Cal,
I may not be an expert in the field of suspension but I have read a lot on the topic and have a very good feel for a well setup bike. I spend a lot of money on high quality components and even more time and effort tuning for a spirited pace.
To make a statement like "I understand that you might be looking for a further reduction in spring rate. A lighter weight spring is not available from FOX" is unacceptable. I'm not looking for a lighter weight spring. I require one! At 193#' I'm not a light fella and I can't even get close to 20% sag with the lightest weight spring offered by FOX. The right responce should have been, "A lighter weight spring is currently not available. If you would be interested in helping with spring recommendations, we will wind a variety of lighter springs and ship them to you. Find the best spring for your application and return the rest. Thank you for your assistance, FOX Racing."
That's the professionalism I expect from a leader in the high end performance suspension business.
Am I wrong?
Jim - nobody is questioning your knowledge or precision. I was only asking two things: why you felt their reply was insufficient, and, had you ridden the bike yet to experience the setup.
I get the pre-ride tuning and adjustments your trying to make (unsuccessfully due to their springs). I'm not sure I'm in complete agreement with your assessment about their reply though. It goes to economics after all. If you're among the first or only to respond with unsatisfactory results from their product, I can't honestly see them effort ing spring development based upon one use case. Perhaps they do need to retune the shocks, or develop more applicable springs. It may be as others have said that they assembled this product using "other existing components" but altered to fit the frame. I don't know.
I can't see a large company investing in development efforts for one street rider when they have dozens/hundreds of pro racers in all disciplines to use as testing and feedback. Maybe a street shock for our SOHCs isn't a viable market for them?
Either way it ends up, I'm sure you're disappointed that it didn't work out. But fortunately you have the Works units to reinstall to recover your riding season.
Good luck and happy riding!