Front suspension - compression valves xt600
 

I need to service the forks on my 2001 model XT600 with 85,000km. When the bike is loaded and the tank filled up, the forks 'drop' about 1 inch. Somebody said I should replace the bushes coz they are worn. I replaced the original springs with progressive damping springs some years ago. Somebody mentioned I should consider installing compression valves also . But I'm not sure it's needed for overland type riding. Has anybody got any experience? Are they a good idea or unnecessary?
Thanks
Bruce

A set of progressives the next stiffer spring would work. 1 inch isn't much and is normal, they are supposed to have sag. The valves they're talking about work good on some brands but not so good on others, haven't heard anything about the XT's. You can go to a heavier viscocity fork oil also to stiffen them up some and/or more cc's of it. It will be sort of guessing and testing to see what fits your needs. The worst thing is to make it handle loads will make the forks annoyingly stiff unloaded.

racetech in the USA make the so called "cartridge emulators", thats really the only option for upgrading the fork valving. you'd have to check with them if they have a size that fits your fork

that said, they will have no impact on your static sag, they are more intended to smooth out harshness when hitting bumps.

personally, i am not a fan of progressive springs. Straight rate springs with the right rate for your weight is a much smarter option from my experience.