Race Tech Gold fork valves - anyone used 'em?

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#1 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:15 pm

Just been trawling around t'interweb, as you do, looking for possible Falco suspension upgrades, and I found Racetech.com. They have quite a bit of stuff for Falcos, not least of which is their Gold Valve kit for the compression circuit on Falco front forks. It appears to replace the standard valves/pistons (Showa forks only, don't list anything for Marzocchis).

I've heard a lot of people on other forums (particularly VFRs) raving about the improvement. Has anyone fitted them to a Falco, and if so was it worth it?

This is their page for the Falco:

http://www.racetech.com/evalving/englis ... me=english

Falco9 · #2 Post by **Falco9** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:25 pm

I always recommend Gareth @ Reactive suspension in York, He's done lots of falco's and the fork re-valve he does is superb

Do a search there are a number of threads, but in a nutshell he knows his stuff and does a 1st class job

F9

DavShill · #3 Post by **DavShill** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:35 am

Depends which forks you've got Mango. Showas are easier to upgrade and as F9 says Gareth at Reactive is the man. Marzzocchis (gold forks on the late run bronze falcos) are a more difficult and expensive to upgrade. They have complex internal cartridges. Someone on here, can't remember who, has had these upgraded but it wasn't cheap.

Falco9 · #4 Post by **Falco9** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:41 am

DavShill wrote:Depends which forks you've got Mango. Showas are easier to upgrade and as F9 says Gareth at Reactive is the man. Marzzocchis (gold forks on the late run bronze falcos) are a more difficult and expensive to upgrade. They have complex internal cartridges. Someone on here, can't remember who, has had these upgraded but it wasn't cheap.

Good point Dave, I hadn't considered he might have the Marzzocchis fitted, if so Mango, Dave is bang on as they cost a lot to re-valve and are a pig to work on

F9

#5 Post by **mangocrazy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:06 am

No, it's definitely got Showa forks. Despite hanging around unloved in a warehouse for four years, it is actually one of the early ones with the black frame (chassis number is low - under 100) and so they still had stocks of Showas I guess. So from what you say, I got lucky...

I've had a look on Gareth's site and it all looks very good, except for one thing. He reckons the Showa fork spring rate is about right, but to me it feels quite a bit too firm. Unless it's just ridiculously high compression damping, of course...

TreeTops · #6 Post by **TreeTops** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:31 pm

Can't comment on fork revalves but I had my rear ohlins shock serviced, resprung and revalved by Gareth and he was spot on.

Next week I get my ohlins forks serviced, resprung and the some superbike internals fitted by k-tech in Coalville. A touch on the costly side, but should be worth it with my excessive weight.

#7 Post by **mangocrazy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:18 pm

Yes, I've used K-Tech in the past and they're good. But they have got a bit pricier of late as word has got around about them. Hardly surprising, really...

HisNibbs · #8 Post by **HisNibbs** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:30 pm

I have a Race-tech upgrade to the Showas on my early Falco. The bike came with them so I can't comment on the difference. However I think there is a good range of adjustment and they seem to work well.

#9 Post by **mangocrazy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:53 pm

HisNibbs wrote:I have a Race-tech upgrade to the Showas on my early Falco. The bike came with them so I can't comment on the difference. However I think there is a good range of adjustment and they seem to work well.

Thanks - that's interesting to know. Well set up suspension is unobtrusive, I've found. It's only when it's not working right that you notice it.

Falco9 · #10 Post by **Falco9** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:14 am

I've always maintained having the forks re-valved was the best investment I made on my Falco, To me and way I ride it's all about trusting the front end (no....I'm fully aware I'm not Rossi) because I like to know whats going on... if you know what I mean?

I'll always remember the ride home from Gareths house, the initial thought was thinking "if I ran over a fly I'd know what sex it was" the improvement was immediate and they never lost that "feel" in the time I owned the bike. The other memory I had was how completely knackered the fork oil was at just 8,000 miles (not applicable to your bike Mango)

Gareth will be re-valving the Tuono forks & servicing the Ohlins for me this winter and I cannot wait to feel the difference (again)

F9

TreeTops · #11 Post by **TreeTops** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:37 pm

F*ck me... ohlins forks refitted into the RSVR after their visit to K-Tech, out for a spin tonight in both wet and dry weather... wahay the front feels excellent. It needs a bit more pre-load (already used 80% of the fork travel) and a touch more compression damping (working a touch low in the spring travel) but they are much better than before.

So new springs (10Nm rather than the stock 9.5Nm), new seals, fork oil and superbike shim stack fitted for £398 inc VAT and it's got to be one of the best mods I've done to a bike (including everything I did to the old Falco).

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend having k-tech shim stacks installed. Go forth to your local suspension specialist (k-tech, Reactive Suspension, MH racing) with your credit card in hard and do it. You know you want to...

#12 Post by **mangocrazy** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:54 am

Well, I've finally taken the plunge and ordered a set of Race Tech Gold Valves for the Showas. They arrived the other day (all the way from the US), and apart from the gouging by Customs and Royal Mail for import duties/handling I'm well pleased with them. I'm very impressed with the wealth of setup detail supplied, including a comprehensive guide to sizes and numbers of shims required in the shim stack for any given rider's weight and riding style.

Having said that, it now becomes apparent that what RT do with the gold valves is to massively increase the size of the ports (holes) in the valves so that it's the valving that gives the compression characteristics and not just the amount of oil the valves can flow. I'm guessing a very similar result could be obtained by simply enlarging or increasing the number of holes in the standard valves (or both) and setting the shim stacks to RT's recommendations.

I was also very impressed with the instructional DVD that RT supply, which shows you in clear step-by-step stages how to dismantle, overhaul, revalve and reassemble USD forks from Showa and Kayaba (but with major emphasis in Showa). No special tools other than a torque wrench are required, although having a proper workbench with vice (preferably with soft jaws) would seem to be a definite help. A degreasing unit and air line would also be handy, but aren't essential.

Of course, until they're fitted and I can test them out I've no way of knowing if it's going to be an improvement or not, but I'm pretty confident it will be. I'm going to do the work over winter and probably stick some Hyperpro springs in as well, so I'll report back as and when I do it.

Thumper · #13 Post by **Thumper** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:04 pm

Must be because I'm so heavy and had plenty of bad bikes in the past because I found the falco forks

fantastic....

Vinnie · #14 Post by **Vinnie** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:23 pm

Im 13 stone & think the Falco forks are good,I ride pretty quick which might have something to do with it,combined with a pre 2000 mille sach shock I recken its a awsome bike,my other bikes are a sorted 03 RSVR & a ex race R6 for trackdays & I run at the front of inters with it

#15 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:09 pm

Blimey - this is an old thread revived, resuscitated and reborn...

It reminds me that I never got round to reporting back on the RT Gold Valves and Hyperpro springs that I had installed in my Showa forks....

All I can say is that I have more faith in the Falco front end than I have ever had with any other bike. It tracks beautifully, isn't harsh in the way that the OE setup felt and feels completely controlled. I just get a feeling of being 'plugged in' to the front end, and it gives large amounts of confidence. I'm very impressed and would recommend that setup to anyone.

I'm not saying that the standard setup is bad, just that for me it felt over-sprung and harshly damped in compression. Other people could ride the same bike and think it was perfect, but it was just my personal opinion.