To much fork in the trees?

[Boriqua]

Now that I can obsess over other aspects of the bike I am focused on replacing the chain and sprockets and this bit has bothered me some since getting the bike. This is how I received it. The tubes are up in the trees 25mm minus the black cap. Just the silver. It is bottomed out under the handlebars. It rides fine.

I dont notice the steering being especially quick and actually find I have to initiate turns fairly forcefully but my last bike had a loosey goosey front end that was twitchy enough to make me put a stabilizer on it.

I have had the bike up to 85 mph and it was stable with no weirdness. Basically. It runs fine set up the way it is. Down side though is I think I am using more of my pretravel since I am leaning more of my 200 lbs on the bars, my wrist goes a little numb after 20 miles and I feel that I am sliding forward on the seat some and one of the things I like about standards is their neutral seating position. The front end was banging around pretty harsh on my ride last weekend but it was on terrible bumpy road but I am following the spring thread and may try new springs.

Questions are ... If it were yours would you attempt to set those tubes down a bit further or leave it the hell alone? Will I have to remove the front wheel or is it possible to get those tubes moved down just by loosening the clamps? I put gators on my last bike so I am not against pulling the whole front end apart but that would have to wait until the heat lets up in a month or 2 so being able to leave the front wheel on would be better.

Last question .. what is that little nut at the tube of the tube? Never seen that one before??
Alex

 

[eil]

From the factory, the triple-tree is clamped to the top of the fork tubes. No idea if changing it up will affect the current handling but it's easy to change, so try it.

Some people will lower the front an inch or two if they've lowered the rear but it makes less of a difference because your butt is mainly over the rear wheel.

 

[Sandy]

As said some people lower the bike by dropping the front and replacing the rear shocks with some an inch or so shorter. I think the stock shocks should be around 13 - 13 1/2 inches, maybe somebody here has a more accurate measurement. If you don't need it lowered I'd raise it back up for the sake of the extra ground clearance. The little nut at the top of the tube is actually a valve cap for an air valve. Those forks have air assist and if you've got bagged out stock springs you probably need some air in them or replace the springs with Sonic or Progressive. People here seem to be going with Sonic and like them. I've had Progressive for years and they seem fine. I don't think Sonic was even around when I got mine.

 

[Boriqua]

air assist shocks!? Whew ... I got one of them shmancy 750's!
Now I have to read up in clymer how to add air.

I use up most of my travel on braking but I am not bottoming out the front end but it was an unpleasent ride this weekend. I may just go ahead and buy seals, oil and Sonic springs and redue them. Problem is the guy before me was in the process of getting the bike fixed up and definitely did some work on it, .. but I have no idea if he did front springs and I hate to spend the money if they were recently done.

So ... can I lower the tubes without removing the front wheel in the meantime or do I have to do one tube at a time. If I have to do one tube at a time I will just order the rebuild parts and do it all at once.

 

[RichDesmond]

Yes, you can lower the tubes in triples without removing the wheel.
Get the bike up on the centerstand and use a jack under the engine (or a bag of fertilizer on the rear seat) to get the front end in the air. Loosen one side of triples at a time and push the tubes down to where you want them. I'd try 10mm at first and see how that feels.

 

[Boriqua]

So now what is the deal with the air assist. I have searched the site using google and done a general google search and I cant find any information on how they work, how to adjust the air or ... anything? Should I just ignore it and treat these like every other fork tubes I had on a dozen other bikes?
Alex

 

[Who Dat?]

You have to be VERY careful with your air pressure checks and additions. It takes VERY little air to change the pressure in the forks. Do NOT use the hose at the gas station. Do NOT use the hose from your air compressor at home unless you have a regulator on it that goes down to about 10 psi. Your best bet is to use a hand- or foot-operated pump for bicycle tires. Even just checking the pressure is an exercise in frustration. It can easily lower the pressure by a couple of pounds.

The basic principle is that the springs were a bit weak from the factory for comfort, then the feature of "air-adjustable" forks were added so you can fine-tune your ride. The problem is that the air leaks out, leaving you with weak spring rate from the factory. That is why springs from Progressive or Sonic are so much better, they actually hold up the front of the bike without relying on air that can escape.

Many here (especially Rich Desmond) feel that Sonic has the advantage with straight-rate springs. The lighter-weight section of progressively-wound springs is easily compressed, which leaves you with less travel. Having more travel available is actually more comfortable, even if it is made available by slightly heavier-rate springs.

 

[Guest]

If you have a cherry picker(engine hoist), you can run a strap under the neck of the frame to lift the front. Not all bikes have center stands, actually hardly any do anymore. Loosen up the triple pinch bolts and then use a rubber mallet if they stick. I'd just put the forks back to the stock position with the edge of the fork cap even with the top of the triple and re tighten the pinch bolts. Then take it for a ride. If you don't like where it is then loosen the lower pinch bolts first and then a little at a time loosen the upper pinch bolts and use that rubber mallet to lower it a little at a time, till you get where you're happy.

Definitely follow the previous instructions about adding air. The ones made for bicycles will keep you out of trouble.

 

[Guest]

air assist shocks!? Whew ... I got one of them shmancy 750's!
Now I have to read up in clymer how to add air.

It's been my experience with air-assisted front forks that:

- the air pressure (usually around 7 psi) doesn't last long & needs to be constantly checked & added
- difficult to get both sides at equal pressures
- fork seals start to leak not long after adding air (particularly if using the high end of allowable pressure)

I don't think the air is worth the hassle personally, but you will definitely notice a smoother ride with it

 

[Boriqua]

WOW!! What a difference 20mm makes. I lower the forks in the trees so that only 5mm was showing above the clamp and went out for a ride early this morning and it was bliss. The front end behaved much nicer since I didnt have my 210lbs resting on it. Braking seemed better and it just seemed to be responding to bumps better. I could feel more of the rear shock picking up some whoopi di dos on my ride and, for me, the steering was much more controllable and I was dipping into turns faster and with a bit more confidence. I got back after 30 miles and my wrists weren't burning and I didn't feel like I was sliding forward on the seat.

Maybe the go fast guys would like the steeped angle better but I much prefer it the way it is now. Word to the wise. Which ever direction you are going with your forks change them slowly. I never would have thought 20mm would make such a real feel huge difference.