Fork Question

Thanks for the replies but nobody mentioned getting the top race out. Is it the same procedure but just from the bottom or is there an easier way to get it out?

badrhino,
same deal just from the bottom :pinch: .


kidkawi,
i used the star pattern myself and did not notice the race had titlted until it quit moving,then it was too late.
like riverroad said sh!t happens even if you have done the job several times before.

leon

The frame material is fairly soft, so if you don't have a die grinder you can sand it out with some 80 grit emery.

Can I throw in another question about the forks.... can I , can I, can I?:whistle:

While I have the forks out I decided to push down on them and they really seem to spring back rather fast with no damping effect, let's see that prob. means they have no oil in them or I have to rebuild those too don't I? Damn I need a shop manual!:blink:

sounds like lack of oil.


leon

531blackbanshee wrote: sounds like lack of oil.


leon

Or really broken down, stinky oil.

Replace it in any case. Fork oil is cheap. Peace of mind is priceless.

There's an online manual somewhere on this site.

You wont feel any dampening pushing down on the fork like that. First of all, the fork has no weight on it so it's completely up in it's stroke. When it's installed on a bike the weight of the bike compresses the spring and brings the suspension down to it's working range

Either way, the suspension on these bikes is so outdated. If you want any sort of dampening comparable to a newer bike but without replacing forks, you need to install some Race Tech fork emulators. I've only heard good things about them, they are next on my list for the 900.

testarossa wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: sounds like lack of oil.


leon

Or really broken down, stinky oil.

Speaking of stinky fork oil, first pair of forks I ever did was my '77 XS650. Found out the factory actually used fish oil in them.

Kidkawie, what exactly do those "emulators" do? And about how much do they cost? Do they replace the springs?

riverroad wrote: Kidkawie, what exactly do those "emulators" do? And about how much do they cost? Do they replace the springs?

From Racetech.com:

Damping rod forks are notorious for being both too harsh yet too easy to bottom. This is the nature of damping rod fixed orifice forks. In the past all that could be done to improve these forks was change spring rate, oil viscosity or damping hole size, until now.
Cartridge Emulators make damping rod style forks perform like well-tuned cartridge forks. These tunable valves sit on top of the damping rods and are held in place by the main springs. This makes them both simple to install and completely tunable for all conditions and rider preferences.
Track tests have consistently produce lap times that are 1 or more seconds a lap faster while Cruisers and Gold Wing owners rave at the increased control and ride quality

The emulators are $170 + $10 for adapters. Just do a product search for your bike.

Racetech makes good stuff. I haven't used the emulators, but do have a gold valve kit in my mono-shock. Thumbs up from me. I'm sure the emulators are worth it.

Anyone know about the on-line manual......if there is one and where it is. Searching this site is not the easiest thing to do.

Give this a shot: www.kzrider.com/filebase/cat_view/85-1976/92-kawasaki-kz-900-a4