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I recently purchased a 2019 Yamaha R3. I knew the forks needed some help. The USD forks look cool and all but really aren't very good. I looked all over the place for a upgrade. There are plenty out there for the racer crowd.... Cartridge kits will run you about $1,000 - $1,300. That seemed silly to spend that much on a $5,000 bike? I looked all over the internet, and found ONE cost effective option: The Ohlins FSK-143 "street kit". The kit retails for $250. I installed it myself in about 30 minutes. I didn't even have to remove the forks from the bike. I've done plenty of forks in the past, I don't have any of the "specialty tools". I improvised with common tools, and strap around the front of the frame, hooked to a "come-a-long" hung from the rafters in my garage to support the weight of the bike, and used it to move it up & down as needed (you can see the strap in the picture).
I was surprised to see that Yamaha uses a "progressive rate" spring in the compression leg (left) of the forks. I took a picture of the difference in the springs. The "progressive" spring is the left one in the picture. Progressive rate springs aren't very common in modern sport bikes. They are generally used more in the "cruiser" market. They are more for a one-size-fits-all mentality, but don't really do particularly well at anything. The "straight rate" springs are much better in a sport bike (as long as they are the right spring rate for the rider- I'll get back to that). The spring on the right in the picture is the "straight rate" spring. The coils are all evenly spaced, unlike the "progressive rate" spring next to it.
What you get in the Ohlins FSK-143 kit:
-Four different rate springs- Soft (7.0Nm), Medium (8.0 Nm, Hard (9.0 Nm), Extra Hard (9.5 Nm)
-New spacer
-Upgraded Ohlins fork caps with an "air-release"
-Ohlins sticker kit
-Instructions with detailed diagrams
The OEM springs are about 8 Nm spring rate, and designed for about a 180# rider. I'm about 205#, and when with the 9 Nm rate spring. What you gain is a much "tighter" feeling front end. It won't wollow around in bumps, and provides a much more "planted" feel with the proper spring. I spec'd out the Ohlins recommended oil, and it's nearly the same weight as the Yamaha spec oil that comes in the R3. Since my bike only has about 500 miles on it, I didn't bother with changing the oil. I just dropped the kit in, and rode it! The $250 price tag seems a bit high for the parts you actually end up using (one spring, a spacer, and a couple fork caps), but the improved feel of the front end was well worth the $250 for me. I would recommend this kit for anyone wanting to upgrade the front end on a budget-
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![FSK-143-2.JPG]()
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![FSK-143-2.JPG]()
![FSK-143 -1.JPG]()
I was surprised to see that Yamaha uses a "progressive rate" spring in the compression leg (left) of the forks. I took a picture of the difference in the springs. The "progressive" spring is the left one in the picture. Progressive rate springs aren't very common in modern sport bikes. They are generally used more in the "cruiser" market. They are more for a one-size-fits-all mentality, but don't really do particularly well at anything. The "straight rate" springs are much better in a sport bike (as long as they are the right spring rate for the rider- I'll get back to that). The spring on the right in the picture is the "straight rate" spring. The coils are all evenly spaced, unlike the "progressive rate" spring next to it.
What you get in the Ohlins FSK-143 kit:
-Four different rate springs- Soft (7.0Nm), Medium (8.0 Nm, Hard (9.0 Nm), Extra Hard (9.5 Nm)
-New spacer
-Upgraded Ohlins fork caps with an "air-release"
-Ohlins sticker kit
-Instructions with detailed diagrams
The OEM springs are about 8 Nm spring rate, and designed for about a 180# rider. I'm about 205#, and when with the 9 Nm rate spring. What you gain is a much "tighter" feeling front end. It won't wollow around in bumps, and provides a much more "planted" feel with the proper spring. I spec'd out the Ohlins recommended oil, and it's nearly the same weight as the Yamaha spec oil that comes in the R3. Since my bike only has about 500 miles on it, I didn't bother with changing the oil. I just dropped the kit in, and rode it! The $250 price tag seems a bit high for the parts you actually end up using (one spring, a spacer, and a couple fork caps), but the improved feel of the front end was well worth the $250 for me. I would recommend this kit for anyone wanting to upgrade the front end on a budget-
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