Girling Shock Spring Colour Code

Anybody know how to interpret the colour code on Girling shock springs? I have one pair with a dash of green on the end of the springs, another with a dash of red, and another with a dash of yellow? I am pretty sure these are factory colour codes to indicate a spring rating, but I can't find any info that tells me what the colours mean. What would have come stock on a Commando?

Stephen Hill
Victoria, BC

Stephen Hill said:

Anybody know how to interpret the colour code on Girling shock springs? I have one pair with a dash of green on the end of the springs, another with a dash of red, and another with a dash of yellow? I am pretty sure these are factory colour codes to indicate a spring rating, but I can't find any info that tells me what the colours mean.

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I have the Girling spring colour codes, but apparently Girling identified their springs with three paint dashes.

Stephen Hill said:

What would have come stock on a Commando?

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According to the 065146 Norton factory manual: "Red/Yellow/Red = 126lb./in." (spring length 8.4" according to the Girling data for 126 lb./in, Red/Yellow/Red)

Like LAB said, Girling identified the 8.4" springs for Commandos with three color dashes on the ends. Standard was the red-yellow-red 126 lb. spring. According to Dunstall, the others were

100 lb - green-green-green
70/100 lb dual rate - green-pink-green
110 lb - red-blue-red
150 lb. blue-red-blue

Back in the day, I tried the 70/100 and the straight 100 springs on my Commando Production Racer, and settled on the straight 100 lb spring. For a single rider of average weight on a stock Commando, I think the 110 spring would be perfect for street riding. If you carry heavier loads, or a passenger, I'd stick with the stock 126 lb spring. If you're touring the country two-up with another 100 lb. of camping gear, you might want the 150 lb spring.

If your springs only have one splash of paint on them, they might not be Girling springs.

Ken