So, my next step is to upgrade the suspension on my V. Here is what I am thinking. If you have any advice or feedback please let me know.
1. Steering Stem Bearings
2. New fork seals (one if mine is cracked and leaking fluid)
3. XS 650 Cartridge emulator from Mike's XS (from what I read in other posts this should fit right?)
4. '83 rear shock
I've been scouring ebay and have yet to find an '83. Is there a visual way to tell the difference between the two? If I remember right the '83 has better damping. I would like this and I am also thinking about finding a stiffer spring to put on it. My '82 sags quite a bit even at the stiffest setting and bottoms out easily. I imagine it is just old and worn and cant handle my 210 lbs.
Does this look like a complete list? Like I said, any advice is appreciated. 8)
The 83 shock has a plastic adjusting dial around the top of the shock. This adjusts the damping. Preload adjusts the same as the 82 pogo stick.
H2O
Tben, '83 shocks are scarce , just keep looking. You shouldn't need a heavier spring I have my '83 shock set on the next to stiffest setting and I'm 245. I believe Fox made a shock for the vision , but these are even more rare.
The picture of kiwi's emulators that are the # for rz 350, look perfect. The one from the xs 650 are the one's I put in my forks. They maybe, could of benifited, from a little better adaptation to the top of the damper rod. At the time I bought them I paid $150 to get them. Mike must have bought a BUNCH of them to be able to sell for $ 49. If I was going to do it again, I'd gladly pay, $ 49
For a cost effective shock, Extent's conversion makes sence. For example I just replaced the non rebuildable shock on my xr 200r, with one of an older xr250, that is rebuildable, and it also has rebound and compression damping. I got it on ebay for next to nothing and had it rebuilt, total cost $150
I 've got a Triumph T600 shock on mine. Needs a few mods to fit but pretty basic really. I can send you instructions if you're interested.
I just sent Fox an e-mail asking if they would do a run of the shocks for a group order.
I use their stuff on mountain bikes and I think it is tops.
One thing that does not seem to be considered here is the fact that all of these shocks are 26 years old! It does not matter if you put an '83 shock on - because it has long out lived it's usefulness.
Can the '83 shock be rebuilt? I thought that the '82 could not.
If it can't be rebuilt, you will be trading beans for beans.
I have put the Works shock in my bike to great effect. I know that Night Vision has an after market shock in his '82 that makes his bike handle like mine. Both of these alternatives are rebuildable!
This is a more expensive option but will actually do the job at hand.
Food for thought.
P.S. I could not bring myself to throw away my old shock I have it still in the box with most all of the parts I have taken off of the bike over the years.
Good luck,
jv
I got a nice response from Fox, but it would have to be a pretty big group buy (in the thousands of units) to get them interested.
ha
Joe , not all shocks (even 24 year old shocks) receive the same use (or misuse), my 83 shock is so much better , than the 82 pogo stick it came with. The 82 shocks I had ranged from 17,000 miles to 35,000. and all were awful. They were awful when new. I'll keep looking for a T600 shock, and be glad to have a '83 shock for now.
If anyone would like my pics of my conversion, please e mail me at
pickteam@xnet.co.nz
I will compare the T600 length to the Vision shock length tonight. I think it is marginally longer but has a seperate remote damper mechanism.
I think an RZ350 shock may/will fit. With a stiffer spring and damping adjusted to match it may be a viable option.
My 83 shock also still works excellent and is probably a better street shock than my Fox shock. This one was a twin clicker and came with a spring. $550.00 in 1990. Springs to stiff for the street.
I had an older Fox shock (single clicker) which used the stock Vision spring. It was much more compliant and was amazing the difference good damping could make in what had been a pogo stick. I sold it with my original Vision in 1987.
The 82 XZ550 is 12.5" long
The 83 XZ550 is 13.5" long
The 84-85 RZ350 is 11.5" long and for a linked suspension so I'm not so sure that would work so good.
