Front end .. Check my list and a question

[gearhead13]

I was thinking if you are going with heavier springs maybe use a bit heavier oil like 15w.

[Dragon Breath]

Having no oil showing on the forks tells you one of two things:
1. the seals are doing a fine job
2. there is no more oil inside the forks to leak out.

You have already shown that your current springs are inadequate, why not change them out to some proper springs? You can change the oil at the same time, that way you KNOW what is in there and how much.

[Boriqua]

15w? I am about 200 lbs and I would say that half of my riding is with my wife on the back. I was wondering if I should go a little heavier on the oil.
alex

[gearhead13]

15w? I am about 200 lbs and I would say that half of my riding is with my wife on the back. I was wondering if I should go a little heavier on the oil.
alex

heavier springs, then heavier oil. Are you going to upgrade the rear shocks too?

[Boriqua]

heavier springs, then heavier oil. Are you going to upgrade the rear shocks too?

To tell true ... The rear shocks work pretty well. I am more than happy with them so far. I may swap them out for hagons but dont feel a pressing need to change out the rear.
The front however needs help!
Alex

[Boriqua]

So my springs arrived and am buying oil today but I still have to wait for dust boots and gaskets so the job is still about a week out. I have another question

Clymer shows an upper spring. The shop manual doesnt show it. If I find one there I am assuming the spacer takes its place?

[RichDesmond]

So my springs arrived and am buying oil today but I still have to wait for dust boots and gaskets so the job is still about a week out. I have another question

Clymer shows an upper spring. The shop manual doesnt show it. If I find one there I am assuming the spacer takes its place?

Throw out all the old springs, then follow the directions that come with the new springs. Holler at me if you have any questions.

[bobgroger]

Well as a test I decided to add some air to the forks. I havent touched the forks and I know the bike had sat for 2 years. One side went fine but the valve on the other cracked in half when I went to fill. Drag!

There is shop that works on vintage Japanese motorcycles

http://www.eastsideperformancemotorcycles.com/home.html

so I figured I would give it a go and went down. He had some amazing bikes inside but I didnt hold out much hope of him having the part on hand but I told him I just wanted to check out the shop but I did have a specific mission and dropped the broken parts in his hand and he goes .. gimme a second ... comes back and tada .. new air valve. 5 bucks

So .. I bought a helmet. I needed a new one anyway. There will be a vintage bike show at his place this coming saturday so I will be there.

but back to suspension. I checked length of space on the forks with the front wheel hanging and it was about 18.5cm. Then with me on it it was down to a scooch under 10cm. Hmmmmmm Thinking I didnt want to use up more than 1/3 the travel I was hoping to see about 12cm. Added 7psi to each fork leg and measured again and now we were a scooch over 11.5. Awesome ... Changed the entire dynamic of riding the bike. Yup just that little bit of extra preload. Turning into corners was so much nicer and the entire ride was just better.

Checked the next morning and it had held its air. I am going to pass on seals now. If I have to take the forks off again to do seals later fine but if I dont have to add $35 to the bill and not have to deal with it then I will pass. So Springs, dust boots and new gaskets ordered. I am Soooooooo pumped!! I can not wait to get it on the bike.

Shop manual says 10w oil so I guess I will pick up some of that at my new favorite shop.

Now that you have air in the forks, be sure to let it out before draining the oil. The oil follows the screw several feet across the shop floor if you do not

[Boriqua]

Alright .. it took a month from the time I ordered but I now have my dust covers and assorted gaskets and cotterpins for the front end job. I have had my sonic springs for a bit and I have a qt of 15w oil. I think the only other tool I need is to fashion the oil height level tool. I see most fashion it from a spray bottle head and I have seen some use a turkey baster. Either way .. pretty easy and I get it.

Still .. I am for some reason terrified of this undertaking but here goes. I will probably do it over this coming weekend.

I have another question. I dont have a garage and will be working in the driveway. I can not suspend the front end and the crossover exhaust pipe means I cant get this up on an MC jack. I dont see enough room in front of the cross over to get a car jack under the oil pan. At least not my Jack. I have only a couple of inches.

