I'm in the process of replacing the fork seals on my '89 XT600, which I've had for about 2 months. I've never gone through this process before, but it seems pretty straightforward. I've been planning on replacing all the fork seals, but after removing the springs I'm contemplating replacing those as well. FWIW, the fork oil was absolutely disgusting, and the forks leaked badly and compressed very easily, so they needed some attention.

I believe they are the original progressive springs, and they look to be in decent shape. However, the PDF service manual I have (which may or may not be correct) states that the minimum length of the springs should be 18.4", but mine are roughly 18.25" (+/-1/32"). One is ever so slightly longer than the other, but not dramatically different. They are shorter than the manual suggests, but long enough that they still fully extend the forks.

So, should I replace the fork springs? I'm not necessarily opposed to buying new ones, but the OEM replacement springs I found are about $40 each, which seems pretty steep to me. Are less expensive aftermarket springs available, and if so, where could I find them (in the USA)? I don't really want to put $80 into something as minor as the fork springs, but I also don't want to have an unsafe bike.

Thanks for your help.