.png "Powered by vBulletin")
The post on works shocks reminded me I should put up something on Fournales shocks.
I have a 78 GS1000 street modified. I have done lots of two up touring with full camping gear, single camping trips and solo riding. I bought the bike in 1980 (20,000kms), ran the original shocks until 1981 (49,000kms), put on Street Stokers until 1984 (85,000kms), at which time I put on the current Fournales. In between then I did try some Marzocchis (off a spare GS1000) but I blew the seals on them twice so gave up!.
The Fpournales a a full air shock, not just air assisted like the ones that came with some model Gs1000 (that reminds me, I did try a set of those too briefly when I bought a spare rolling chassi, but they were totally worn out and useless).
A s[ecial high pressure air pump is needed to adjust the air pressure to the right rate (like setting the preload) but I only invested in one of those last year, as the local tyre shop stopped keeping a pump. In fact I only ever adjusted the pressure once since 1984...but we we will come to that..
In a word, the Fournales are brilliant road shocks (not to be confided with ones you play with all day to set up for race tracks). Once you get the right pressure, thats where they stay two up, solo, loaded up etc. The design means they never bottom out, and are very compliant with varying road surfaces. The best I have ever used on gravel corrugated roads, especially rough high speed bitumen roads. (This comment applies to dual shocks, as I have not much experince with rising rate mono shocks).
I have never had the serviced since, 1984, I have now done 147,000kms. The oil needs changing as the damping on fast smooth roads is a bit soft (rear end moves around) and grip when I give it stick in lower gears is a little slippery (shock not keeping tyre on road). Even so, I know that if I hit a big bump at fats speed, the shock will not get out of control. Some years ago I was travelling back from a trip with lods of camping gear on, going a little too fast (somewhere over the 160kph mark) when I ran though an unexpected BIG road drain (huge big dip in the middle of a fast road corner!). I was expecting to go flying, so kept the power on..the bike sailed through without a twitch!
I also had an old Dunlop Touring Elite (actaully I stll have it on the original cast wheel) that I though was not very sticky when I had it on with the Street Strokers. At ride days on tracks the tyre would go off after a few laps and slip everywhere..this was when the bike was standard. I kept the wheel and put it back on with the Fournales after I hotted up the motor...on a ride day on a tight track (no more than 180kph) I gave the tyre stick all day and it gripped wonderfully! This made me appreciate how much suspension setup affects how tyres grip. I took the wheel off shortly after that...it had 20,000kms on it at the time. (In case you think I am perhaps a bit easy on tyres, Pirelli Phantoms used to last about 2500kms...nothing lie making those tyres melt!)
I have been far to complacent of late, and have allowed the good performance of the shocks even in a deterioting state to allow me not to get them serviced. Also, I don't push things so much, being happy to keep things on the safe side when approaching the limit.
If you want a shock for life I would recommend them. For A$328.50 20 years ago, and a service cost (oils, seals) of A$150 I think they are a good long term investment. Probably not the shock for someone who wants to adjust the shock continually to suit every different condition, but they will take eveything you can throw at them.
I have a 78 GS1000 street modified. I have done lots of two up touring with full camping gear, single camping trips and solo riding. I bought the bike in 1980 (20,000kms), ran the original shocks until 1981 (49,000kms), put on Street Stokers until 1984 (85,000kms), at which time I put on the current Fournales. In between then I did try some Marzocchis (off a spare GS1000) but I blew the seals on them twice so gave up!.
The Fpournales a a full air shock, not just air assisted like the ones that came with some model Gs1000 (that reminds me, I did try a set of those too briefly when I bought a spare rolling chassi, but they were totally worn out and useless).
A s[ecial high pressure air pump is needed to adjust the air pressure to the right rate (like setting the preload) but I only invested in one of those last year, as the local tyre shop stopped keeping a pump. In fact I only ever adjusted the pressure once since 1984...but we we will come to that..
In a word, the Fournales are brilliant road shocks (not to be confided with ones you play with all day to set up for race tracks). Once you get the right pressure, thats where they stay two up, solo, loaded up etc. The design means they never bottom out, and are very compliant with varying road surfaces. The best I have ever used on gravel corrugated roads, especially rough high speed bitumen roads. (This comment applies to dual shocks, as I have not much experince with rising rate mono shocks).
I have never had the serviced since, 1984, I have now done 147,000kms. The oil needs changing as the damping on fast smooth roads is a bit soft (rear end moves around) and grip when I give it stick in lower gears is a little slippery (shock not keeping tyre on road). Even so, I know that if I hit a big bump at fats speed, the shock will not get out of control. Some years ago I was travelling back from a trip with lods of camping gear on, going a little too fast (somewhere over the 160kph mark) when I ran though an unexpected BIG road drain (huge big dip in the middle of a fast road corner!). I was expecting to go flying, so kept the power on..the bike sailed through without a twitch!
I also had an old Dunlop Touring Elite (actaully I stll have it on the original cast wheel) that I though was not very sticky when I had it on with the Street Strokers. At ride days on tracks the tyre would go off after a few laps and slip everywhere..this was when the bike was standard. I kept the wheel and put it back on with the Fournales after I hotted up the motor...on a ride day on a tight track (no more than 180kph) I gave the tyre stick all day and it gripped wonderfully! This made me appreciate how much suspension setup affects how tyres grip. I took the wheel off shortly after that...it had 20,000kms on it at the time. (In case you think I am perhaps a bit easy on tyres, Pirelli Phantoms used to last about 2500kms...nothing lie making those tyres melt!)
I have been far to complacent of late, and have allowed the good performance of the shocks even in a deterioting state to allow me not to get them serviced. Also, I don't push things so much, being happy to keep things on the safe side when approaching the limit.
If you want a shock for life I would recommend them. For A$328.50 20 years ago, and a service cost (oils, seals) of A$150 I think they are a good long term investment. Probably not the shock for someone who wants to adjust the shock continually to suit every different condition, but they will take eveything you can throw at them.
Comment