Does anyone who has done this think just throwing a 40 lb bag of potting soil over the rear seat is enough? I have car jack stands I can maybe get under the stator and ignition covers but it doesn't seem far enough forward to get the front tire up. I have a center stand but of course the engine pulls the front tire down. Sooooooo .. Having to rig something up that doesn't require hanging and doesnt hurt my bike .. does anyone have any cool ideas on how i get the front end to stay up while I do this?

That cross over exhaust is a PITA and I miss not just being able to roll a harbor freight MC jack under it.
Alex

[RichDesmond]

Weight over the rear of the bike works fine. Just needs to be enough of it.

[bobgroger]

Alright .. it took a month from the time I ordered but I now have my dust covers and assorted gaskets and cotterpins for the front end job. I have had my sonic springs for a bit and I have a qt of 15w oil. I think the only other tool I need is to fashion the oil height level tool. I see most fashion it from a spray bottle head and I have seen some use a turkey baster. Either way .. pretty easy and I get it.

Still .. I am for some reason terrified of this undertaking but here goes. I will probably do it over this coming weekend.

I have another question. I dont have a garage and will be working in the driveway. I can not suspend the front end and the crossover exhaust pipe means I cant get this up on an MC jack. I dont see enough room in front of the cross over to get a car jack under the oil pan. At least not my Jack. I have only a couple of inches.

Does anyone who has done this think just throwing a 40 lb bag of potting soil over the rear seat is enough? I have car jack stands I can maybe get under the stator and ignition covers but it doesn't seem far enough forward to get the front tire up. I have a center stand but of course the engine pulls the front tire down. Sooooooo .. Having to rig something up that doesn't require hanging and doesnt hurt my bike .. does anyone have any cool ideas on how i get the front end to stay up while I do this?

That cross over exhaust is a PITA and I miss not just being able to roll a harbor freight MC jack under it.
Alex

Since you will be totally draining the forks, I think the oil level gauge is optional. Just find something that will reasonably accurately measure the 2XX CC required for each leg and dump it in.

[RichDesmond]

Since you will be totally draining the forks, I think the oil level gauge is optional. Just find something that will reasonably accurately measure the 2XX CC required for each leg and dump it in.

Nooooooooooooooo!!!
You don't use the stock volume measurement with aftermarket springs.

[Boriqua]

Well I did the spring change yesterday. Took it out today and it was amazing. What a transformation. Before when I went to make slow right or left hand turns, say off a light, the bike seemed to want to fall over now it zips into turns with aplomb. I went over every crack and bump I could find and the front just swallows it right up without any harshness. Honestly the smaller cracks and manhole covers passed underneath and you didnt even register them.

After my initial solo test this morning I got the wife on board and we went through Usery which has some nice windy parts and we launched into the turns at speed .. the bike was incredible. What is most notable is how quickly the front end recovers from a sudden jolt too.

The preload was dead on using the instructions. I cant be any happier. Combined with the recently installed hagon rears the bike handles like a modern motorcycle and certainly better than my Triumph bonnie or Harley Sportster when purchased brand new.

Here is what I did in lieu of weights or hanging in case someone else finds themselves in the same situation. I bought a 3 dollar 2x3 and made an A frame. I cut the angles of the bottoms at 22.5 degrees and used the off cut piece to act kind of like a doorstop and used a rubber mallet to tap under the front of the legs after I got the front tire lifted up. My wife pushed down on the back and I put the A frame in place and gave it a couple of taps to wedge it under the steering head. I had a 1x2 that acted as the cross piece which is very soft so it didn't mar the paint at all and made the bike very stable.






The seals are holding up fine but the oil that came out looked like months old coffee. What a vast improvement for under $130. I think the springs were a touch under $100 and a bottle of fork oil and a 2x3. Oh and I installed new dust boots.

[Boriqua]

alright I am pretty sure the suspension upgrades made my bike faster!!

Or .. it just feels so taut and racer X like that I have been goosing it a bunch more!

[mmattockx]

alright I am pretty sure the suspension upgrades made my bike faster!!

Or .. it just feels so taut and racer X like that I have been goosing it a bunch more!

Greater confidence usually results in more frequent use of big throttle openings. Are you also giggling like a 13 year old girl while gassing it up and enjoying the improvements?


Mark