SuzukiSavage.com - Front suspension bottoming out.

WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #30 - 05/06/12 at 16:18:25 Too true. And going by the book the first time is a good way to learn the components. IF the book is right. And I'm NOT old (will be 40 in July).
Back to top	On 2 wheels since 7/87 Black and Chrome 2003 1950s style custom IP Logged

justin_o_guy2

Serious Thumper

Offline

What happened?

Posts: 55279
East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.

Re: Front suspension bottoming out.
Reply #31 - 05/06/12 at 20:38:16

"Old"?.. Ehhh,, sorry about that,, High Mileage? Experienced?

& yea,, before someone starts trying to go fast, they need to go thru the processes carefully, learning whats what & where it all goes,& Booy Howdy,, that oil pump drive gear is Right There, just inviting someone to mess up. Dang thing almost bit me,,cuz I wasnt looking at the manual,, but I looked & saw it just wasnt right,

Back to top

The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

IP Logged

bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #32 - 05/10/12 at 09:17:45 You can take off the fork caps,Drill a hole in the middle of them,Then tap the hole for regular air valves that will screw in,5 -12 pounds of air is all you need in them. You can't put to much air or you'll blow out the fork seals. I did it to a 1975 Suzuki 750 water cooled 2 cycle.It worked good .
Back to top	william h krumpen IP Logged

ralfyguy Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 932	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #33 - 05/11/12 at 04:59:53 My buddy had this on his '82 Honda Nighthawk. Every time we went for a ride, he aired up his front fork.
Back to top	IP Logged

bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #34 - 05/11/12 at 06:14:01 The pressure stays in the fork you don't have to air it up all the time.
Back to top	william h krumpen IP Logged

ralfyguy Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 932	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #35 - 05/11/12 at 06:47:24 Well seems as the bike was old, it didn't hold the pressure good anymore.
Back to top	IP Logged

Built2Last Serious Thumper Offline Tempt Fate Posts: 1447 FTF Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #36 - 05/11/12 at 07:19:32 Get air ride suspension forks and call it a day... ?
Back to top	IP Logged

spacepirates

Serious Thumper

Offline

Igni Ferroque

Posts: 515
Pittsburgh, PA
Gender: male

Re: Front suspension bottoming out.
Reply #37 - 05/11/12 at 08:14:47

I've always been a fan of front-end swaps. I'm in the middle of one now for another bike (not yet completed, decided to paint parts in the meantime...)

http://www.allballsracing.com/index.php/forkconvertion can help you find bikes with the same (or workable) steering stem bearing sizes. Pick a bike that is heavier or built to handle harder suspension loads (like a big cruiser or a sport bike) and swap everything from the neck forward. You can get a brake upgrade at the same time!

This would probably be a bit extreme though. If you got lucky you might be able to find a good front end on your local craigslist or ebay for a few hundred....

Back to top

--
Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #38 - 05/11/12 at 08:40:35 WD wrote on 05/06/12 at 16:18:25: And I'm NOT old (will be 40 in July). Old is 15 yrs older than whatever age you currently are... it's gonna' stay there,.. 15yrs out, your whole life....... ATF, is about 13wt... and excellent for forks...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #39 - 05/11/12 at 08:56:52 Built2Last wrote on 05/11/12 at 07:19:32: Get air ride suspension forks and call it a day... ? What is air ride suspension forks.
Back to top	william h krumpen IP Logged

arteacher Serious Thumper Offline Ride as if your naked and invisable! Posts: 2581 London ontario Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #40 - 05/11/12 at 13:30:26 bill67 wrote on 05/11/12 at 08:56:52: Built2Last wrote on 05/11/12 at 07:19:32: Get air ride suspension forks and call it a day... ? What is air ride suspension forks. Also known as cartridge forks.
Back to top	white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt IP Logged

greenmonster Senior Member Offline Hellooooo Nurse! Posts: 420 Vancouver BC Gender:	Re: Front suspension bottoming out. Reply #41 - 05/11/12 at 13:46:24 That's not really much of an option though is it? Didn't you just swap this front end?
Back to top	IP Logged

bill67

Serious Thumper

Offline

old tired

Posts: 8517
genoa city wisconsin
Gender: male

Re: Front suspension bottoming out.
Reply #42 - 05/11/12 at 15:47:49

arteacher wrote on 05/11/12 at 13:30:26:

bill67 wrote on 05/11/12 at 08:56:52:

Built2Last wrote on 05/11/12 at 07:19:32:

Get air ride suspension forks and call it a day... ?

What is air ride suspension forks.

Also known as cartridge forks.

I've had to Suzuki's with air forks they are nothing more than having a air valve on the fork caps.Just like I talked about making your own.

Back to top

william h krumpen

IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: Front suspension bottoming out.
Reply #43 - 05/11/12 at 15:58:39

Do you guys know why they specify a certain level of oil?

Let's see... the top is capped... it has seals on the tubes... oh! I know... I know! it acts like an air spring at full compression, but not at rest.

Add to the oil level, pressure at full compression will go up.
Add an inch of oil and try it out, don't go nuts and fill it up to the top, you'll blow your seals out for sure. You must have enough air space to fully compress the springs and then some.

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged

arteacher

Serious Thumper

Offline

Ride as if your
naked and invisable!

Posts: 2581
London ontario
Gender: male

Re: Front suspension bottoming out.
Reply #44 - 05/11/12 at 16:19:46

Put it all back together yesterday, took it for ride on some bad roads today (they are not hard to find around here) and the bottoming out problem is solved. I did not try to stand it on it's nose, mind you, but I couldn't get it to bottom out. I put a wire tie on one fork to measure travel and measured 4 ".
How I did it: 1" more fork oil, Progressive springs, and a seal on the fork cap bolt.
The ride is firmer and it feels more solid in corners.
Finally!

Back to top

white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt

IP Logged