A change in dogbone will require a spring change on the shock.

 

Why? I have known several people who didn't change the spring.

 

Check these out.................

http://www.tricktape.com/search.asp?7=lowering

 

Thanks but those particular ones lower the bike.......I want to raise it........I think I'll just buy some barstock from Home Depot and try making my own

 

Homeslice said:
Why? I have known several people who didn't change the spring.

If you are swapping out a dogbone and you aren't changing ride height, then no, you don't need a spring change. But most dogbones I known of (aftermarket) are going to affect the ride height, thus you usually need a spring change. I did.

 

Needing to change the spring falls under the * it depends* catagory . I couldn't get enough ride height to keep from decking out the Skorpion with as much adjustment as available form the WP shock so I went with new links and it's all good now . YMMV

 

If you are swapping out a dogbone and you aren't changing ride height, then no, you don't need a spring change. But most dogbones I known of (aftermarket) are going to affect the ride height, thus you usually need a spring change. I did.

Dogbones change the ride height, yes, but they don't change the shock travel or the distance to bottom out or anything like that. So I don't see why a spring change is necessary. What would it accomplish?

I am someone who is aleady happy with the spring rate I have ----- I only want to raise the ride height. Dogbones can do that.

 

I suspect that changing the dogbone, alters the ratio of wheel travel vs shock travel. And that alters effective spring rate.

 

How so? If you change the ride height with a dogbone you are not changing any of the geometry related to the lever ratio. There is no difference in doing this or adding washers between the shock and mounting point. Now, if you canged the lever ratio or the lengths of the pivot arms then this would affect the ratio's, but changing the dogbones should not.

 

Ok, I can speak from experience on this. YES you will have to change the spring if you change the shock linkage. If you're thinking of doing this on your own, then you're seriously on crack. Changing the shock linkage will change the way the bike handles because it changes the geometry of the bike. I special ordered mine from Dan Kyle, and he copied his directly from HRC. You then have to put on a much softer spring because the geometry change makes the spring stiffer. I had 2 different springs, one for the stock linkage and one for the HRC linkage. They were VERY different. If you left the spring on that went with the stock linkage and put on the HRC link, the rear of the bike wouldn't even move it would become so stiff. Likewise, if you left the spring on that went with the HRC linkage and put the stock linkage back on, the bike felt like an old worn out cadillac rollin' over bumps.

Back to the crack part... If you don't find a linkage specifically made for racing and changing the geometry of the bike, then DON'T do it. Don't even begin to think you can make a better linkage than the factory can. Just "raising" the bike doesn't mean much if you don't know exactly what you're doing and the exact #'s you're trying to reach. If you want to add some ride height, either get a shock with ride height adjustability or if your shock allows it (most modern bikes do...don't know about the SV though) add some spacers to raise the rear. BUT DON'T MESS WITH linkages unless you know what you're doing.

I'd suggest going over to the WERA board and asking them. The SV is a VERY popular race bike and I'd say that someone out there might make a linkage for them. Heck, just ask Huey130 here, he builds SV's for pro race teams.

 

I am only talking about the dogbones......not the entire linkage. You seem to be talking about the knuckle and the rest of all that stuff that connects to the frame. That is staying stock. Only the dogbones would change. And there is a company that sells them for SV's too. Matter of fact, look at the link Rezin posted......it's the same thing. Longer dogbones lower the bike, shorter ones raise it. As for their effect on the spring's stiffness, well, if you're a heavy guy, then you probably wouldn't mind if the spring got stiffer. Likewise, a lightweight rider wouldn't mind if his spring get softer when he lowered the bike. People do it all the time, or else there wouldn't be a market for the products Rezin posted.

 

I don't know just how those will affect the handling of the bike. They're stictly for "raising" and nothing else. Anyone out there will attest to the fact that the lowering links turn the bikes handling into pure dog s**t. But honestly, I don't know. Like I said, go over to WERA and ask the guys that race the bikes day in and day out.