Fork service ?

Don't be skeered! Our changing suspension is because we want to. I have done it on all my bikes. Also, I ride more on the Sport side of the equation so I ride her pretty hard and aggressive. If you ride more on the touring side of the equation, you may love the stock suspension. Of course you should still change your fork oil as recommended/needed.

 

I've never ridden a bike that I could set sag for off the production floor, never. And I'm not a lardass either.

Stock suspension is shot at 10-14k, depending on the rider. And when I say shot, I mean it. Springs are needed for correct sag, OEM valving is usually crapola, and the fluid in the forks needs to be changed every 10-20 hours on the track, or 10-15k on the street. YMMV.

OEM shocks usually aren't worthy of being rebuilt so people buy aftermarket because they are a huge upgrade over stock and can be rebuilt countless times. For forks people usually change springs to get sag, or get the valving and springs done at the same time.

 

Let's not forget how awful the BMW suspension is! There are very few bikes that aren't in need of suspension work. You might be surprised to know that some of the high-end models need it the most. In this department probably one of the worst bikes I've owned has got to be my Ducati 1098. Great chassis - horrible suspension setup. The bikes with the best suspension from the factory, you ask? Early 2000's GSXR's with Showa suspension and Buell's with aluminum frames. That's about it.

 

Got back into the forks today and identified why the preload adjusters had no effect. Saw it immediately after unscrewing the cap. The new spacer outside diameter was perfect however the inside diameter was not large enough to allow the lower portion of the fork cap to pass. Therefore the fork cap was resting on the spacer about a half inch below the actual preload adjuster. Doh! This was making the spring have a preload of half inch more than full. Should have new spacer material and a 1.2 spring Friday or Monday.

Cant believe the Penske is already installed...yet I am still jacking with the forks!

 

Told you to just send them to Jamie. They'd be back installed already and you wouldn't be fooling with this

 

You send me $350 and I will send to Jamie tomorrow!

Also, there are very few who have 'messed' with the 1200 forks....Jamie included. I couldn't find anyone and only hyperpro progressive rate or ohlins for spring choices.

Racetech did offer me a 40% R&D discount since they have never seen the 1200 forks either. Again I just opted to do it myself and add the stiffer springs while I was installing fresh oil....only $93 total.

Now if Jamie wants to offer me a 40% discount ???

Nothing ventured nothing gained I guess. Also, after I figure it out it may be of benefit to other 1200 owners.

 

I have much experience with these forks - FYI. The VFR uses the same newer-generation Showa fork as many other models. The springs, valving, etc. are all parts that I have in stocks, no problem there.

 

Got the 1.2 and a new spacer installed and all is well. The ride is MUCH better! Is it as good as it possibly can be...probably not. But for what it cost and considering no additional work...it is sweet. Now the front and rear of the bike are balanced and the geometry is good. Certainly not possible with the stock fork setup and the Penske shock.

 

did the forks reqire full disassembly to install the springs ??? having it done next week...dealer said fork has to come apart, just checking....if so i'll do the seals while they're in there

 

There was probably a miscommunication of some kind. The tubes do NOT have to be separated for fluid change and to install new springs. Therefore new seals/bushings should not be necessary. If they are wanting to charge you extra for installing springs during a fluid change...I would look for another honest mechanic. Simplified but... unscrew the cap, drain and refill with oil, drop in new springs and reassemble.

If you want to replace seals/bushings just to be safe, then that is your call. But that does require complete teardown and costs substantially more than a mere fluid/spring change.

 

thnx , that's what i thought...the service mgr wasn't in on monday, so i'll talk to him tomorrow and get a real idea

 

Calling the springs 'drop in' might be oversimplifying a bit. But as you said, complete disassembly is not required.

 

Not oversimplifying if someone is already changing the fluid in the forks. You simply 'drop in' the new springs instead of the old ones.

 

Do you have to compress the spring to drain the oil?

 

Yepper, to take pressure off of the cap and unscrew the damping rod.

Some people simply unscrew the cap and pour out the old fluid. Not really good as you cannot get all old fluid out, hard to set correct levels and purging the fluid in the dampers.

 

The process for changing the fork springs is similar to what I show below with the exception that on inverted forks you need to compress the spring in order to remove the cap. I've found it much easier (and a net time savings) to remove the forks completely from the bike. Trying to work with them on the bike is a pain and can result in errors.

Daugherty Motorsports - Fork Spring Installation and Fluid Height Setting

 

thnx for the info guys, but i am taking it to the dealer to have the work done just wanted to get an idea of how big a job it was ($$$) my best skill as a mechanic is knowing my limitations...really need to get the springs in, if Dangerous Dave's 160 lbs was too much for the VFR's stock fork springs, you could imagine what my 240 lbs combined with NY potholes feels like !!! still want to do the whole revalving thing, Jamie, front and rear, i think it needs that more than the springs, but it's a start

 

That is a great plan - I wish everyone had the same attitude! There is nothing wrong with doing just springs but you really won't gain an appreciable amount of performance without a revalve. Taking a step-by-step approach is fine as long as you have the ultimate goal in mind.

 

well, the Ohlins springs are in the forks along with fresh oil...the wet ride home didn't tell a lot, but it feels better...tomorrows another day

 

Congrats! I am sure you will like it better than the stock setup. Be sure to check/set your sag before you ride. At the least set your free sag...it is easy to do and only takes minutes.