Race tech vs. Factory Connection Springs

keeptwostrokesalive
Edited Date/Time 1/4/2014 9:00am
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250. I calculated what I need on my bike and the front and back stock springs don't fit me at all. Who do you guys prefer, Racetech or factory connection springs?
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MXD
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MXD 1/2/2014 2:20pm
1/2/2014 2:20pm
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250...
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250. I calculated what I need on my bike and the front and back stock springs don't fit me at all. Who do you guys prefer, Racetech or factory connection springs?
Depending on the year of the RM, you might be selling the wrong bike Wink
CamP
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CamP 1/2/2014 2:24pm
1/2/2014 2:24pm
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250...
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250. I calculated what I need on my bike and the front and back stock springs don't fit me at all. Who do you guys prefer, Racetech or factory connection springs?
They both come from the same vendor.
keeptwostrokesalive 1/2/2014 3:34pm
1/2/2014 3:34pm
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250...
So once I sell my newly bought rm250 for a profit I want to buy the proper fork springs and shock spring for my 2006 yz250. I calculated what I need on my bike and the front and back stock springs don't fit me at all. Who do you guys prefer, Racetech or factory connection springs?
MXD wrote:
Depending on the year of the RM, you might be selling the wrong bike Wink
Its a 2006 rm250 ricky Carmichael edition. I know these bikes are amazing and probably turn better than my bike, but I love my yz250. I have put way to much effort in my yz to sell it now, especially when I know I can make it much better. Not to mention I'm going to sell the rm250 to a friend so I can ride it anytime I want to

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slipdog
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slipdog 1/2/2014 3:34pm
1/2/2014 3:34pm
If you want a good deal, I just finished testing 150+ sets of springs for accuracy. from new to near new to very used, can guarantee the correct rate even when it's different from what the box said.

PM me if interested.
geo309
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geo309 1/2/2014 6:29pm
1/2/2014 6:29pm
Don't like to bash but I bought a set of rear and front springs for my sons KTM from Race Tech via my local dealer. Wanted to get a re-valve done so I took it to a local KTM suspension shop. He tested the springs and the rates were off enough that I had to get a new set of springs. The 5.0 tested at 4.6 and the inside diameter was off. The front was off too I do not remember how much? Not a fan of Race Tech after this experience.
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FGR01 1/2/2014 6:35pm
1/2/2014 6:35pm
FGR01 wrote:
KYB.
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
So are you saying I should order OEM springs that match my weight and ability?
No. Actual Kayaba springs are sold as aftermarket replacements. They are high quality direct from Japan. Available from any Tucker Rocky dealer. They are slightly more expensive than Race Tech springs. Most aftermarket springs are sourced from Taiwan.

What rate springs are you wanting to put in your YZ250?
keeptwostrokesalive 1/2/2014 7:53pm
1/2/2014 7:53pm
FGR01 wrote:
No. Actual Kayaba springs are sold as aftermarket replacements. They are high quality direct from Japan. Available from any Tucker Rocky dealer. They are slightly more...
No. Actual Kayaba springs are sold as aftermarket replacements. They are high quality direct from Japan. Available from any Tucker Rocky dealer. They are slightly more expensive than Race Tech springs. Most aftermarket springs are sourced from Taiwan.

What rate springs are you wanting to put in your YZ250?
I want to go with a .45 front and a 5.3 rear
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 6:23am
1/3/2014 6:23am
For anyone else that may be intrested in what I have available, after I finish testing all the springs I have, I will be putting a list of all my inventory and prices in the bazzar section with links to my ebay sales. I should have them all rated and up within the next two weeks.
CamP
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CamP 1/3/2014 6:48am
1/3/2014 6:48am
FGR01 wrote:
KYB.
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
So are you saying I should order OEM springs that match my weight and ability?
FGR01 wrote:
No. Actual Kayaba springs are sold as aftermarket replacements. They are high quality direct from Japan. Available from any Tucker Rocky dealer. They are slightly more...
No. Actual Kayaba springs are sold as aftermarket replacements. They are high quality direct from Japan. Available from any Tucker Rocky dealer. They are slightly more expensive than Race Tech springs. Most aftermarket springs are sourced from Taiwan.

