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Ricor Intiminators

I know that some of you have put these in with the stock fork springs. I just want to make sure I'm looking at purchasing the correct item.

What else, if anything, will I need?

Thanks!

2 Qrts. of 5W Fork oil and the valves, you won't be sorry with the results/improvement, a buck seven t nine is the current item price, money well spent.

What Ryk said... Intiminators and oil. Great price too!

If you do it on your own get some PVC pipe to use instead of cutting the OEM metal tube. If you still plan on coming up here for it then don't sweat it. I have plenty left over.

Can someone post the link to the commentary thread on here that discussed wether the Ricors or the Progressive springs were best, or IF the two together worked best.

I've GOT to do something!

Ricors and stock springs has been the consensus so far.

Ok im not too bright on this topic,, what do these things do? do you have to get teh progressive weight springs or just add these to what you have?

I tried both as well, too much of a good thing, I guess. I read on here that they interfaced better with the stock springs and after replacing the O.E.M.s, I totally agree. BTW, Brent, Ricor will set up your valves to your specs (body weight, riding style, etc.), just for asking, prior to ship.

Yep Z, that is my plan, to invade yours and Karen's humble abode. I just wanted to make sure I ordered the correct item. I guess, I'll call them tomorrow.

Thank you Ryk and Z for the advice. I'm looking forward to this.

When I first got my Speedy, I was so p!ssed off and fed up I was going to sell the bike, 'cause I found the forks to be so crappy. The first time I tried out a test panic stop, the forks collapsed clear to the bottom of the stroke, then I got bucked clear off the bike at 0 MPH from the rapid re-extension, so I started looking for the fix, first, I raised the oil viscosity, meh, progressive springs, a little better, then I added the Ricors, with Prog. springs, way way too stiff, Then I read somebody here at BA.Com who stated the Ricors with the stock springs were the ticket, and they were right, I have experienced nothing but positive road feedback and decent fork damping from the install on. I would be riding another brand of bike, loyalty be damned, if I hadn't found the Ricor valves and the solution. So, to this day, I still have never owned any other make other than a Triumph.

Sounds like a definate must then. Ill add to the ever growing list! So as long as were on the subject, what rears are you all using with this set up? I have seen a lot of talk for the progressive's here and there. Way back I tried a set of teh JCW progressive weight shocks/springs on my yamaha xj. Felt like they lowered the bike (Probably my fault due to wrong length,, but might be cool on the America)and didnt have long enough to figure ride quality
due to a meet up with a town car.

I have the Hagon Classic III's.
I didn't know the stock shocks were crappy until I changed them.

Ricor is not the only solution. I have enough experience to know what a good suspension is. My personal working definition of a good suspension is one that I don't notice anything from while riding the bike that causes me to think about it or focus on it, in the conditions which I ride. I achieved that on the front with full-length Progressive springs, heavier blended fork oil, & PVC spacers.

Regardless of which methodology a person used to square away the problem. The real point is why did we have to do anything to make our forks on par with the ones Triumph was able to deliver from Meridian in the 60-70s. The money I spent should have gone into making good forks into great ones. In lieu of mediocre/p!ss poor examples, into somewhat better than average.

Well, I got 'em, I hope it was money well spent. So Z, what is you May looking like?
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I did allot of reading on these, sorry don't have the links, on this site and Triumphrat forum. They work best with stock springs, not progressive springs. I bought a pair of stock springs and sold my progressives to install the intiminators. I also go a set of Works shocks built for my weight. I set the sag on the front and rear. The bike just stays "planted" mid turn, best upgrade I have done to this bike. I like it so much I did the same set up on a Harley FXR I just bought.

Well, thanks to Z, I got my intiminators in and holy smokes, what a difference. The bike is noticeably stiffer than before, but corners and takes bumps without the bounce. I'm very happy, and looking forward to taking Friar's Ride with a little more confidence this year.

OK, I drank the Ricor kool-aid, & have a set on Intiminators awaiting installation. Instructions say to run the stock oil height.

Ricor rep also said to run the stock oil height on this bike & to use any quality 5w fork oil other than Bel-Ray...rep said that Bel-Ray 5w performs more like a 10w.

Any other suggestions?

