damaged front forks.... upgrade or repair?

[madmax3022]

hi i've done almost 28000kms now but even though i know nothing about forks or suspension setup/fork-clamp setup i feel the front end now reacts differently to when i first got it, as we all do i have tried doing the odd wheelie and probably twice could say that i thought it landed a little harder than would be good for them........ i asked a friend is it possible the forks have moved in the clamps? but was told the forks are pretty strong and could handle coming down hard. It would have been less than half a metre high when it came down but as i never have had the front up and was not used to it popping up i shut the throttle fast and it came down quick. could i maybe have damaged the valves inside the forks? when leaning into corners now it feels a bit unsettled and sqirrely, i'm not sure what is going on but all i know is i feel a lot more nervous when leaning into a corner and not totally confident with the bike

[matt1986vf500f]

Originally Posted by madmax3022

hi i've done almost 28000kms now but even though i know nothing about forks or suspension setup/fork-clamp setup i feel the front end now reacts differently to when i first got it, as we all do i have tried doing the odd wheelie and probably twice could say that i thought it landed a little harder than would be good for them........ i asked a friend is it possible the forks have moved in the clamps? but was told the forks are pretty strong and could handle coming down hard. It would have been less than half a metre high when it came down but as i never have had the front up and was not used to it popping up i shut the throttle fast and it came down quick. could i maybe have damaged the valves inside the forks? when leaning into corners now it feels a bit unsettled and sqirrely, i'm not sure what is going on but all i know is i feel a lot more nervous when leaning into a corner and not totally confident with the bike

are you sure it's not in your head?

[jasonsmith]

or your tires?

[TOE CUTTER]

When was the last time you change your fork oil?You may be suprised at how fast it makes a change in how your bike handles.

[madmax3022]

it's not in my head when the bike is squirming underneath me when i go over a bump in the corner..... what tyres would you reccomend? how much would it cost to change the oil?

[34468 Randy]

I have 76,000 km on mine and have never changed the oil in my forks. Am I negligent here folks?

[matt1986vf500f]

i am running the BT016's on mine and i love them get corning tire.

[SLOVFR]

Originally Posted by 34468 Randy

I have 76,000 km on mine and have never changed the oil in my forks. Am I negligent here folks?

Time to change the oil Minister.

If it feels bad in the corners I would start with air pressure 36 front 42 rear. Then check tire profile and if are cupping and worn then replace with a good set of Metzlers M3, Pilot Powers or similar. Change fork oil and while forks are off bike lay down and tun tubes on forks to see if the are bent. Put it all back together and set your SAG settings and ride.

[Lgn001]

Originally Posted by 34468 Randy

I have 76,000 km on mine and have never changed the oil in my forks. Am I negligent here folks?

Yep. You should feel terrible...

New forks, in particular, shed a lot of minute metal bits as the surfaces wear in. The grunge that settles to the bottom is scary, and the oil sometimes resembles dirty mop water the first time it is drained.

Like TOE CUTTER already said, the difference with fresh oil can be amazing. Also, there is always the possibility that a large piece of grit can be clogging one of the damping shims, which would definitely make the front end less stable.

[TOE CUTTER]

I must also mention the head set is an item to look at. If you ride hard and bang on the front end as described, you must service these items as needed or .......before needed.

[34468 Randy]

Well then oh shit. This fall it will be a tune-up and iold change, Change the clutch fluid, service the brakes, change the shock oil and a new set of tires. Probably a new battery to boot. Sure glad I am saving fuel money by not driving the truck to work. WTF else you guys want me to spend my money on. I'm gonna resign from this forum. It is costing me too much money.

Can I get a buy back in clause?

[Lgn001]

Originally Posted by 34468 Randy

Well then oh shit. This fall it will be a tune-up and iold change, Change the clutch fluid, service the brakes, change the shock oil and a new set of tires. Probably a new battery to boot. Sure glad I am saving fuel money by not driving the truck to work. WTF else you guys want me to spend my money on. I'm gonna resign from this forum. It is costing me too much money.

Can I get a buy back in clause?

You could always give up scotch... wait, what am I saying?!!! OK, a reasonable compromise; you could always drink really cheap scotch. No, that doesn't work either...

Sorry, bud. You're screwed!

[34468 Randy]

Originally Posted by Lgn001

You could always give up scotch... wait, what am I saying?!!! OK, a reasonable compromise; you could always drink really cheap scotch. No, that doesn't work either...

Sorry, bud. You're screwed!

You want me to give up cigars too you stabard?

Will have to look at the Hanes manual and see how much of this I can do myself. I can see stepping back for a cigar and a scotch break being frequent.

[reg71]

Did you check your seals to see if you blew one? Look for oil leaks around the dust cover among the other things the guys mentioned. If you are considering upgrading the springs or valving, then this is the time to do it, otherwise just taking it apart and chainging the oil and making sure everything is all straight would probably serve you fine. I am pretty sure we have a how-to on doing the forks here on the board somewhere. Anyone?