TRACK TESTED
Race Tech Gold Valves for Forks and Shock
Author: K3 Chris Onwiler
The Gold Standard of Suspension
 It could be said that Race Tech created the modern suspension revalving industry and the idea of custom setup when they introduced their Gold Valve kits in 1993. As with any groundbreaking product, competition sprang up promptly. Suspension technology has come a long way since then. Damper rod forks have been largely replaced by cartridge forks, with 25mm conversions and even full replacement cartridge kits coming into vogue. Standing in the shadow of these newer and considerably more expensive products, the once mighty Gold Valves have slid down the scale of desirability until they’re considered entry level at best or old news at worst. Many riders don’t realize that Gold Valves have undergone constant development throughout the years and are still a very viable choice for those desiring custom suspension. In fact, for many older or less mainstream motorcycles, Race Tech Gold Valves are the only solution available.
We decided to give Race Tech’s latest rendition of the 20mm Gold Valves a try to see how much of an improvement they would make over stock suspension. Our test machine would be the venerable CrankyApe.com Salvage Sweetheart 2006 GSXR 600. While this machine had already been equipped with an Elka shock and stiffer fork springs, the valving up front was still stock and was the weak point of the bike’s suspension package. To further our investigation, it was decided that we’d also use a Gold Valve kit to modify the Gixxer’s stock shock and see how it stacked up against the Elka.  Let’s take a moment to explain what we’re trying to accomplish with these modifications and why they’re necessary. Understand that suspension is by no means a one-size-fits-all proposition. For your bike to handle properly, it must first be sprung for your weight. If your springs are too soft, you’ll use up most of your suspension travel just by climbing aboard. Springs that are too stiff will prevent your motorcycle’s suspension from properly absorbing bumps. Obviously, any plan for suspension modifications must start with the proper springs.
Compression and rebound valving exist to control the oscillations of the springs as your bike’s suspension strokes up and down. The amount of valving required is totally dependant on spring rate. Valving that is too light for the chosen spring rate will allow your bike to bounce around like a pogo stick, while too much valving will restrict the suspension’s free movement. For this reason, spring rate and valving must be selected as a matched set in order to achieve proper suspension performance.
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