A shocking question!!

[styxer]

Not really, it doesn't even have to do with electricity. But it does have to do with the shocks on my forks. I may be freaking myself out:shock: , but I was talking to a fellow rider the other day who was in an accident. It appears his fork seals blew out and well, he went down...bad. Anyway, I've been thinking that my fork shocks may not have enough pressure in them as I can hop on the handle bar and compress them most all the way in of thier normal operating range. So this is a two parter. 1) I looked at the book to see the parts i may need to order and am not sure what a basic kit to redo the shocks would consist of. Like are the "fork seals" just underneath the dust cap, cause i see several 'seals' in the diagram? 2) Can I regain pressure in the shocks by putting more oil? grease? in the top inputs? It seems to be made that way. Its a '83 GS650 GLD (Shaft Drive). Any help would keep me from wigging out about rididing like this. Thanks!!!

[max]

My 81 GS850 has a valve I can add more air to my shocks, making them softer or firmer. Its located by the choke. Look into it...

[spyderrocs]

to do a rebuild you need; fork oil, fork seals, and maybe upgrade to a progressive if you want the front end stiffer. I dont know if you could go down because the seals blow out because theres a big spring there. The oil helps slow the rebound, its the spring that holds up the weight.

[DimitriT]

Stock springs are way too soft. Especially if you are a big guy. If you are bottoming out your springs you have a few options:

a. add a spacer to increase the preload - a spacer made from a short length of PVC tubing and a couple of flat washers is added to increase the preload on the spring - this will stiffen it up. It's the same as selecting the preload setting on your rear shocks.

b. go with Progressive fork springs - these are beefier and will not bottom out - you will still need to preload them with a spacer.

I put Progressives on my 550 as it was bottoming on me when I grabbed the brakes. I love them. The handling is much better and I feel more conflident.

You do not need to remove the forks to do the above items but on an old bike you may also want to change the fork seals and replace the oil. You can swap the springs and add spacers by removing the dust seal on the tops of the forks and taking out the snap ring holding down the top seal with a small screwdriver. Replacing the oil can be tricky as you have to get the levels exactly the same. You also have the option of using a heavier weight oil to give you more dampening. Search the forum for threads on disassembling the forks. Some people like to get them fully disassembled and cleaned but its not a trivial task.

Do you have a shop manual (like a Clymer's). They go through the process of changing the fork oil pretty well.

[styxer]

Thanks guys,
Max, I checked my bike and it doesn't have that adjustment.
Dude Spyderrocs, you just set me at ease. thanks man Dimitri, I'm not really a big guy, only around 180lb. I actually meant kinda jumping on the front forks to bottom them out. I do have a clymer book and think I will use your advise on the seals. I am just partially freaking myself out. But if your from littleton ma you know what these n.e. roads are like and scathed highways.

[snowbeard]

check the very tops of the tubes by the handlebars. there should be a cap on each one, when you remove the cap, it reveals an air valve just like on the tires. you want a very small syringe type pump to set the air pressure, a bike tire pump has way too much volume to get it even. a built in guage is a nice thing too...

you might not recognize these as air valves with the caps on, but they will be there somehow. the valve by the choke is likely a splitter that just goes to both sides simultaneously, making it easier to get them even.

good luck!!

[Surly]

Shock pumps

I used to use my mtn. bike shock pump. It has an attached gauge, a flexible neck, and is only about 10-12 inches long. It is very easy to get the pressure you want with one.

I put it on and pump the shock up, take it off and lose some pressure. Put the pump back on to see how much pressure you lost, usually 2-3 psi on my pump. Then pump the shock back up and add in the 2-3 psi you lose from removing the pump. Not exact, but it worked for me.

Progressive springs are on the way!

[spots25]

i'm not sure i've ever heard of shock seals blowing out without any warning signs ahead of time

[snowbeard]

surly, you've got a shock pump, not a tire pump, right? I was assuming just the tire.

does your shock pump read as low as 7-11 psi? mine didn't, but it's a cheap piece of crap anywho...

[Surly]

Shock pump

surly, you've got a shock pump, not a tire pump, right? I was assuming just the tire.

does your shock pump read as low as 7-11 psi? mine didn't, but it's a cheap piece of crap anywho...

Mine is an older Fox shock pump. It is a low pressure model, and reads from 0-100 psi I believe. They can be tougher to find as many pumps are going to high pressure to accomodate some of the popular model suspension pieces.

These pumps are a great idea for those with motorcycles that use an air fork and are touring. They stow easily in a large roll-up tool kit and eliminate (IMHO) the need for the hokey Suzuki gauge.

[argonsagas]

Do NOT,

repeat

Do NOT depend on air pressure to supply the full load/action of the shock absorber. That is not its purpose.


Apart from providing a bit of compensation as the springs fatigue over time, the main reason you have air pressure is to assist in balancing the action between the two shocks: it is not there to provide that action.

You need to have sufficient tension on the springs to handle the load on YOUR bike....it will vary depending on rider weight and riding style.

If the springs are worn or fatigued, then add spacers or replace the springs. The decision depends on your circumstances.

With properly set-up springs, you can safely run with nil air pressure on most bikes, but it is a bit more difficult to achieve the best balance. You would need to spend time with it, and adjust the spacers.

[gs54]

front shocks

I have a gs750L 1980 and mine doesnt have a air valve and was wondering if I can put a valve on my shocks.