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Air front suspension? Toolkit location?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Birdman
  • Start date Start date
B

Birdman

Guest
I have two questions (or groups of questions, if you will) concerning my '79 GS1000L:

1) How can I tell if it has an air-spring front suspension, and if it does, how do I adjust it? It's a bit soft, and dives just a bit more than I'd like when coming to a stop. (if it's NOT an air-spring suspension, how do I get it to "stiffen up" a bit? Add Viagra to the fork oil?)

2) Where was the toolkit originally kept on the GS1000L, and was it in a sort of box or just a standard-type tool roll? What tools originally came with it? My bike didn't have any of the standard roadside-repair tools (or any tools at all, much less an owners' manual) when I got it.
 
You can easily see if you have air-forks by looking at the top of the forks, if there is a "schrader" type valve on the top nut you have air, if not you don't! If you don't have air forks the correct way to stiffen them up is to fit stiffer springs, but if you fit spacers on top of the standard springs it will make it stiffer.
The tool kit was located behind the seat, in the rear bodywork, just in front of the rear light. If you open the seat up, you will (or should!) see a flap at the rear which reveals a small compartment. The standard toolkit originally was in there. On older bikes the toolkit is often missing. I used to keep my waterproof trousers in there!
The standard toolkit had a 2-way screwdriver (1 handle with a double ended blade, 1 flat & 1 posi), 10/12 & 14/17 open ended spanners, a box or tube spark-plug spanner & a ring-type spanner to fit the axles, c/w extension handle. If you had air forks their used to be an air gauge as well.
 
Well, doesn't look like the GS1000 "L" has a compartment as such, though the seat does come off. I've looked at photos of the other GS1000 models, and they all look like there's an "extension" of sorts behind the seat, on top of the fender, which the "L" models don't have. So, looks like I'm back to stage one...
I'll have to check for the valves. There is a funny sort of smallish nut on top of each fork arm, projects out at an angle. Wonder if there's a Schrader valve under them...?
 
Yes, the valve is under the nut. 10-12 psi is what Suzuki recommends for the 1000E. Your L should be similar. The fork volume is small, so you will lose a couple psi just by removing a standard gauge. So factor that in.
Put in about 14 and after the release of the gauge you'll probably be at 12.
Get them as close as possible. Use only a tire pump or small pump.
NEVER use compressed air at the station, etc. It fills the fork so quickly, you can/will damage the seals. Also, don't put more than 10-12 psi because it's hard on the seals. Some people run Progressive springs with less or no psi.
 
Man #-o I hate trying to get between 10 and 15 lbs in my forks, Like you said the volume is so small, if you don't get a good seal on the guage you have to fill it again ](*,) There has got to be a better way of doing this, it takes me like about 10 minutes to get them right!
 
Suzuki used to sell a loss-less air tool for filling and checking your forks. You see them pop-up on the eBay every once in a while. There's another compnay that makes one too. Can't remember the name right now (I've been doing that alot lately). Those are more commonly seen on the 'Bay.
 
Thanks, all! Won't have time to work on that until tomorrow (work and all that. Gotta be able to support my Suzuki habit... :wink: ). Hope my seals are ok!
 
Pressurizing Front Forks

Pressurizing Front Forks

I tried for years to get accurate front end suspension tuning with a bicycle hand pump and a standard tire gauge. Mostly because I wasn't willing to shell out $250 for the Suzuki Air Gauge (09940-44110). I found a great pneumatic suspension with a built in gauge for less than $20 on-line. I don't remember who I purchased it from but I've included the manufactures web site below.

www.progressivesuspension.com

I highly recommend you buy this or a similar product.

Kurt
 
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