On SmokeBomb, I have a single clicker (on the remote reservoir) Fox Shox that I got rebuilt... Kenny has the same. It's a good shock but I believe the clicker adjusts only the compression, not the damping (rebound)
The problem, as Glen and others found out, is the 12.5-13.5" length.... there's not a lot of other good shocks that are that length.... Triumph does seem to be the closest match, Ducati might be a touch short, but again, these modern shocks are designed for linked suspensions so I don't know if their travel and spring rates would be compatable... Glyn seems to like his.
Then you get into eye diameters and mounting widths.... Glyn has worked around that.
The last I saw, a Works Performance shock, like Joe V's was $350.00
Wilbers makes a kickazz shock for maybe $550-$600?
A group buy on the Wilbers would be more feasible than Fox, so it seems... but I don't invision a lot of ROVers willing to put a $600 shock on their $500 Vision ::)
yeh but then they would have an 1100.00 Vision right?
Good handling for 600.00 is not expensive really. Doesn't matter what some schmo on the street would give you for it. You still have to be the one to trust the bike.
Just found yssusa.com. They make suspension components and a type of cartridge emulator in many sizes.
Quote from: kwells on February 08, 2008, 01:58:54 AM
yeh but then they would have an 1100.00 Vision right?
Good handling for 600.00 is not expensive really. Doesn't matter what some schmo on the street would give you for it. You still have to be the one to trust the bike.
agreed.... I have a "price point" of $1750 for a "personally" restored/refreshed/updated Vision...... I realize others may not see the value, but I don't care..... where else can you find a bike like the Vision in the $1500-$2000 price range? Check eBay and see whats out there.....
that's why I didn't mind putting a $900 exhaust on my $150 "StinkBomb" project bike... even with the $300 Euro paint set, I'm ..... well, then there was the...... and then the ..... ah, who cares!!!!!!!!
NV, when I replaced my 82 shock with an 83 I checked the length and it was exactly the same, no difference. I remember someone in posts a few years back saying that the 82 and 83 shocks were different sizes so I made a point to check it when I changed mine. My Canadian 82 and the US 83 shock were exactly the same length ????
Any idea what might be up?
those lengths were from the Works spec sheet.
But I did stand an 82 shock up against an 83 the other night and the 83 was longer....
didn't look like a full inch, but it was definitely longer.
I will have an 83 shock available in a couple of months.... but don't get too excited. I has a small rust spot on the chrome plunger and will come complete with a broken toothed adjusting ring...
The ring isn't a big deal, I don't know if the rough spot would make it unfunctionable or if it could be polished out.... I figure I'll put it up for auction here and donate the proceeds to the site... whatever it's worth...
I didn't compare the two when I installed the '83 shock, but I had to lower the jack , supporting the swing arm, to get it in place, just a bit.
Quote from: Rick G on February 07, 2008, 12:46:57 AM
Joe , not all shocks (even 24 year old shocks) receive the same use (or misuse), my 83 shock is so much better , than the 82 pogo stick it came with. The 82 shocks I had ranged from 17,000 miles to 35,000. and all were awful. They were awful when new. I'll keep looking for a T600 shock, and be glad to have a '83 shock for now.
I did not mean to give the impression that "all' old shocks are done. If there is no sign of leakage and the unit has low mileage on it then you may get some more use out of it. One thing I have learned about shocks is that the rarely just give up the ghost. They wear our progressively and if you are riding it often you will adjust to the varying effectiveness of the unit.
I have literally replaced hundreds and hundreds of shocks and struts in my life and well know that all shocks/ struts are not created equally.
I let my shock go until 20,000 miles on my V. I was impressed that it lasted that long. I have never compared the 82 to 83 shock so I can't speak to the improvement of the switch. I personally don't think I would change the geometry of the bike because I have never thought that the 82 had any handling problems. (except for the head bearings)
I am very interested in the cartridge emulators though! Has anyone actually installed a set yet?? I have the progressive springs in my bike and think that the improvement is significant to the OEM springs. That said, I don't think that the Progressive Springs are the be all end all set up. I do think that maybe the combination of the two may be the ticket!?
