Hitchcocks Forum

As a 10.5 stone light - weight I find the rear springing on my new GT too hard, even at its' softest position. Has anyone tried the 'softer' springs offered on the website and if so how do they compare with the originals? Also, can anyone recommend a paint that is suitable for these springs as I see they are only offered in black - if I decide to change I would like to retain the original colour!

You got the sporty model. A real caff racer back when the riders were 8 stone dripping wet would have had shocks so hard you might as well have had a hard tail frame. I can't bottom the softest setting on the softer C5 with my 16++stone



You have several options - eat more, carry a pillion, change the springs.



Seriously - talk to Hitchcocks on the phone about spring weight and colours.

Just my opinion the factory fitted Enfield shocks are only fit for the bin. Our hosts supply a pair of Hagon's for your GT. Part number 92655

Papa beat me to it:) No disrespect intended to mr H but i would go straight to Hagons.

No doubt they will have build info on file for just such a set up, you would not be the first to inquire.

With details like your body weight, unsprung distance between fixings and intended type of use, they will bespoke your springs in any colour you fancy..

Give them a bell..

Gwilly, I went direct to Hagon's for the shockers on my Electra X(ish) because I needed a pair of shocks as short as I could get as part of getting the seat height as low as possible. (This will vary from bike to bike due to variation in manufacture.)
Hagons needed a specific measurement between the middle "eyes" of shock attachment points with the rear tyre touching the rear mudguard.
The ride was also a LOT better after I fitted the bespoke shocks.

One of the most notable things to improve my "rear shocks" was to take the torque wrench to the swinging arm (70Nm). It would seem that the slightest movement there makes the back end nervous. Rear shock dome nuts/bolts are 40Nm.


The CGT has Paoli shocks, the Hagons may be better, or as may be found on Bonnies the Paolis may be better; six of one half dozen of the other.



New shocks being an expensive hobby, I would try nipping up the self-loosening RE swinging arm bolt (with torque wrench!)



At my age I do not find the caff-racer position to be at all comfortable for anything other than a quick blast, which is I why I went for the C5 instead. The lean forward position caff takes weight from the rear of the bike which always makes the back end seem hard. Nipping up that swinging arm made the bike feel far more confident and meant I could stop clenching my buttocks every time I went over a catseye and relax, far more comfortable now.