting for Cogent now. Did the .70 with dampeners.
Top gun rear 8.0 with 10wt. I'm not that technical on riding. Every bike I've owned has had shit whopped out so I'm looking fwd to something that's close to proper.
You rock man, I would never tackle something this and go so far as changing the draper oil. Do you do this professionally?
Haha Thanks Shawn, No I don't do this professionally but I have been fixing equipment and motorcycles personally for years. That was my first KLR rear shock though. Lol. It wasn't too bad to do. Cheers man.
Do you realize that this spring does have the Moses option? You can go straight through the puddles and it will diving it just where you go! Maybe you need a few attempts... But it will work I promise! :-) nice one thanks... When we see it in action?
+Chris Enduro ADV ok Chris, if you say so :D i'll give it a go and let you know how it works hahaha.
Yep it works. Parts the puddles right down the middle :D
:-)
All you need is a little faith!
I'm always reading on all the forums about people forking over (pun intended) good money to buy a spring compression tool to do this. Is there anything wrong with using the loan a tool program from Autozone or Advance or whatever stores are in your area? That's what I plan to do at least.
That's a great question. I'm not sure if they will have a set as small as the ones specifically designed for the motorcycle coils but it's worth a shot! The automotive coil compressors that I've seen in the past are way to big but they were truck specific so a small car set may work. Good luck! Cheers :)
Hey thanks Mason for the reply. BTW I love your video's and thanks for taking the time to produce and upload them. I was going to do the spring upgrade but talked myself into the whole shebang with Cogent Dynamics DDC's/fork springs and rear Adventure shock.
Just wondering about damping adjustment , I'm not sure where to begin . I'm about 220 me the little lady ride two up a good bit , any suggestions ?
Hmm. the rebound damping is fairly subjective. I was running 3 but I also had the top gun coil spring. When your 2up you may want to drop it further down to 2 or 1 and see how it feels. Cheers!
@@masonsadv yes I know , planning doing spring up grade , did so many up grades . But for now set it to 5 an 3 turns from clockwise on damping , I have a wash broad not to far from house will do a test drive on it see what I think . Thanks 😊
Oh man don't remind me of that shock valve cover. Mine took 10 minutes and shattered into 5 pieces. Put an aluminum valve cover on it and haven't looked back. Mine is an 02 so that plastic was extra tough
+Jesse Fretwell haha well with the miracle that is editing, the removal of mine looked really simple :D it took me awhile too...
Is your bike the latest model or pre 2014.5?
+joecrennan its the latest. 2015 with the new seat and suspension. It does make a difference.
I ask as stock is between 7 kg and 8 kg from what I can find, but no one seems to know?
+joecrennan the rear coil? Im not sure. I can tell you that it is less than 7.4 by quite a bit. The new shock allowed me to set a proper sag with head room left over and that wasn't possible for me and my gear with the oem coil
+joecrennan also noticed a slight height difference with the top gun being slightly taller.
Honestly i just saw the specs not long ago and if i remember correctly i think the stock spring is like 5.6kg..
@@TheMarky26 Stock spring on 2014.5+ is 8 kg/mm.
@@ivanchev1987 where did u get that info?I looked it up when i wrote this because i was curious too and I'm pretty sure i got those specks from Kawi..
Great now I need to spend more money haha
Yeah.. hehehe :)
Rocky Mountain ATV is a horror to deal with. No support. Counterintuitive service. Save yourself the hassle. Take your hard earned money elsewhere.
Sounds like you had a rough go, sorry to hear that.