I guess all we need is the specs of our forks to see if there is a set available? I would love to do more research on the matter.
Ciao for now,
JV
P.S. suspensions are near and dear to my heart. I feel that I have got mine very sorted. I would do anything to make it better.
P.S.S. my '07 bike is faster and more stable than my V but... it's not as much better as I expected it to be. The Vision was and is ahead of it's time.
JoeV, I really enjoyed reading your comments, especially your feelings that the V didn't have much in the way of handling deficiencies with exception of the ridiculous (read:cost cutting) ball steering head bearings.
My personal experience ('83V) is much the same. Two particular incidents really stand out. One of them involved a very attractive stretch of nicely paved straight road that I had just discovered but never ridden before. Seeing as it was very rural and had no traffic, I began a speed run. I was passing through 80 mph with WOT when I discovered that although the road was well paved and straight, it had some serious undulations. As soon as I realized what I was into, I cut the throttle and lightly posted on the pegs. Meanwhile, the forks were bottoming out twice in quick succession...bam..bam. I prefer a plush ride to scraping pegs so the air forks were pressurized to 6 psi and the OEM mono shock was set to max rebound dampening and lightest spring preload. The steering head bearings were caged rollers and the fork seals were and are OEM. I estimate that the bike had about 50k miles on it at the time.
I can't speak for others, but I'm pretty sure most riders would say that if you're bottoming out you're forks at 80, you're probably fixin' to have a bad day. My V never twitched or showed any sign of instability throughout the entire event. The OEM forks seal do not leak to this day and they still hold their 6 psi of air for years without leaking down.
Needless to say, this event really impressed me and greatly increased my confidence in the bike. So much so, that a couple of years later, I was getting air at 100 mph in the Texas Hill Country. The suspension was set as before and I had discovered another long, straight, well paved rural road. Except, this one was obviously a roller coaster. So, I decided that it would be fun to make down hill speed runs to see how fast I could get the bike up to. However, it seems that I misjudged how close the crests were together when you're cruising at 100 mph. When I topped the first hill, the bike left the ground under perfect control and lightly landed on it rear wheel shortly thereafter. I was so jazzed about doing this that I kept on going and jumped the next two hills also. Then I turned around and did it again.
I was a little younger and crazier then and, given a similar opportunity, might not do such a thing again. But, then again, depending on how I felt at the time, I might. I know the bike would be ready. It's things like this that really bond you to the V. But with all respect, there's the distinct possibility that the Lord, not I, was in control on those days.
Back to V rear shock improvements, it seems to me that the best option for improved rear suspention lies in the method pioneered by Extent (I think. Please forgive if I'm wrong). His modification opens a whole range of shock applications and requires no permanent modifications to the bike.
Cheers to all.
Quote from: Night Vision on February 07, 2008, 06:14:45 PM
The 82 XZ550 is 12.5" long
The 83 XZ550 is 13.5" long
The 84-85 RZ350 is 11.5" long and for a linked suspension so I'm not so sure that would work so good.
On SmokeBomb, I have a single clicker (on the remote reservoir) Fox Shox that I got rebuilt... Kenny has the same. It's a good shock but I believe the clicker adjusts only the compression, not the damping (rebound)
The problem, as Glen and others found out, is the 12.5-13.5" length.... there's not a lot of other good shocks that are that length.... Triumph does seem to be the closest match, Ducati might be a touch short, but again, these modern shocks are designed for linked suspensions so I don't know if their travel and spring rates would be compatable... Glyn seems to like his.
Then you get into eye diameters and mounting widths.... Glyn has worked around that.
The last I saw, a Works Performance shock, like Joe V's was $350.00
Wilbers makes a kickazz shock for maybe $550-$600?
