SuzukiSavage.com - Front fork shocks springyness

Built2Last Serious Thumper Offline Tempt Fate Posts: 1447 FTF Gender:	Front fork shocks springyness 10/04/11 at 13:53:26 So how do you tell when your front shocks are going bad?
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data Reply #1 - 10/04/11 at 14:00:17 More or less, can't happen. Even been stories of people running around with no fork oil. Which I think would make it a bit bouncy or too soft. never heard of anyone's spring breaking or going flat.
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Built2Last Serious Thumper Offline Tempt Fate Posts: 1447 FTF Gender:	Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data Reply #2 - 10/04/11 at 14:14:45 Mine seem a little bouncy right now.. what kinda trouble shooting can I do?
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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data Reply #3 - 10/04/11 at 14:42:49 When you push down hard on the forks they should pretty much come back up and stop.
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Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data
Reply #4 - 10/04/11 at 15:53:48

Built2Last wrote on 10/04/11 at 14:14:45:

Mine seem a little bouncy right now.. what kinda trouble shooting can I do?

Check the fluid height.

When I did mine, of course all disassembled, fork standing on ground... let the top tube collaspe into the bottom, the oil will be about an inch or 2 lower than the top.

Sorry, can't be accurate, I just poured the sh!t in.

But clymers should have a measurement and procedure.

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Built2Last Serious Thumper Offline Tempt Fate Posts: 1447 FTF Gender:	Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data Reply #5 - 10/05/11 at 11:17:20 Ok, here's the deal: My front fork shocks can be pushed down (and they spring back up) as far as they can be lifted, so they're kinda in the center. Am I supposed to be able to pull them UP?
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data Reply #6 - 10/05/11 at 11:30:05 Have your forks been modified? Or are they stock?
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bill67

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Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data
Reply #7 - 10/05/11 at 11:39:53

Built2Last wrote on 10/05/11 at 11:17:20:

Ok, here's the deal: My front fork shocks can be pushed down (and they spring back up) as far as they can be lifted, so they're kinda in the center. Am I supposed to be able to pull them UP?

With just the weight of the bike,Once you pull them all way up they should settle down about 1 inch or little more.Yes you should be able to pull them up.

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Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data
Reply #8 - 10/05/11 at 16:00:31

bill67 wrote on 10/05/11 at 11:39:53:

Built2Last wrote on 10/05/11 at 11:17:20:

Ok, here's the deal: My front fork shocks can be pushed down (and they spring back up) as far as they can be lifted, so they're kinda in the center. Am I supposed to be able to pull them UP?

With just the weight of the bike,Once you pull them all way up they should settle down about 1 inch or little more.Yes you should be able to pull them up.

I'm good to go, don't even pull up an inch.. but they seem to have gotten springy...

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Front fork shocks springyness Reply #9 - 10/05/11 at 16:08:51 did you check the oil level?
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Built2Last Serious Thumper Offline Tempt Fate Posts: 1447 FTF Gender:	Re: Front fork shocks springyness Reply #10 - 10/05/11 at 16:53:57 verslagen1 wrote on 10/05/11 at 16:08:51: did you check the oil level? I have no idea how to do that, I just went out and looked the forks over and didn't see a gauge... and nothing in the OM....
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SurfJunkie Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 66	Re: Front fork shocks springyness Reply #11 - 10/05/11 at 17:51:38 PG 272 + of Chapter 9 in the Clymer manual has your answer.
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Re: Front Fork Spring Rate Data
Reply #12 - 10/07/11 at 08:21:04

Built2Last wrote on 10/04/11 at 14:14:45:

Mine seem a little bouncy right now.

"Bouncy" is relative. These bikes have very soft suspensions compared to, say, sportbikes.

The forks are bone simple. Damping is controlled by some oil passage holes. Those don't wear out. There are some bronze bushings that have a very long life. There are the springs, which are pathetically limp for anyone over about 120 lbs. And there are some spring spacers that are just steel tubes. Oh, and seals to keep the oil in.

So the only real variable is the oil. Do you have any leaks? If not, then maybe you should change the oil to a higher viscosity.

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Arnold Serious Thumper Offline The dude abides... Posts: 896 Westchester, NY Gender:	Re: Front fork shocks springyness Reply #13 - 10/07/11 at 11:45:17 Can the oil go bad and loose its viscous properties?
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Re: Front fork shocks springyness
Reply #14 - 10/07/11 at 12:18:49

I have no leaks, seals are fine from the outside.. I have fork guards.... I can't even raise the bars to an inch... I'm gonna have to wait till I have a garage and the Clymers manual to check or replace the oil... but they do push down rather easily. This is my first street bike, and I'm the second owner so I'm cautious about any lil thing... Wink

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