What rate springs are you wanting to put in your YZ250?
Race Tech and Factory Connection springs come from Oklahoma.
keeptwostrokesalive 1/3/2014 6:52am
1/3/2014 6:52am
slipdog wrote:
For anyone else that may be intrested in what I have available, after I finish testing all the springs I have, I will be putting a...
For anyone else that may be intrested in what I have available, after I finish testing all the springs I have, I will be putting a list of all my inventory and prices in the bazzar section with links to my ebay sales. I should have them all rated and up within the next two weeks.
Curious question here, why do you have so many springs? I know your testing them but who are you testing them for?
FGR01
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FGR01 1/3/2014 7:03am
1/3/2014 7:03am
CamP wrote:
Race Tech and Factory Connection springs come from Oklahoma.
Who makes them?
CamP
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CamP 1/3/2014 7:07am
1/3/2014 7:07am
CamP wrote:
Race Tech and Factory Connection springs come from Oklahoma.
FGR01 wrote:
Who makes them?
Cannon Racecraft.
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 8:02am
1/3/2014 8:02am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2014 8:11am
CamP wrote:
Cannon Racecraft.
Thats not correct, Race Tech is mostly Eibach except for odd springs Eibach dosent make Then they have used Cannon. FC uses several different venders,but I've never seen any from Cannon. All my FC shock springs appear to be Eibach, but the fork springs are many different mfgrs.

(I should say "appears" as they won't admit who manufactures their springs, but every manufacturer is unique in the wire, the way they wind, cut and mart their springs.)
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 8:22am
1/3/2014 8:22am
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
Curious question here, why do you have so many springs? I know your testing them but who are you testing them for?
I've been a suspension tuner for over a decade. While my shop had a sign that read "California law requires us to return any used/replaced parts to the customer", you'd be surprised how many people leave their old parts.

Some springs got used for testing and also there are guaranteed springs, meaning if I recommend a spring rate with my revalve and find we sprung too heavy or light for a particular rider it is not the riders responsibility to buy more springs. If adjustments don't work I'd re spring or revalve to satisfaction. That's the way it should work everywhere.

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CamP
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CamP 1/3/2014 8:27am
1/3/2014 8:27am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2014 9:10am
CamP wrote:
Cannon Racecraft.
slipdog wrote:
Thats not correct, Race Tech is mostly Eibach except for odd springs Eibach dosent make Then they have used Cannon. FC uses several different venders,but I've...
Thats not correct, Race Tech is mostly Eibach except for odd springs Eibach dosent make Then they have used Cannon. FC uses several different venders,but I've never seen any from Cannon. All my FC shock springs appear to be Eibach, but the fork springs are many different mfgrs.

(I should say "appears" as they won't admit who manufactures their springs, but every manufacturer is unique in the wire, the way they wind, cut and mart their springs.)
It's also my understanding that both Eibach and Cannon are their spring vendors, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are others in the mix. You never want to be tied down to one vendor. If you bought springs from RT 20 years ago, it came in an Eibach box. Now they come in a RT box, so it's more difficult to determine their origin. BTW, Eibach has a manufacturing plant in Irvine, CA for the US market.

Side note, if you need a one-off spring, Cannon will make anything you want. For example, nobody produces a off-the-shelf spring that fits the old Full Floater RM's, so I gave Cannon the rate I wanted and the critical dimensions required. I checked the rate when I received the spring and it was absolutely spot-on. When I spoke to Cannon's owner, he said they produce springs for both Race Tech and FC, but in this ever-changing world that we live in...

Another interesting tidbit, and slipdog may have the same experience, but I've found that the OEM spring rates are all over the place. I never rely on what the box says or what the bike is supposed to come with, because it can't be trusted to be accurate.
I test every spring I use to ensure that I know the actual rate.
keeptwostrokesalive 1/3/2014 8:58am
1/3/2014 8:58am
slipdog wrote:
I've been a suspension tuner for over a decade. While my shop had a sign that read "California law requires us to return any used/replaced parts...
I've been a suspension tuner for over a decade. While my shop had a sign that read "California law requires us to return any used/replaced parts to the customer", you'd be surprised how many people leave their old parts.