A group buy on the Wilbers would be more feasible than Fox, so it seems... but I don't invision a lot of ROVers willing to put a $600 shock on their $500 Vision ::)
Night Vision, I put an '83 shock on my '82...they are the same length. I don't know where the difference on 1" came from....they are the same length eye to eye ! But I have seen different lengths available from "Works Perf."
I don't really think I've done much of note suspension wise. I did run with a 636 shock on the rear for a while, but I'm certainly not the first to do something like that.
The basic measurements that I did for the shock adapter are good, but I want to wait till I have a more accurate way of machining the spacers and such before I put it all back on (hacksaw and cheap-o drill press left things not quite perfectly straight) replacing the lower bushing with something properly sized for the Vision mounting hardware I think would be pretty important (rather than my crooked drill job)
Quote from: jasonm. on February 10, 2008, 09:13:22 PM
Night Vision, I put an '83 shock on my '82...they are the same length. I don't know where the difference on 1" came from....they are the same length eye to eye ! But I have seen different lengths available from "Works Perf."
I stand corrected... I went back into my freezing garage and checked them again... The 82 shock was set on the highest preload and the 83 the lowest... when I set them the same... yes they are the same length... duh :P
JoeV: I have XS650 emulators from Mike's in the mail. I'll be putting them in and replacing my for seals as soon as it comes.
Quote from: Night Vision on February 10, 2008, 10:21:38 PM
Quote from: jasonm. on February 10, 2008, 09:13:22 PM
Night Vision, I put an '83 shock on my '82...they are the same length. I don't know where the difference on 1" came from....they are the same length eye to eye ! But I have seen different lengths available from "Works Perf."
I stand corrected... I went back into my freezing garage and checked them again... The 82 shock was set on the highest preload and the 83 the lowest... when I set them the same... yes they are the same length... duh :P
See, I wouldn't mislead you.
Quote from: tben on February 11, 2008, 01:42:49 AM
JoeV: I have XS650 emulators from Mike's in the mail. I'll be putting them in and replacing my for seals as soon as it comes.
Great. I hope it's marked improvement! Keep up posted.
jv
I put an '83 shock on the '82 I had(shouldn't have sold it!). Kept me from getting thrown off the seat on the big bumps and dips. The '82 shock has NO rebound damping at all! I still have that shock on the shelf with only 5k original miles on it...better for a dune buggy than a 'cycle.
I keep my '83 damping set on "4" .
Before I was accustomed to my '82 shock I nearly got launched into oblivion going over a speed bump. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll find an '83.
The Cartridge Emulators came two days ago. I have been dissasembleing them and figureing it all out as best I can. What I've gathered is that it has adjustable damping but the rebound is the same as stock. They have an free flowing rebound valve so rebound is controlled buy the stock holes in the forks.
can always change your viscosity
Yes, it's the compression damping where the problem exists in the old damping rod forks. The emulator valve allows for letting more oil get by when you hit a sharp bump, lessening the jolt from the wheel compression and delivering more compliant suspension. The rebound works the same over a sharp bump or a soft undulation as it has the same compression rate (the spring) pushing on it regardless of a quick compression or slow compression. It makes sense that it would be set up that way.
I am very interested in seeing how this works out for you tben, so appreciate the info you are sharing. I would like to get my hands on a set of these myself.
CDNL
If it works it was a steal for $50 at mike's xs. I haven't seen Race Techs emulators in person but the machine work on this looks good.
Has anyone tried these. http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk/HagApps8.htm
I am thinking of using Hagon for the rear monoshock and for front progressives.
Paul
you won't find too many folks here that have an aftermarket shock.... there are a few, but I don't think anyone has a Hagon...
you can search here for lots of info on just about anything you ever wondered about
www.advrider.com
Don't forget the fork brace people, that's a must have upgrade.
now, if only we could find some....
Quote from: Paul@Sheffield on February 16, 2008, 04:51:54 PM
Has anyone tried these. http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk/HagApps8.htm
I am thinking of using Hagon for the rear monoshock and for front progressives.
