The topic of spring rate continues to be a contentious one among the many emails and comments I receive. As a result I continue to focus on the development of my spring rate estimator utility.
Most recently, I decided to stop turning a blind eye to the factors of sprung and unsprung weight. The topic is a tough one to breach given the wide variety of makes and models, of both motorcycle and shocks, that I deal with here. This in mind, I felt that the calculator was probably giving up more than it was gaining by ignoring these factors. After much consideration I decided upon using a generic factor for calculating unsprung mass. This mass is then subtracted from the bikes total weight whereby we then arrive at sprung mass. This should add a greater degree of accuracy to the calculator, though it still a tool for getting a rough understanding of your needs and choices.
Additionally, I have added spring rates from a wider variety of springs. This includes two TEC springs as well as a hard number for the RFY 8mm unit. I hope this added functionality will better aid people in their choice of spring.
The spring rate estimator utility can be found here.
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