Some springs got used for testing and also there are guaranteed springs, meaning if I recommend a spring rate with my revalve and find we sprung too heavy or light for a particular rider it is not the riders responsibility to buy more springs. If adjustments don't work I'd re spring or revalve to satisfaction. That's the way it should work everywhere.
That makes sense! You never replied back to my PM though. Do you have any KYB Ti shock springs that actually rate at a 5.3 stiffness? or will I have to go with one of the OEM springs or Eibachs?
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 9:12am
1/3/2014 9:12am
CamP wrote:
It's also my understanding that both Eibach and Cannon are their spring vendors, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are others in the...
It's also my understanding that both Eibach and Cannon are their spring vendors, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are others in the mix. You never want to be tied down to one vendor. If you bought springs from RT 20 years ago, it came in an Eibach box. Now they come in a RT box, so it's more difficult to determine their origin. BTW, Eibach has a manufacturing plant in Irvine, CA for the US market.

Side note, if you need a one-off spring, Cannon will make anything you want. For example, nobody produces a off-the-shelf spring that fits the old Full Floater RM's, so I gave Cannon the rate I wanted and the critical dimensions required. I checked the rate when I received the spring and it was absolutely spot-on. When I spoke to Cannon's owner, he said they produce springs for both Race Tech and FC, but in this ever-changing world that we live in...

Another interesting tidbit, and slipdog may have the same experience, but I've found that the OEM spring rates are all over the place. I never rely on what the box says or what the bike is supposed to come with, because it can't be trusted to be accurate.
I test every spring I use to ensure that I know the actual rate.
^^^ Correct, I was an Eibach's distributor at my old shop and they offered to private label my own springs. To do that you had to buy X amount of every rate. I left that to RT, my distributor pricing was good enough for me. Eibach is the best overall, in my opinion, but if RT needs to restock a certain spring and needs it faster than Eibach can produce that's when(I assume) they turn to Cannon. Also the 65 springs that Eibach's doesn't produce.

The biggest problem with OEM rates are that the majority for the shock springs aren't wound tight enough at the ends. If the end coils don't touch, the spring will we weak until they do. That's why the KYB Ti springs had those weird plastic inserts at the end. Many OEM springs don't reach their correct rate until 2"+ of compression. A 5.3 spring could be a 5.0 for the first few inches of travel, considering 1/2" preload and 3:1 linkage ratio.
CamP
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CamP 1/3/2014 9:12am
1/3/2014 9:12am
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
That makes sense! You never replied back to my PM though. Do you have any KYB Ti shock springs that actually rate at a 5.3 stiffness...
That makes sense! You never replied back to my PM though. Do you have any KYB Ti shock springs that actually rate at a 5.3 stiffness? or will I have to go with one of the OEM springs or Eibachs?
I have a OEM YZF Titanium spring that has been tested at 5.4kg, if you are interested. Will sell it cheap.
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 9:16am
1/3/2014 9:16am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2014 9:19am
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
That makes sense! You never replied back to my PM though. Do you have any KYB Ti shock springs that actually rate at a 5.3 stiffness...
That makes sense! You never replied back to my PM though. Do you have any KYB Ti shock springs that actually rate at a 5.3 stiffness? or will I have to go with one of the OEM springs or Eibachs?
I did last night, but maybe it didn't go through. All 5 of the Ti springs I have rate at. 5.4 and that's getting too stiff to match well with a .45. I do have some 5.2 and 5.3 steels in good condition though.

(Lol Cam, weird that every 250f 5.3 tests at 5.4, but every 450 5.5 tests exactly 5.5)
keeptwostrokesalive 1/3/2014 9:24am
1/3/2014 9:24am
slipdog wrote:
I did last night, but maybe it didn't go through. All 5 of the Ti springs I have rate at. 5.4 and that's getting too stiff...
I did last night, but maybe it didn't go through. All 5 of the Ti springs I have rate at. 5.4 and that's getting too stiff to match well with a .45. I do have some 5.2 and 5.3 steels in good condition though.

