Air assist forks

Need some help, 1982 kz1000 LTD with air assist forks that don’t hold air, are they repairable?
Is it possible to convert to standard forks? Do they rely on air only or are they oil filled also?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Unless your forks are cracked or corroded beyond sealing I’d say you can repair them! If you’re lucky it’s only the fill valve leaking; if not, a rebuild with new seals is likely needed. You could also buy Progressive fork springs and probably not need the air assist any longer, but if you do have a developing leak in the forks that wouldn’t address it.

The "air assist" spring methodology was a fashion statement from back in the later UJM days that has been proven to be a bad development as time as moved forward. For one thing, as mentioned, the air tends to leak which is a huge pain in the butt. Secondly, air in the forks increases seal stiction so compliance is reduced. Ditching the air assist and installing some stiffer springs solves the problem. Sonic Springs straight rate springs are a great option to replace the stock springs since you won't have to mess with air ever again. Progressive Suspension springs are another option but as time as moved forward progressive rate springs have proven less valuable than straight rate; you won't find many if any modern springs that use progressive spring rates anymore. Regardless of which springs you chose though, you will be way ahead of using the stock springs and air assist.

What they said.

You will need this--

www.kzrider.com/modules/ServiceManuals/K...Service%20Manual.pdf