• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

1981 GS1100E - front suspension - How to tell if they are doing there job.

  • Thread starter Thread starter c&c
  • Start date Start date
C

c&c

Guest
Hi.

Took my bike out for the first time this year and concentrated on practising breaking.

Breaking hard at slow speed, mayby 40km, drops 6 inches.
I find it very spongy.

What is normal for this bike?

I searched but did not find related posts.
 
I really do hope you were not practicing your "breaking", but rather you were practicing your BRAKING. :eek:

Anyway, ... if the front of the bike is dropping 6 inches while BRAKING, it's too much. There is a very good chance that you have no fork oil to provide any damping.

Since your bike is also 32 years old, it's kind of easy to assume that it might also have the original springs in the forks. If they are original, you might want to consider upgrading them. They were designed with lighter spring rates, as they were meant to be augmented with some additional air pressure. It's possible that you simply need some air (probably 7-10psi), but even that won't keep you from dropping a full six inches while BRAKING.

New springs from Progressive Suspension or Sonic, along with the proper amount of fork oil will do wonders for comfort and handling.

.
 
haha yes Braking. Thanks for pointing that out.

I plan on doing a complete rebuild this winter with some USD forks so I dont want to invest to much in better/performance parts for fixing this suspension.

I'm sure the front fork is all original. The bike has 42000km's.
Maybe replacing the oil and doing that anti-dive hack could help.
The lower knob was at #1. I'll try #4.
How much for a rebuild with new seals cost?

My rear suspension are Marzocchi.

The shock tubes have surface oil on them is that normal? Should they be 100% dry?

I'll be keeping an eye out on Charlie's thread. I read a bit and it's all Chinese to me at the moment. I'll have to study it more to fully understand.
 
I did my fork springs, seals and oil for under $150.
And that included shipping from the USA to Canada.

Don't be cheap, the price of doing it is well worth it.
 
c&c said:
I'm sure the front fork is all original. The bike has 42000km's.
Maybe replacing the oil and doing that anti-dive hack could help.
The lower knob was at #1. I'll try #4.
How much for a rebuild with new seals cost?

My rear suspension are Marzocchi.

The shock tubes have surface oil on them is that normal? Should they be 100% dry?
Click to expand...

If you're riding the bike this season, it would be a good idea to service the existing forks. Normally, all you have to replace are the oil and fork seals and neither are terribly expensive. BassCliff's site has info on fork rebuilds, I believe, and there are plenty of threads here on the subject as well.

Yes, the chrome fork uppers should normally be pretty dry. If you push down on the handlebars and afterwards see a ring where the movement stopped, you need new fork seals.
 
Thank you for the info! Much appreciated. :)

I'll be looking into changing the seals and oil for the front and maybe rear if they need them.

I went riding Saturday and turned the knobs all the way to 4. They where allot stiffer and the bike handled better but I did notice a big difference between the front and the rear which was softer. I'll be looking into adjusting the suspension.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top