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Air suspension - leak?

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    Air suspension - leak?

    Hello,

    The front forks of my 1982 GS 1100GK don’t maintain their air pressure. Within seconds the pressure drops to a level that cannot be measured anymore.

    I replaced the fork seals and the air.valves. The fork seals don’t leak oil. Could they leak air but not oil?
    1982 Suzuki GS1100G(K)

    #2
    First off, 99% of members will tell you to ditch the air system. Just buy new springs (straight rate) because the originals might still be on. Determine the rate using Race Tech's charts.

    If you must have your air, remember it requires a special purpose made pump to charge it. You can't use a standard 'tire filler' hose. You'd pop the air seals in 3/5 of a second.
    1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

    2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

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      #3
      Rob pretty much nailed it, except for the time to pop the seals. Only the very best seals will wait a full 3/5 second to pop.

      Sonic Springs are highly-recommended by most here (including me). Depending on your personal 'gravitational attraction', I would suggest either the 1.1 or 1.2 rate springs.

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        #4
        Seconded and thirded to all above.
        I had a go at re-instating air suspension to the forks, but it was a long hard frustrating job and I finally gave up with it. While it worked, it was great, but it wouldn't hold pressure for more than a day. I ended up finagling a manual pre-loader on the top of each fork cap and never touched them since.
        ---- Dave
        79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
        80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
        79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
        92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

        Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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          #5
          I'd think,if only ideally, fork seals shouldn't leak air whether air-adjustable or not. The air-space above the oil level is ideally a component of the suspension.

          I've used adjustable- air-forks carefully on a couple of bikes with middling success. You can't get them to correct pressure without a special low pressure gauge and a small bicycle pump....And, where Honda links the forks with a tube so they are equal, Suzuki does not, which is a nuisance. Especially if one seal leaks faster than the other!

          You can 'equalize them to "atmosphere" pressure without a gauge and pump. Lift the front wheel off the ground and open the air valves or crack the fork caps.

          Aftermarket seals might be the problem. (added)Or, obviously(!)the chrome surface of the forks
          Last edited by Gorminrider; 10-04-2021, 12:49 PM.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Gorminrider View Post
            Honda links the forks with a tube so they are equal, Suzuki does not...
            There is a tube running between the forks of my 11E.
            1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

            2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Gorminrider View Post
              ... And, where Honda links the forks with a tube so they are equal, Suzuki does not, which is a nuisance. ...
              Originally posted by Rob S. View Post
              There is a tube running between the forks of my 11E.
              Not sure if the 750 of the same era did that, but I have only seen a balance tube on the chain-driven 1100s.

              Comment


                #8
                Huh! I see you are right about the 1100 (I happen to have the manual)...I always meant to add one to my 650 but this one looks complicated...

                Comment


                  #9
                  The forks have a little hole & there are special collars when you have that balance tube..... Above advice is definitely the way to go. Add cartridge emulators is you want to go a level further in refinement
                  1980 GS1000G - Sold
                  1978 GS1000E - Finished!
                  1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
                  1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
                  2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
                  1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
                  2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

                  www.parasiticsanalytics.com

                  TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

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