You don't have to pull the forks to install, but you will never have as good an opportunity to completely drain and flush out the old oil, if you don't. I used 5w Amsoil, no complaints with the oil or the valves, two bikes and 38 thousand miles later. BTW, it's a lot more of an accurate read as to prior and new oil level, if the fork is plumb, straight up and down. Just depends on your definition of close enough.

Rather than start another thread I'll resurrect this one. I finally got around to the Ricor Intiminator install on my 07SM, glad I did. Pulled the tubes and did it right.

I went with the stock springs, stock spacers (uncut), stock caps, & Amsoil 5w fork oil set to 6&7/8" for my baseline. It is generally easier to add oil than subtract it, & adding fork oil is pretty easy with a fluid syringe.

My initial impression is that it is better than what I had before (see above). Much less harsh over the stuff that would jolt the prior version.

Glad I did it, and when working with suspension and brakes, glad I did it myself. Anyone with significant wrenching experience knows what I mean by that.

So far, I like it.

The thing about suspension is that it needs to be balanced. I am currently running 13" Progressive Suspension 444 shocks intended for a V-Max, with standard-duty springs (standard duty V-Max = heavy duty Triumph BA/SM) & heavy duty V-Max valving. I'm a relatively light guy, however the bike carries some extra weight (hardbags with guards, fender rack, center stand, footboards, lightbar, engine guards, yadda yadda)...with only approx. 3mm of preload, the shocks are taught but not harsh. These shocks would be great for a cookie monster or two-up. The spring rate & valving are almost too much for solo, at least the way I do it.

I am also running a 130/70 ME880 front tire, so when I reinstalled the fork tubes I raised the tubes (or dropped the trees) so that just over 4mm of fork tube is above the top tree (as measured with caps removed). And yes, I used a caliper to measure it, cause that's how I roll...

Put it all together & it impresses me as being a "sport cruiser bagger". I don't have a lot of miles on it yet, however I don't think the front end tuning & rear shock balance is optimal...yet. Hey...something else to tune!

So far I have added 10cc more fork oil to each tube and dropped the tree so that 7mm of fork tube extends above the tree (excluding fork cap).

There are no instability issues at highway speeds and the handling is responsive.

The above said, in order to optimize the front end I want adjustable fork caps. I think the current setup has too much preload.

The OEM spacers in my bike are 7-3/16" OAL. I cut a set of slightly shorter 7-1/8" PVC spacers & the improvement was dramatic. The harshness that I was attributing to the rear shocks on sharp-edged bumps were in fact coming from the fork.

Although PVC is relatively easy to cut, this confirms that I want easily adjustable preload on the front end.

Optimizing/balancing the suspension is certainly worth the effort.

Another interesting observation...there is approximately a 2mm difference between the free height of the port side & starboard side OEM springs/spacers/Intiminators...I don't know if that is due to the springs having taken a different set, or if there is a variation in how the springs are seated on the Intiminators, or a variation in the height of the Intiminators, or some combination thereof... I do know that the spacers are the same.

I will adjust for that when I get the new fork caps by either shortening a spacer, shimming the "short" side, or a combination of both.

I'll wait for the caps to arrive from the slow boat from Hong Kong before I do any further spacer cutting. That might take a few weeks...

I could not leave it alone & trimmed another 1/8" off the high side spacer...and cranked some more preload into the rear shocks...and it is getting better. Just goes to show that the harshness that I was incorrectly attributing to the rear was in the front all along...

Tracking info says that my spacers are now in-country, & I hope to have them soon. Less preload on the front & a little more in the rear & it should be closing in on optimum.

Got the preload adjuster caps installed & started a new thread here: Preload Adjuster Caps

I am now running about 32mm of sag up front (with me on the bike, sans-gear) & I like it. I don't know if that is optimal yet, but it is pretty darn good right now.

The Ricor s were the best cost effective upgrade I have done to my Speedy s. And you can ride over an obstacle at speed, that would surely dump your bike without the valves installed. I had a three car collision happen right in front of me, while doing 75 MPH on I-5, I laid on both brakes with as much adrenaline as I probably possess, locked up the front tire for a good 50-60 feet and came to a stop five feet from the wreckage in front of me in the upright position. Thankfully the cars behind me came to a stop in time as well. That was the last time I have followed any vehicles too close, no matter how the traffic is flowing. I still personally credit Intiminators for my current state of health and well being, after that experience.

B02S4, thanks for all the detailed experimenting and updates!