Paul
I researched them because i understand that they are a much higher quality than the Works Performance shock that I ended up with. If I remember correctly they do not have a unit for the Vision. I don't think I asked them about price for a limited run but I did go into it with Ohlins and they were talking $1500/ unit. (I do not cheap out with my V but that is over the realm sensible)
Tell us if you can get any info out of them.
Ciao for now,
jv
joe, they list the XZ.... around 255 pounds / $500 .... FOC (free of charge?) shipping in the UK
Quote from: Lucky on February 16, 2008, 08:20:18 PM
Don't forget the fork brace people, that's a must have upgrade.
now, if only we could find some....
Does anyone have a line on these? I'd definitely like like one but don't know where to look. 8)
One could probably get a machinist to fab up a fork brace. Really its just a yoke with caps on the sides...
Quote from: inanecathode on February 17, 2008, 01:54:29 PM
One could probably get a machinist to fab up a fork brace. Really its just a yoke with caps on the sides...
I'm going to try fabbing one out of two hub clamps and boxed out sheet metal. If it turns out well, I'd be willing to make a small run of them for ROV members.
I put a set of cartridge imulators in mine, I believe they were for a Kawasaki KX80, as they have 35mm forks. They come with three sets of compression springs, I used the middle ones with just alittle preload, and 10w fork oil. The damper rods all have to be modified as you have to eliminate the original compression damping by drilling out the holes in the bottom of the damper rods. If you are using the orignal springs shorten the spacer by the same amount as the new valve is high, so you will have the same spring pre load. I have installed imulators in several sets of forks and they have all worked much better than stock. Damper rod forks all seam to have too much compression damping, and not enough rebound, If you ues lighter oil then you have less compression, and no rebound. They are worth the trouble, but they are not a drop in deal. I use a Hagon shock for the rear, It was about $300 in 1998, It fit all Visions 82 on, you can adjust spring pre load, but not damping, And it is 100% better than anything Yamaha installed on the bikes. They are still available, look on Hagons web site.
Ken G.
A guy not far from me advertises Hagon in the mags...he is a Hagon dealer. The site says adjustable damping= yes. He is in Bethany, CT.
Ya know I did call that guy. I remember now. I seem to recall a lot of hemmin and hawin but no deal. I would like to know if someone actually gets one of these things I think they will be great.
jv
Motoracer: I am curious as to what the cost of the emulators were for the Kawasaki? The 3 spring kit sounds like a good option for setting up desired damping rate. What year Kawasaki was that? Any other modifications necessary when you did it?
Having a few options is great and trying to make some comparisons is of course hard to do without the bikes all being together, but giving your feedback is helpful, thanks for sharing the info.
Louie
P.S. It would be great to have some comparisons for the Hagon (and the like) shocks. These are the most critical upgrades we can do for our Visions.
What is a Triumph T600? Do you mean a Triumph TT600? or a Triumph T595?
I cannot find any information on a Triumph T600. Any help is appreciated.
Still seems to be a few Triumph T600 shocks on E Bay. For those wanting to have a go at a conversion I can send you a scan of my construction notes for the adaptors. I did not really ride the bike that much with the std 82 shock fitted so hard to compare, after all these years, the magnitude of the improvement. It certainly corners well with no head shaking etc however. I'm now on pickteam@xnet.co.nz if anyone would like the scans.
I am wondering if anyone has some comment on emulators or have recently installed a set and have a favorable source for them? ???
Just thought I would dig this post out again as I would be interested in locating a set of emulators as I need to rebuilt my 83 front fork set this winter so it would be a good time to do it.
Take a look at mikesxs.com, he has some for 49 bucks. I have them on my vision, as well as my xr200. They give you a way to have adjustable compression damping. These may not be an exact Race Tech, emulator, but if I needed another set, I'd buy those.
