2014 300RR Sachs fork help please!

[ian-cpt]

Hi - first post here... I just picked up a 2014 300RR and for my first decent ride I did a rocky hare-scramble on the weekend. The front end of the bike was all over the place - downright terrifying! I've just come off a stock 2014 KTM 200, and I was pretty happy with that suspension, but at the first sign of rocks, this 300RR is out of control, deflecting all over the place and feeling like my hands have been hit with an iron bar on big hits. Not good!

At 70hrs the forks didn't look like they had ever had a spanner to them, so were probably totally stock. I couldn't get sag on the rear with the standard spring, so took it in last week and we did a service of front and back, put in a 5.4 at the back and .47 in front (I'm 185b), with 5wt Motul. Everything I'd read about the bike seemed to say that the forks are undersprung, so maybe I jumped in too early on that, but these problems are far worse than being sprung too heavily. I want this bike to perform well in rocky, technical terrain.

So, we're about to start with a full re-valve with my local tuner, and I wanted to make sure we're starting from the right place. Do those spring rates sound right for my weight? The rear sag seems pretty good to me. What oil level is correct on these forks?

Engine is a peach, though! If I can get the front end sorted I'll be delighted.

[Enmerdeur]

Mine was the same until I sent it off to Stillwells. I weigh 175 and run .44 fork springs and a 5.4 in the back.

[Timber]

I would say you are close on the springs....maybe your a rate stiff in the front and a rate soft out back.....depends on your speed and preference. I'm 250 and like .50 in front with 1-2 mm preload and a 6.2 out back.

[twowheels]

At 70 hours the forks are well past due for service, but yes the 14 Sachs were known to deflect if they haven't been revalved. We've had good success with the Sachs, having revalved numerous sets, and we're making 7mm shims for them as well.

I'm going to suggest that your fork springs are too stiff by at least one rate, and the rear marginally so.

[ian-cpt]

At 70 hours the forks are well past due for service, but yes the 14 Sachs were known to deflect if they haven't been revalved. We've had good success with the Sachs, having revalved numerous sets, and we're making 7mm shims for them as well.

I'm going to suggest that your fork springs are too stiff by at least one rate, and the rear marginally so.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Regarding the rear - when we measured the stock spring it was just under 5.2 - around 5.13 or something - and I couldn't get sag at the back at all. I had it cranked right down to almost the end of the thread to stop the back end sagging down completely, which is why we went to 5.4. I'm getting much better sag values now, but the spring was brand new. I'll measure again this week.

On the front we may have gone a bit hard, especially for slower technical riding, but I don't think the springs are the primary problem. There's definitely an issue on the high-speed compression - both big and small hits - which are deflecting like crazy. So we'll start there. I guess it's going to be a process.

I'm in South Africa, so it's a bit of an unreasonable expense to courier the forks to the US and back for work, so we'll have to tackle it here and see how we go. My tuner doesn't know the Sachs stuff, but he's a very experienced and knowledgeable tuner and builds his own replacement suspension systems so I'm sure we'll come right.

What are the correct oil levels for the stock forks? Is 5wt too light?

[GMP]

At 185 lbs a 5.6 kg shock spring would be good, and allow less preload for 98mm sag. It will also keep the rear up more without having to compensate with too much compression and make the front bite better.

[dirtynenow]

Make sure your forks have a good midvalve and base valve. I didn't turn the locking nut all the way down before tightening my fork cap when putting heavier spring in. destroyed dampening rod and midvalve in both forks and the base valve in one. Was like riding on pogo sticks, forks clanked they extended so fast. I have noticed on the shock even with correct spring you almost run out of thread. Since then I have bailed on Sach suspension and I am now running KYB forks and mounting a Honda KYB shock. Not impressed with the German stuff at all.