All You Need To Know About Falco Rear Suspension (probably)

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sherlock308
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#76 Post by sherlock308 » Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:34 am

Thanks for response got myself the correct dogbone and triangles, my next question is in relation to the ride height.

I have a vtr sidestand fitted which is obviously much better than the original, however when loaded up its still sitting too upright.

Can I extend the new shock by about 10 mm to improve this ?

Thanks

Sherlock
No shit Sherlock !

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#77 Post by D-Rider » Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:36 am

I wouldn't be adjusting ride height to make the stand work.

Make ride height adjustments to get the handling how you like it and tackle the side stand to work with how you get it set up.
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Falco Frank
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#78 Post by Falco Frank » Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:03 am

Just in case its of use to anyone, here is a link to the good supplier who made me a spring for my Ohlins when I was fitting a pre-load adjuster:

http://www.dfaulknersprings.com/
01 Hyper Falco / 93 - 900ss Ducati (944cc)

My Ducati Alter-ego = Iconic944ss

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mangocrazy
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#79 Post by mangocrazy » Thu Aug 18, 2016 9:01 pm

Time to resurrect a REALLY old thread. With regard to Falco Frank's post immediately previous, I've recently discovered who makes D Faulkner's springs for them; it's a company called Springcoil in Sheffield - only a couple of miles away from where I live.

I now use them for all my spring requirements and they are great; helpful and quick.

Last winter, after having visited John at Revs Racing, I decided to do something about the rear suspension on my red Falco. John had grabbed hold of the rear of the bike to test static sag and told me that there was way too much sag (something I'd suspected for a while). Going back through my notes and emails I realised that I'd specified a 700lbs/in spring for the Ohlins shock (on Falco linkages) with a free length of 150mm. When I measured the shock off the bike, the preloaded length was only 146mm which means only 4mm of preload had been applied, hence the soggyness that John instantly recognised.

As the shock has a hydraulic preload adjuster it would have been easy to increase the spring preload, but getting it to the required amount would probably have used up all the adjustment available. So I decided to order a 10mm longer spring (i.e 160mm free length) in the same rate (700 lbs/in) from Springcoil and see how that fared. As it happened, they supplied me with two springs for the price of one (due to a cock-up in their ordering system).

The spring was duly fitted to the shock months ago, but it's taken me this long to get round to riding the bike with the uprated spring (don't ask...) The difference was revelatory - night and day you might say. Before the bike was crashing through the stroke on big bumps and bouncing off the bump stop. Now I hardly notice the bumps - the bike just glides over them, even two-up. The bike has a poise and a degree of stability and unflapability (is that a word?) that I've never experienced before. It really was a Eureka! moment.

So if you weigh around 11 to 12 stone and are still using standard Falco linkages, then I can heartily recommend using a 700 lb/in spring with approximately 10% of free length as preload. I'm using 15mm (approx) preload on a spring with 160mm free length and the results are sensational. This is with an Ohlins shock revalved to suit Falco linkages, mind you. I wouldn't expect the same degree of excellence when using the standard blue spring Sachs (shudder...)

And if you need a 700 lb/in spring with 160mm free length, then I have a spare. £40 and it's yours. It's powder coated red, which may or may not suit your tastes, of course.

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Greg
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#80 Post by Greg » Wed Aug 24, 2016 3:18 pm

I might take you up on the spare spring ..

Any possibility that you could let me know the OD as I'd need to check that it's going to fit my Penske ...

Cheers

Greg

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mangocrazy
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#81 Post by mangocrazy » Wed Aug 24, 2016 8:37 pm

Hi Greg, Inside diameter of spring is 59mm, Outside diameter is 83mm. I'd be very surprised if it didn't fit your Penske, as most shock manufacturers use the same size spring in terms of i.d. O.d. varies according to wire size.

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Greg
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#82 Post by Greg » Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:30 pm

ok, it sounds as though it's going to be a lighter spring for me - I've 'filed' my notes from the last measurements I made, but I think the wire diameter is about 0.5mm less than the current Penske's so it could just be about right for me..

PM me with how you want to be paid and I'll sort it out tomorrow..

Cheers

Greg

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mangocrazy
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#83 Post by mangocrazy » Thu Aug 25, 2016 6:24 pm

Hi Greg, it's a 12.5% reduction in spring rate from OE, but then I wouldn't know what the rate of the spring on your Penske is. Being US-based there's a good possibility that it's set up for 'generously proportioned' burger munchers... :smt003

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