I wouldn't recommend trying to change spring with fork on the bike. You have to slide the fork tube down all the way to expose the clip and it's a real struggle getting out the clip. It's super easy to remove the wheel and fork leg. That's the easiest part of the job.
Yes, if you had someone help you it would be a lot easier. It's really a two-man job because you have to push down on the rod as you both remove and install the clip. It would be a lot easier if someone could push down on the rod and hold the fork leg as you installed the clip allowing you to use both hands. It's a lot easier to put it back than it was to remove it. To remove it you have to push or "pry" down with a tiny screwdriver on the clip 180 degrees away from the gap. Pushing down on the clip makes the other end with the gap pop up and out of the groove. You have to push down on the rod at the same time as you do this, so having an extra set of hands would be the best way to go.
@@Mark_conor You could try using a strap, but it would be difficult because the rod would not stay upright and would want to fall to the side. You don't just push the rod down; you also hold the rod vertical as you push down. The pushing down part is not the hard part. It's removing the stubborn clip. The clip is tricky to remove and took me 20-30 minutes to get out the first time. Now, I could get the clip out in less than a minute since I know the trick. You don't simply pry the clip out as one would think. You can't get anything behind it or under it and there is no way to get a hold of it. You have to push "DOWN" on the clip with a tiny screwdriver 180 degrees away from the gap. As the clip pops down out of the groove, the other end with the gap pops up and out of the groove. Seriously, I was at wits end and had to get back online and read in a forum how to remove the clip because I couldn't get the clip out.
Honda really dropped the ball on this bike when it came time to source out the suspension. It is basically a pogo stick on wheels off road. My 2000 XR250 had better suspension. I hope the stiffer springs works well for you. With no way to adjust rebound and compression I believe you will just have a stiffly sprung pogo stick.
I've ridden a whole season now with the stiffer fork spring and love the way the forks work. It's the rear on mine that used to bounce like a pogo stick. I fixed that with a new shock that has adjustable rebound dampening. The shock was the most noticeable improvement I've made to the bike. I keep expecting it to bounce but it doesn't do that anymore.
No, I like the kickstand just the way it is. I ride off road a lot where it's not flat and hate it when the ground is too high on the left, to get the kickstand down. It would only amplify the problem.
I pulled out the fork spring really slow so the oil could drip off. Didn't lose enough to even measure if you use a tape measure as most people do to measure the oil level. It's thin 10W oil so it dripped right off.
Your supposed to do the left fork not the right one,, you shouldn't have to take that clip off at all if take off the right fork leg witch if your sitting on the bile it is the left fork not the right one like he did in the video
@@jamiecheff7177you’re talking about the Race tech kit which is designed to go into the left fork, this is the Ktech replacement spring, which is designed to replace the stock spring that comes in the right fork. Two completely different options.
I don't know the exact size. It's a K-Tech fork spring for the CRF300L that is 15% firmer than stock. It looked to be the same diameter and about 3 mm longer than the stock one.
Thanks for making this video, instructional and informative.
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
Looks like my next upgrade. Thanks for the video
You're welcome!
Love the bounce test at the end. Great video, I'm about to do the same upgrades.
Thank you. That's awesome you are doing these upgrades! You will like the improvement.
I agree with your assessment about that bloody spring clip 🙂
Haha, I know. I wish they had used a normal circlip with the holes for a circlip tool.
I would had been glad to give Honda an additional $600 to include these 2 parts with my bike instead of the ones that they came with.
Same here.
Could you theoretically put two springs. One in each fork or does the design of the crf300l not allow that?
Race Tech makes a kit where you use two springs. One on each side. It can be done with two springs.
According to the video, it seems that it is not necessary to disassemble the bracket fork, to change the spring.
I wouldn't recommend trying to change spring with fork on the bike. You have to slide the fork tube down all the way to expose the clip and it's a real struggle getting out the clip. It's super easy to remove the wheel and fork leg. That's the easiest part of the job.
@@cyclerider5652thanks!