Thanks for the recommendation. :) That's a great price for sure. For regular driving (ie. not requiring frequent suspension tuning like at the track) these would not doubt be a great improvement to any damper rod fork. By the way, what firmness setting (if this one has any, Ie. washer stiffness) did you end up using on the Vision?
I am interested in doing my XVZ1200 Venture Royale with something like this as well so I really need to try one and get my head into the possible applications to other bikes. I am wondering what range of fork tube diameter Mike's emulator might be used on. If you have the installation instructions from the kit scanned somewhere that would be very cool (now I'm getting too hopeful ::)).
And of course do you have any pics of your install,for inspiration?
Thanks for good link!
CDNL
Yep it is called a TT600 I believe. My shock is off one of the earlier models.
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(http://www.traxxion.com/store/images/ProdImages/SVDR.jpg)
Here is what a emulator looks like on top of any, damper rod. This company makes this coversion for the SV 650. A vision damper rod can be done the same. Mikesxs has the emulators for fifty bucks, and with a little work to a vision rod, presto-change-o, you have the same thing.
Cdnlouie, I don't remember if there was a specific year for the KX80 valves. I have installed several sets of Racetech valves over the years in my own, and others motorcycles. Racetech makes specific aplacation valves for many bikes. Some of the old relics I work on are not listed, so I measure the inside of the fork tube and get the ones that I can install with the least amount of machine work. The damper rod (tube) all have to be modified as the new valve will now take care of the compression. Sometimes the top of the damper rod has to be modified so the valve will set flat. The RZ350 valve may be the one to use as the inturnals of the forks are very simular. I have installed the imulators in several bikes that run in AHRMA events, Elsnores, YZ's, Ceriani, and Bator forks, all are 35mm OD. but sometimes the ID. varies, The KX 80 valves seam to work with the least amount of machine work.
Ken G.
Thanks Supervision and Ken for the great info :). I would sooner be informed from your experience before getting into the process myself and this is very helpful. I think this is a productive area for Vision suspension upgrades and hope to gain a bit of experience with it myself. I wish we had this technology back in the seventies.
Ken (or others), I would like to ask :-\ what potential special tools might be required to attached the emulator to the top of the damping rod. I have the usual shop tools and can open up the damping rod for oil flow quite easily but attaching the emulator may require something special. I am sure I can have it done as long as it makes sense to do so.
I am looking forward to this ;),
the picture I put up, is an example of a company doing some machining of the top of the damper rod, for a perfect fit. In my opinion, it is not totally necessary for it to be a perfect fit. the emulator just rests on top of the rod, then the spring goes in on top of it to hold it down. The presure of the spring against it keeps it tight aginst the rod. the only tool that is handy to have is one of those long three prong, graber gismo, so you can remove it for adjustment. You need to stick that down in the fork tube, to fish the emulator out to make an adjustment, as needed.
Now that's a good thought ;) about the tool SV, to get it out for adjustment, as that is going to take a few tries no doubt. On the subject of adjustment are there different washers or some sort of tension adjustment on the emulators?
What did you end up using for your particular rider weight and fairing (or no fairing setup). Did you use the stock oil viscosity or find lighter or heavier oil for your preferred riding style?
Cheers
The washer is spring loaded, adjusting the spring preload makes it easier, or harder, for the oil to unseat the washer, for the oil to flow. I am currently running 15 wt oil. It is too thick, and will be changed soon.
The spring idea is a good one ;). Do you have any number of turns or notches to establish an initial setting? I am prefering 10wt (Bel-ray fork oil) in mine with the stock setup and about 1cm additional preload on the 82 spring. It is a very plush ride and I am using all my available travel without bottoming out nor diving into the corners. Now compression damping would just be extra nice.
Stock, our forks use a hole to provide the compression damping. They work, OK on low speed movement of the fork. The problem is when they try to react to react to a fast movement of compression. At that time the forks feel harsh, because a bleed hole can only pass oil so fast. That is what the emulator can provide,when it is knocked off it's seated position, by fast movement of the fork, and allows fast passage of oil. Today I made a change to 7/12 wt oil, and went for a ride, it was very good. I used Bel Rey 5wt and 10wt to make the 71/2wt. I had 15wt before.
