Racetech springs 83 GS1100E

[P09luis]

Took the old boy out for a ride to the Hill Country in Texas and I think the front suspension is done. Not leaking, oil was changed 2yrs but I think the OEM springs aren't holding. So planning on using race tech springs correct me if I'm wrong but the steps to install should be....
take front suspension apart
throw away old spring
fill air suspension holes with epoxy
put new spring
measure the difference to add the preload spacer
fill with new oil and send it?
btw the antidive system i want to get rid off but still leave it on the oem tubes... is that possible?

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Folks have mad their own block-off plates for the anti-dive units. A bit a fab work, but not too bad as I remember reading. Do a site search, you should find something. You would do well to find a service manual for your bike on BikeCliff's Website. Link in my signature.
Or, here's a direct link to the manual:
https://gsarchive.bwringer.com/mtsac/~cliff/storage/gs/80-83_GS1100T-LT-EX-1000SZ-EZ-SD-ED-ESD.pdf
Replace your fork seals while you're at it.

 

[Baatfam]

My solution was a couple of plastic plugs sprayed with matching paint.

Anti-dive Units Mod by R John Thieda, on Flickr

Anti-dive Units Mod by R John Thieda, on Flickr

 

[rphillips]

Not done it "yet" but thinking of just replacing the banjo bolt on the anti dive unit hose with a regular bolt. All will look OEM, but no fluid going into the unit.

 

[salty_monk]

If you make a block off plate you have to make sure there is a pathway between the two holes otherwise it will ride like the Anti-Dive is always activated.

 

[P09luis]

Found this it saids for GS1150 but should be the same.

 

[salty_monk]

Should be but you could make your own for a 10th of that with a hacksaw, drill & some files.... You don't really need O-rings you can use RTV.

 

[P09luis]

Should be but you could make your own for a 10th of that with a hacksaw, drill & some files.... You don't really need O-rings you can use RTV.

I found a member on this forum that put the anti dives upside and blocked the hole which actually look good, easier and cheaper to do.

 

[Baatfam]

Just a few bucks at Ace hardware...

 

[oldGSfan]

How do those hold pressure?

I did the split 'em, gut 'em, and JB weld 'em with a nickel in the bottom side, then grind 'em, flip 'em and bolt them on method mentioned. I saved 2 oz of unsprung weight! They don't look half bad but some may say they look all bad.

 

[Baatfam]

How do those hold pressure?

There is no pressure, without the brake lines attached.

 

[oldGSfan]

There is no pressure, without the brake lines attached.

Haha d'oh. I remember just using a bolt on a past GS.

 

[rphillips]

Am I missing something? Isn't the idea of blocking them off is to keep the pressure from getting to them any more?

 

[Baatfam]

Am I missing something? Isn't the idea of blocking them off is to keep the pressure from getting to them any more?

Once you remove the extra brake lines, they don't do anything.
I originally had homemade block off plates, but they leaked.
Put a used set of anti-dive units on, without the brake lines, and plugged the holes with the plastic plugs.
Done.

 

[oldGSfan]

I somehow had it in my head that without something blocking it solidly there may be some back pressure, but thinking about it, if fork oil and brake fluid weren't well sealed from each other it would be 'not good'. I never analyzed its design, just broke out the JB Weld like usual!

 

[rphillips]

Thought if end banjo bolts replaced with regular bolt, "everything" would remain sealed exactly the same as it was, only difference fluid not flowing into anti-dive units any more.

 

[salty_monk]

You could definitely do that with a regular bolt to seal it off.... No point to run the additional lines though, you might as well remove them. The fork Oil and the brake circuits are separated.

The way these work... when the brake is activated it works a piston that closes off the oil channel & stops it flowing (this is also the reason the block off plates need a bypass channel in them otherwise the block off plate does the same job as the activated piston when closed i.e. the anti dive is fully activated 100% of the time).

 

[rphillips]

Just thought replace the 2 banjo bolts with solid bolts and everything, by pass channels, OEM appearance, everything will be exactly the same other than the anti-dive won't do anything at all. No need for any block off plates, bypass channels, nothing, just replace 2 bolts... I sometimes wonder if my 42 yr. old anti-dive units are working or not, the brakes and front end dive on my "83" GS1100E just feel like a 42 yr. old motorcycle, nothing good and nothing bad. Probably why I've never did anything to the anti-dive units

 

[Baatfam]

Just thought replace the 2 banjo bolts with solid bolts and everything, by pass channels, OEM appearance, everything will be exactly the same other than the anti-dive won't do anything at all. No need for any block off plates, bypass channels, nothing, just replace 2 bolts...

Exactly...
Except I found cheap plastic plugs easier to install, and look better....Paint 'em, and stick 'em in.

 

[rphillips]

Yep, all good and won't need to search out a correct size solid bolt, just use the banjo from the anti-dive on the remaining caliper line...Then it don't look OEM anymore, not a big deal but the hoses are missing and probably one out of a million will notice.