Factory Connection Suspension - Leesburg, FL

[jes]

I noticed that my forks were bottoming prematurely while pulling signs after the conclusion of the Eagles Nest Enduro.

To prevent causing any damage, I pulled my forks and shock and took them to the new Factory Connection Suspension shop in Leesburg, FL.  There I met with Brad Knight (who moved from the Barrington, New Hampshire shop where he had worked for Factory Connection for the last 9 years) and he asked me a battery of questions, designed to tailor the suspension to me. This is critical since every rider is unique in height, weight, riding style, ability level, terrain ridden and desired performance. For those who aren't familiar with Factory Connection, all six locations are company owned and staffed exclusively by Factory Connection employees. They service KYB, Showa, and WP forks and shocks.

To get the most performance bang for my buck, I decided to have my suspension revalved and completely rebuilt. I had also previously purchased Factory Connection springs based upon my weight (which I hadn't yet installed). Much to their credit, after looking at my answers and speaking with the owner of Factory Connection (who personally writes the shock specs), they determined that based upon my height (6' 4"), I actually needed a shock spring with a heavier spring rate than I had previously purchased on weight alone, and they simply swapped it out for the one I had at no extra cost.

Amazingly, they started working on my forks today and discovered that the oil had leaked completely out of the inner cartridges. This basically relegated my forks to nothing more than a couple of expensive Pogo sticks.

Needless to say, I'm very impressed with my experience to date with Factory Connection. I'll definitely follow-up on this thread after I get my suspension back and reinstalled on my CRF to let everyone know how it performs.

[jvann13]

did you drive to the shop or ship. i am looking to find a place that can help with the bike set up as well (testing on the bike). I spent a day at Hillard with dough back when he was still if FL and it made a big difference.

[gar]

I took my bike over to Don at Jacksonville Motorcycle Service (683-0498). I had no idea when it had last been worked on as it was new to me. He went through the front and rear suspension. Ended up by changing out the fork oil and recharging the rear,thankfully nothing needed to be changed. He also took my weight and riding style ( or lack thereof) into account and set the bike up for me. I was very happy with the outcome and he seemed reasonable on the price. Might be helpful to you.

[jes]

Feb 3, 2016 10:04:46 GMT -5 jvann13 said:

did you drive to the shop or ship. i am looking to find a place that can help with the bike set up as well (testing on the bike). I spent a day at Hillard with dough back when he was still if FL and it made a big difference.

I drove down, but if you call the toll free number (800-221-7560) they'll set everything up for you if you need to ship. 

One thing that I liked about Factory Connection was that they do not use computer generated spring calculators because these do not take all the factors and actual field testing information learned into consideration.

I personally thought that it was a great thing to have the common wear items replaced while my suspension was apart for service. The last thing you want to deal with is needing to send your suspension back because you opted to save a few dollars by not replacing common wear items like seals and bushings (which should be replaced every 40 hours to maintain optimal suspension performance).

Brad at Factory Connection called this afternoon to let me know that my suspension work was completed. They finished everything in just a day and half! 

Finally, there are many fine choices when it comes to suspension work, I just wanted to share my very positive experience with Factory Connection.

[jes]

For what it is worth, here are a few of the riders who have used Factory Connection suspensions over the years:

Bob Hannah

Randy Hawkins

Kevin Hines

Mike LaRocco

Kevin Windham

Trey Canard

Justin Barcia

Wil Hahn

Eli Tomac

and don't forget the Yamaha GNCC Race Team, and the GEICO Honda SX Team.

[bmiller]

Thanks for sharing your experience Joe. A fresh and properly tuned suspension really makes a difference. I bet you'll be amazed when you get it back.

To add another source into the mix, WMR is well known for their offroad suspension work, particularly on WP suspensions, and they are now giving club members 15% off all parts.

[jes]

Feb 3, 2016 22:19:45 GMT -5 bmiller said:

Thanks for sharing your experience Joe. A fresh and properly tuned suspension really makes a difference. I bet you'll be amazed when you get it back.

To add another source into the mix, WMR is well known for their offroad suspension work, particularly on WP suspensions, and they are now giving club members 15% off all parts.

Thank you Barry, I can't wait to try out the new suspension setup.

The deal that WMR is providing to RCDR members is incredible! A Company with a great reputation like WMR, combined with a 15% discount on parts, you can't possibly go wrong.

[jes]

I picked up my suspension today and they told me that they also increased the spring rate for the forks (based again on my height). I must say, everything looked great. It was obvious that they take pride in their work/product and my suspension showed their attention to detail.

Brad gave me a tour of the shop and I was very impressed with the equipment, spare parts, all of the various FC springs, and the incredible cleanliness of the service area. I also saw a number of Showa and WP forks and shocks that were finished and being prepared for shipping back to the customers. Finally, to top it off, Brad help me carry my suspension out to my car.

I have reinstalled everything and hope the RCDR lease will be rideable on Saturday (after all of this rain) so that I can report back on the suspension and how the recommended settings worked.

[jes]

I was able to get out to the RCDR Lease this morning and test out the new suspension and settings. One word captures my experience - Wow! The Factory Connection work and recommended setup was spot on for me!

I was only able to run a couple of laps due to a prior obligation, but I immediately noticed that the turning was really improved. The RCDR Lease allowed me to test it out on a variety of sections and terrain and I never found it harsh and never experienced any problems with the rear end kicking out to the side or up. The performance through the whoops was outstanding with the rear end following them perfectly. The Lease has one section that is an incline with nothing but Palmetto roots the entire way up. The new suspension handled it very well, just like the other sections.

I'm extremely pleased with the new springs, revalving, and suspension settings. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Factory Connection to anyone looking to have their suspension custom setup just for them. Seems like we have a great new suspension option with the Factory Connection professionals in the Leesburg, FL shop.