Well, I was wrong about the springs, ChopperBill was right, as usual. I measured the
Spring wire diameter with my Dial Calipers, 0.368"
for both the H.O. and the SP. Both springs were 13 turns also, so they must be the same.(rear springs). Now we're talking suspension here, so if you're thinking clutch springs, try another post.
But the feel is so different between the two.
It must be the shocks. More gas charge and increased dampening for the H.O. I miss the Cushy ride of the SP (which I rode again yesterday) but I sure like the mid-range cajones (*****) of the H.O. I guess I can live with, and even get used to the more aggressive suspension of the H.O.
But I think I'll drop the tire pressure down to mimimum and see how my butt likes it.
Silly Later,,,,Fourlix

 

You may be right on both counts. First, gas shocks generally have stiffer dampening. Second, gas shocks are 'charged' and will carry some weight. I put gas shocks on the old pickup, and I was messing with one and undid the wire that holds them compressed. I weigh 190 and could BARELY get it compressed to get the wire back on. If the gas shocks in the SP act the same way, it will have the effect of stiffening the spring.

Maybe you could haul around an old anvil or something. The extra weight would counter-act the stiffer suspension

 

You could still buy the “softer” rear springs. Before I sold my ’99 SP I took the firm front springs off it to get it back to stock form, then installed the springs on my ’00 HO. There was a big difference in the strut inserts on the ’99 and the 2000. Don’t know about the rears but the fronts on my new one have a thicker diameter rod and are much harder to compress.