Can you elaborate on the difficulty you had getting the shock back together or tips to reassemble?
Yes, if you had someone help you it would be a lot easier. It's really a two-man job because you have to push down on the rod as you both remove and install the clip. It would be a lot easier if someone could push down on the rod and hold the fork leg as you installed the clip allowing you to use both hands.
It's a lot easier to put it back than it was to remove it. To remove it you have to push or "pry" down with a tiny screwdriver on the clip 180 degrees away from the gap. Pushing down on the clip makes the other end with the gap pop up and out of the groove. You have to push down on the rod at the same time as you do this, so having an extra set of hands would be the best way to go.
@@cyclerider5652 Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.
@@rojogrande7478 You're welcome. Glad I could help.
@@cyclerider5652 why not use a strap and compress it then remove the clip 🤔
@@Mark_conor You could try using a strap, but it would be difficult because the rod would not stay upright and would want to fall to the side. You don't just push the rod down; you also hold the rod vertical as you push down. The pushing down part is not the hard part. It's removing the stubborn clip. The clip is tricky to remove and took me 20-30 minutes to get out the first time. Now, I could get the clip out in less than a minute since I know the trick.
You don't simply pry the clip out as one would think. You can't get anything behind it or under it and there is no way to get a hold of it. You have to push "DOWN" on the clip with a tiny screwdriver 180 degrees away from the gap. As the clip pops down out of the groove, the other end with the gap pops up and out of the groove.
Seriously, I was at wits end and had to get back online and read in a forum how to remove the clip because I couldn't get the clip out.
Honda really dropped the ball on this bike when it came time to source out the suspension. It is basically a pogo stick on wheels off road.
My 2000 XR250 had better suspension.
I hope the stiffer springs works well for you. With no way to adjust rebound and compression I believe you will just have a stiffly sprung pogo stick.
I've ridden a whole season now with the stiffer fork spring and love the way the forks work. It's the rear on mine that used to bounce like a pogo stick. I fixed that with a new shock that has adjustable rebound dampening. The shock was the most noticeable improvement I've made to the bike. I keep expecting it to bounce but it doesn't do that anymore.
@@cyclerider5652 Which rear shock did you go with?
I went with the K-Tech "Razor R Lite" shock. You can order it with the correct spring for your weight. It was around 550 dollars.@@user-se7vt5ow4e
Way better! I need to do this
It is way better!
Are you going to buy the ADJUSTABLE Kick Stand?
No, I like the kickstand just the way it is. I ride off road a lot where it's not flat and hate it when the ground is too high on the left, to get the kickstand down. It would only amplify the problem.
Do they make a front spring kit with springs in both forks?
Not to my knowledge. I know Race Tech does.
Idk about then, but they do now.
How much fork oil to you think you lost removing the old spring or does that matter
I pulled out the fork spring really slow so the oil could drip off. Didn't lose enough to even measure if you use a tape measure as most people do to measure the oil level. It's thin 10W oil so it dripped right off.
@@cyclerider5652 thanks getting ready to do mine
After seeing this I think I will drop the fork tube off at my local shop.😀
Haha. That retaining clip is one tricky little bugger to get out for sure. 😀
Your supposed to do the left fork not the right one,, you shouldn't have to take that clip off at all if take off the right fork leg witch if your sitting on the bile it is the left fork not the right one like he did in the video
@@jamiecheff7177you’re talking about the Race tech kit which is designed to go into the left fork, this is the Ktech replacement spring, which is designed to replace the stock spring that comes in the right fork. Two completely different options.
how many mm spring did you install??
I don't know the exact size. It's a K-Tech fork spring for the CRF300L that is 15% firmer than stock. It looked to be the same diameter and about 3 mm longer than the stock one.
Hello, do you know how many N/M is the spring you installed? They are 8,9,10N/M because with 15% I can't judge if it is the hardest one?
@@happyGSArider If he did the 140-175lb rear I'm going to say the 8N. Tony at K-Tech said those were for 165-185 lbs riders.
You did the wrong fork leg