Fork springs, 650 Seca, need some help

Going thru the bikes, checking wheel brgs etc, changing fluids. While changing fork oil on the black bike, pulled out spring and under the retaining cap was a spacer made out of PVC pipe 1 1/2 inches long, measured free length of spring and it's 19 1/8 inche3s long spec for free length in manual is 23.86 (call it 23 7/8) inches; is it possible for the springs to have sagged that much ???!!?? OR, from "back in the day" was there a fork mod for handling?

 

i doubt your springs sagged that much, but from way long ago i remember the springs in a progressive spring kit were shorter than stock and there were instructions in the box to cut spacers for different bikes, this could be what you have there

 

https://www.progressivesuspension.com/product/1465/fork-spring-kit

 

I clicked on the link, didn't tell me much, didn't say what free length was/is. The ones I pulled out are progressive wound, but stockers are also, at least as id'ed by the manual.
I don't really care that the springs I have are shorter and have a spacer in there; just trying to make sense of what I have. Guess I'll just put it back together with what I have, I'll eather like the ride or I won't.
This makes the silver bike interesting as an archeological comparison; it has less mileage, less likely to have been altered.

 

OK, I went back to link, down at the bottom of the page there was tech info in teny, tiny print. Looked up springs called out in the kit for a Seca, length matches mine, now just need to make sure spacer is right.

 

there is a phone number on top of page
call them

 

Already called it, they are closed for the day, will try tomorrow.