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02-03 R1 Forks

Started by drawkward, March 31, 2009, 04:10:46 PM

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Marsh White

Ha!  Good job welding up the the fork cap nut!  FYI:  The rear axle nut is the PERFECT size for front fork caps.  You can take the rear axle out and use a pin, screw or nail to keep the nut from turning (like the cotter pin), and a socket wrench on the other smaller side of the axle end!  I have a spare axle with the nut this way just for this purpose...but then again...I do NOT have a welder or any experience with it.  You did it much better...

drawkward

I think because I have until the end of April to get this thing running, I'm going to buy some fork oil after work and assemble the forks with the old springs to see if the rod being out of place was the culprit. I saw that racetech springs are only $110, which isn't that much at all for a new suspension! I'd just like to know that something else isn's bad too before I go ordering stuff. I'll keep you guys updated.

Marsh:

The bolt and nut I used were 3/4 SAE, so I had to grind it down a bit. The ACE hardware by me didn't have any metric that big. As for the welder, it's probably one of the best thing I have in my garage besides my motorcycles. I've already chopped the tail on my Buell and cleaned it up, welded gussets for frame sliders on the Buell, and my buddy is using it to convert his Sportster to a hardtail with it this and next week. It's a tool you'll have your entire life. Even though it sets you back a little on the money side at first, it pays for itself very quickly.

tqmx1:

I saw the cartridge emulators on RaceTech and I'm not gonna lie, installing that setup scares me a bit as I don't have any experience with suspension...although I guess I could man-up and do it. My friend will be taking the FJ on a near 2500 mile trip at the end of April with me and if I get negative feedback about the suspension I'll definitely look into it.
My other ride is the International Space Station.

racerman_27410

Quote from: drawkward on March 31, 2009, 11:53:39 PM
Thanks. I've come to expect this type of fast knowledge from you guys.

I was planning on buying these progressive springs:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200317021866&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123

But you guys think I should get a straight rate spring instead? Where would I go about finding these as no one on Ebay sells them from what I can tell. Is there a good place to shop for the FJ?

Thanks again


you wont be happy with those progressive springs..... they use the same springs to fit a ton of different bikes... most of them way lighter than the FJ..... i had some and they needed a lot of preload to get the correct ride height... less than a year later they had sacked out and i bought some straight rate springs to replace them.....trust me the straight rate springs are the best money spent on the forks.

traxxion dynamics or race tech have what you really want.

KOokaloo!

Frank

drawkward

Ok, I said screw it and ordered the RaceTech 1.0Kg springs for the bike. They're shipping today on UPS ground form Cali, so if God loves me they'll be here on Saturday.
My other ride is the International Space Station.

tqmx1

You won't have any problems. With the number of people and the instructions it will not be a big deal. :good:

drawkward

So, I'm hoping the springs will show up tomorrow sometime so I can get this thing back on the road.

I have a question though. I'm a pretty bulky guy at 260lbs. Would it hurt putting in a heavier weight oil (20wt)?

The guys at a local motorcycle shop said I'd be fine with it but I'd rather take your collective word on it instead of someone at a shop.

Thanks
My other ride is the International Space Station.

racerman_27410

no 20 wt. you want the forks to move...... the springs are what holds the weight up the oil just dampens the actions of the springs.

since the oil has to flow thru orifices in the damper rod you want it thin enough to allow the fork to move easy over smaller bumps..... heavy oil will essentially lock the fork when you hit bumps because the oil cannot move thru the small holes quickly enough..

10 wt should be fine..... 6 " from the top with the springs out and forks collapsed.

drawkward

Makes sense, I just wasn't sure how big a difference there was between 10 and 20wt. I'll go pick up some 10wt tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the reply.
My other ride is the International Space Station.

racerman_27410

when installing the springs try and get your static sag right by adjusting the length of the spring spacer that will come with the springs (about 30- 35% of the total travel with you on the bike )  then you can feel things out with the fork oil.....if the bike is pogo'ing around go up to 15wt ( i personally would not go any heavier than that maximum)  but i personally think you will be happy with the 10wt and the 1.0kg springs... that setup will deliver about as plush a ride as the FJ is capable of in stock form.


KOokaloo!   :good2:

tqmx1

I class it as the 3Ps Plush / Planted & Perdictable :good2:

drawkward

UPDATE:

Ok, the forks are back on the bike.

I installed the racetech springs today and there is new life-blood in the front forks. I measured out the spacers the way racetech suggests and I believe everything went ok.

The bike now has a nice new front suspension. However, I am still noticing some front end wobble during just about any corner. I am pretty confident that I installed the springs correctly (it's kind of a no brainer) and I used the 10wt fork oil that you guys suggested measured to the correct amount per the manual. Is this a property of the bike I should get used to or am I missing something??

Thanks for all the help so far!!

EDIT::I don't notice the wobble any other time I am riding the bike. I've had it up to 135mph (per the speedometer) and it was solid as a rock.
My other ride is the International Space Station.

tqmx1

How many miles are on your front tire? and was it run under inflated. Eather one can make the front end feel REAL strange.

If there is any question change it out and start out with somthing fresh :good:

drawkward

I literally have no idea about the history of the front tire besides the PO telling me that it didn't have "that many" miles on it, around 400 or so. It looks good and has plenty of tread. I've lost my tire gauge so I'll have to wait until morning to check the pressure. I've read elsewhere that low pressure is sometimes the culprit. The tire calls for 42 PSI so I will go off of that and see where it's at.
My other ride is the International Space Station.

Marsh White

Whoa!  42psi is pretty high for an FJ front tire.  I actually run 36; but I think most FJers run 38 on the front...

racerman_27410

if the tire is old it can have the same kind of feeling....


have you adjusted the steering head bearings on this bike?

try the 45 MPH coast down test..... (in a straight line) roll up to about 50mph roll off the throttle....loosen your grip on the bars (dont let go completely) and see if the handlbars/front end trys to wobble.... if it does then your head bearings could be too loose....bad tire and loose head bearings give the same kind of feeling..... JMO and you dont have to but its probably time for a repack the head bearings with grease anyway.....trust me its a lot easier to grease them than it is to replace them.... especially the lower head bearing race.. its not fun.

the easiest test if you dont want to risk the dreaded coast down death wobble is to lift the front end clear of the ground.... make sure there are no cables or hoses binding the steering movement. from steering center gently push the handle bars to the right .....the bar should just go to the stop and not bounce back off the steering stop. try the same thing to the left side.... they should flop easily just to the steering stop with no bounce back.

tighten adjuster nut until you get the desired results....after getting the "flop" right check for any notchiness or tight spots in the full range of bar movement....also be sure and dont tighten too tight as that can cause a serious weave in the chassis that is not very pleasant to experience.

these FJ's have few quirks but we know about all of them... once adressed you're gonna have fun


KOokaloo!   :good2: