Stop reengineering things. The forks work quite well with a rebuild and fresh fluid. If you are doing the swap for better brakes and beefier forks then go all the way with straight rate springs and emulators. That is a performance enhancement.
Thanks. Yeah, that's the plan actually. I got the 550 as a non-running parts bike, and the fork stanchions are toast. I have some GL1000 forks with calipers that are in good shape, but too long. The GL are 2.6 inches longer than the 550 top to axle center, and I want them the same overall length. Since I'm doing custom length straight rate springs with emulators, stanchions, stainless lines, and new 16mm master; the absence of a rebound spring was one of those perplexing little things since other models of the same year, and the 1100 all had them. I always find it odd when there is an outlier, particularly when direct metal to metal is involved.
It's something of a resto-mod, with no cuts/welds, so it could be returned to stock if someone were so inclined, and I have all the original parts. Most of it is original, but with a ton of elbow grease added. Overall rake/trail/offset will mirror the 550, keeping the look of the 550 as much as I can, hence not running a CBR front end but with improvements where technology allows.