(Lol Cam, weird that every 250f 5.3 tests at 5.4, but every 450 5.5 tests exactly 5.5)
I got that message and Im pretty sure I replied back with some questions, but you just now answered most of them. Whats the difference between the steel ones and the Ti? Is there a performance difference or is it just weight? And do you have any other brand shock springs that match 5.3 stiffness that you would recommend? Like I have said I am by no means a suspension genius, so your input to what I really need would be very helpful
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 9:31am
1/3/2014 9:31am
keeptwostrokesalive wrote:
I got that message and Im pretty sure I replied back with some questions, but you just now answered most of them. Whats the difference between...
I got that message and Im pretty sure I replied back with some questions, but you just now answered most of them. Whats the difference between the steel ones and the Ti? Is there a performance difference or is it just weight? And do you have any other brand shock springs that match 5.3 stiffness that you would recommend? Like I have said I am by no means a suspension genius, so your input to what I really need would be very helpful
Found it, it was buried in a bunch of xxx quoted your posts.

IMO, I'd go with the 5.3 and personally i prefer the steel over Ti anyway. OEM is KYB, you will just pay more if you but it from Yamaha instead of Technical Touch KYB(Tucker Rocky). OEM always has a higher mark up.
CamP
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CamP 1/3/2014 9:38am
1/3/2014 9:38am
slipdog wrote:
I did last night, but maybe it didn't go through. All 5 of the Ti springs I have rate at. 5.4 and that's getting too stiff...
I did last night, but maybe it didn't go through. All 5 of the Ti springs I have rate at. 5.4 and that's getting too stiff to match well with a .45. I do have some 5.2 and 5.3 steels in good condition though.

(Lol Cam, weird that every 250f 5.3 tests at 5.4, but every 450 5.5 tests exactly 5.5)
That is odd. I've seen the same thing on the 3 250F springs I've tested as well. Maybe Yamaha didn't want to re-print all their 250F specifications to show 5.4kg.

The really inconsistent springs I've run across are mostly the OEM Showa stuff. Fork springs that should be .47kg measuring from .46-.49kg, etc. When everyone was putting .49kg in their CRF450's, I was about to order some, then I tested mine and they already were .49kg!
keeptwostrokesalive 1/3/2014 10:15am
1/3/2014 10:15am
slipdog wrote:
Found it, it was buried in a bunch of xxx quoted your posts. IMO, I'd go with the 5.3 and personally i prefer the steel over...
Found it, it was buried in a bunch of xxx quoted your posts.

IMO, I'd go with the 5.3 and personally i prefer the steel over Ti anyway. OEM is KYB, you will just pay more if you but it from Yamaha instead of Technical Touch KYB(Tucker Rocky). OEM always has a higher mark up.
In that case I'm thinking I'll go with the KYB Ti .45 front and a 5.3 steel rear. Now I just have to wait for my friend to buy my rm250, which will hopefully happen this weekend. Have you had any experience testing the rate of the stock springs on any 2006 yz250s? The stock rating should be 4.9 rear and .43 front. I was just wondering if its really stiffer than that or softer? I weigh around 170 without gear and I'm 6'5. The front feels to soft and the back is definitely too soft for my weight. I have never purchased the correct spring rates on a bike before, so I'm really hoping to see a big improvement when I do.
slipdog
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slipdog 1/3/2014 10:26am
1/3/2014 10:26am
You will see a significant improvement over the stock rate. especially because your 6'5", the leverage you put on your suspension compared to someone that is the same weight and only 5'7" is big.

The fork springs are all steel, only the shock springs came in Ti for a few years.
keeptwostrokesalive 1/3/2014 10:53am
1/3/2014 10:53am
slipdog wrote:
You will see a significant improvement over the stock rate. especially because your 6'5", the leverage you put on your suspension compared to someone that is...
You will see a significant improvement over the stock rate. especially because your 6'5", the leverage you put on your suspension compared to someone that is the same weight and only 5'7" is big.

The fork springs are all steel, only the shock springs came in Ti for a few years.
My mistake, I knew that. So the condition of the springs that you have are slightly used, is that right?

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