GS1100GK Checking air in forks:HELP:

[Anonymous]

Hi all Steve here (again) Im having heaps of trouble checking the air preasure in the forks on my old GK. :? Every time I get air in them, & check them with a air gauge , most if all the air escapes. According to the works manual ,it has to be pretty accurate. Can the forks be modified in any way so that the air dampening is not required (Each fork has separate air valve) Cheers Steve from OZ.

[Anonymous]

RE: GS1100GK Checking air in forks

I had the same problem. It was hard to be accurate. I think that I had read that you need to fill over the required amount and when you do a reading with a guage, count on a certain amount of PSI being lost (don't recall if I read this in the Clymers manual or not). It's not an accurate means of calibration for sure. There are gauges and pumps available specifically for this.

But anyway this problem was solved for me when I replaced the springs on my GK with Progressive Suspension springs. According to their documentation you should not add air to the forks when you have these installed. I didn't add air and the suspension is just fine for me.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about any modifications,but to solve the problem I used a guage with a built in valve to release extra pressure. I pumped the shocks a bit over the desired pressure (REMEMBER don't over pump or the seals will blow) and released the air through the guage valve. this lets you release the air slower. It is also good to use a guage that has a little rubber guide/hood that fits over the vent minimizing air loss when you stick it on. The gage cost $4Can at the local car shop but it really made a differrencefor me.

[Anonymous]

Mmm. Thanks guys I thought it might have just been me I might look at getting hold of some of those progessive springs Canroc mentioned that might just do the trick Thanks for the good advice Steve from OZ.

[Anonymous]

Just wondering, what is the recommended pressure in the front forks????

I probably need to air mine up..........

[Anonymous]

Between 5 and 7 psi.

[Gary Lich]

Steve, I found an easy way to deal with the pressure differential issue is to buy a cheap plastic syringe pump from JC Whitney and with a little experimentation and a cheap pressure gage you can determine a defined volume of air to put in to get the pressure you desire (and it will be the same in each fork every time) . With this method you don't have to worry about pressure measurements each time. When it comes time to check/adjust I just let all the air out and put three pump strokes in each fork for solo riding and four strokes in for dual riding.

[Anonymous]

It cost me about $20 US with shipping from Ebay (a bargain), but the pump/gauge combo designed for this purpose and available from Progressive Suspension makes the job quick, easy, and accurate. All of my bikes have air forks, so this was a no-brainer. I'm looking forward to Progressive Suspension springs, too.

[Anonymous]

: Gary, Im on my way out side to have a bit of a experiment That sounds like a real good idea, Thanks every one for your much apreciated advice. Cheers Steve from OZ.