forks. no play?

[80GS750]

ok guys, when i take it off the centerstand, it drops like 6 inches, and theres not much room for the forks to compress any more....

i drained them, and there was oil in each side, but not much, and the right side had what looked like some water in it...

im pretty sure the seals are good, the water may have come from this equalizer line thing that the PO had installed between the forks....

are they this soft cause theres no oil in them?

how much do i put back in? stock forks, stock springs... 1978 gs1000

thanks guys, im lost here

[Jon Burke]

Spacer on top of the spring missing? Would think that if it were a seal of some sort on the piston, would lose dampening only. Regardless, if you had water come out too, you'd benefit from disassembly and cleaning. Will give you a chance to see what's going on inside too.

[80GS750]

the oil does take up some room in there, so that could be why theres so much play in it right?

[Clone]

The oil doesn't keep your forks from compressing, the spring and air do if you have a stock set up. I believe the forks take 8 oz each, but check with someone who actually has that model of bike. If your bike compresses the forks more than 1 inch just coming off the centre stand you need to increase the preload. You can do this by adding a spacer on top of the spring cut from pvc tubing, start long and then cut it down until you get the 1 inch sag. Or you can add air, generally up to 15lbs would be ok in most forks, but the usual is around 7psi. I would start with the spacer, get the required sag and then if more was needed when I sat on the bike, I would use air.

Now realize when you put the spacer on top of the spring it will stick out past the top cap. You will need to push down and compress the spring to get the cap on. If your cap threads on, you can do it one person, usually, if it goes on with a snap ring, you may need an extra set of hands.

[80GS750]

well i put in the recommended amount of fork oil, 10w....

and she feels way better than she did before... way less play in the forks for sure...

i have her at about 15psi, but i want to see if she leaks down at all...

[tkent02]

Your springs must be way too old, did it sit with a fairing installed for years?
The spring alone should let it only sag a little bit, yours are shot.

[8trackmind]

well i put in the recommended amount of fork oil, 10w....

and she feels way better than she did before... way less play in the forks for sure...

i have her at about 15psi, but i want to see if she leaks down at all...

If you really want to rip up the corners, get a set of progressive springs, 15 wt oil, and at least a 1/2" spacer. Depending on your weight you may have to shove an even larger spacer in there.

[80GS750]

well i only weigh about 170 at most....

i have no clue the history of the bike, but its possible the springs are way shot....

where can i order progressive springs?

this may be in my future... i will see how well the stockers hold up..

[chef1366]

I have some stock springs that are in good shape from my L model if you want them.

[Steve]

I believe the forks take 8 oz each, but check with someone who actually has that model of bike.

Actually, the best way to determine the correct amount is to consult your service manual.

You DO have a service manual, don't you? :shock:

It really doesn't matter whether it is the factory manual or Clymer or Haynes, they all get the job done, but with different levels of clarity. 8-[

.

[80GS750]

yes i have a service manual....

hey chef i will keep that in mind!

-nate