Smooth working forks are a real treat for riding ;D. I can't think of a better place to spend some money and time. I have been working on my touring bike (Venture Royale) and the Vision to get the best setup for my type of riding. I am ready for an emulator setup.
I am wondering if you have done anything to reduce stiction in the forks? I have tried a couple of ideas which involve buffing the chrome tubes externally and the springs as well. Reducing the binding of all the moving parts really adds a smoothness to the fork operation.
On my upcoming retrofit I need to figure out how to buff out the inside of the lower tubes and smooth out the inside of the fork tubes. So far I have polished the insides with fine sandpaper but that is a bit difficult to do. Just buffing the chrome tubes (with a buffing wheel) and spring that rubs on the inside, did make a significant reduction in stiction. You can see the fork operation glide smoothly even on small pavement bumps which translates into a real nice ride.
Keep posting your tweaks as it sounds like you are having fun :). I can live vicariously through my California buddies ;).
stiction on mine was misalignment of the forks. This was due to a slight binding caused by the fender not installed properly. There was an article in MCN on how to check this. It made my forks react great at all speeds. I use 0w30 mobil1 in my Vision forks and 5w20 in the Venture(0w20 may be better). These give more consistant damping at all temperatures.
I was pleasantly surprised ;D to see that http://www.mikesxs.net/ has a Canadian site out of Stratford, Ontario. This sure simplifies the border issues and the extra shipping costs. Both sites ship for free in the US and Canada. That makes his emulator a pretty good deal. I have a set on the way so it will be fun to see how this works out.
As you have experienced Jason, front fork tuning is a very worthwhile job, stiction is a serious issue and it is real important to check the forks and their movement and watch for binding as each piece goes together. Some of the best improvements just take some TLC.
I picked up the emulators and took a look at how well they fit on our damping rods. These are a great price (1/3 the retail price) and look identical to the Race-tech brand. Unfortunately, it appears that our rods are a bit larger (diameter 2mm) than the XS650 and I don't exactly like the idea of the emulator floating without a secure lateral fit :-\. I would think that they will bang around against the inside of the tube unless they are fitted with an adaptor into the damping rod.
I am not sure how SV did his here, but I am thinking about adding an adaptor or machining the rod out to fit the emulator valve (inside) and hold it in place better. I am thinking a 4mm depth cut would give a nice little indent to hold the valve (and make a nice seal too), otherwise you would need to weld a washer to the top, with the proper inside hole size to catch the inside raised ridge and hold it in place that way. Two possible approaches and one that I think necessary to keep the valve from walking around inside the fork tube :-\.
Getting the valve to sit squarely in the damping rod will be important for it to work to its full potential. I picked up a Race-tech valve for my Venture (next project) and it suggests adaptors for different styles of rods including the flat top rod on the Vision. The xs650 valve should work but it really should have a proper fit to the damping rod.
Not sure what someone may have done in this regard but thought I would post my concern for this particular valve :-\.
Cdnl
Remember, the spring holds the valve down in the center of the rod, the less than perfect, connection becomes your low speed compression damping, as well as the tiny hole in the emulator body. When high-speed compression happens, that's when, the adjustable emulator, spring, preload , comes into play. For me it was necessary to go down to, 9 oz, of 7 1/2 wt oil, and only 2 turns of preload, against the spring. I am using, cut down, stock 82 springs. I cut off 4 coils and it gives me good ride height for 200 lb rider.
My bike also has fork boots which are slowing the movement some, as well...... diner is ready, gota go,
I appreciate your thoughts SV on the fit ;). I am going to try for a better seal and more firmly positioned emulator if I can get the damping rod modified to suit and then adjust for ride. I love the idea and look forward to the performance of this damping system.