Forking resolve?

As a follow on to my Forking Dilemma thread http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=41526 …

Ok … got my 80s … filled forks with 15w oil … installed them … then remembered that the emulators were set on zero … now everything should be in equilibrium, I figured that I ought to put them back to a more recommended setting. So delved back in … oh my new oil everywhere set emulators at 1.5 turns 2 was reccomended, but I do like my high speed damping soft. Hacksaw out, cut some spacers to appropriate length.

Reassembled and ‘played’ by putting my weight on the fork and seeing what they felt like … to be fair it was still stiff!!! But more fluid in initial motion than the old 85s were, but felt sticky and jerky in rapid movement (high speed damping), nice and smooth slow though.

But it was done now, so installed in bike. Pushed/rocked the front, blimey, still stiff!!! at this point I thought I might have just wasted £83 … road test was the only true way to tell, so I washed up and got my gear on.

So off to my favourite set of twisties. On the ride there it was blatantly obvious that things were a bit stiff still (for my liking), not as harsh a ride as the 85s when they had thick oil in, but still not overly compliant! The 85s with 7.5w in were more compliant. So basically I think I am over high speed compression damped for the road.

Anyhoo … got to the twisties opened the girl up … I could go into more detail, but looking up, I have waffled enough already ... So basically I have to say it was a marked improvement over the 85s with thick or thin oil. I did have more confidence in the front. Oh sure it still wiggled and chattered a bit, but just feedback letting me know I was having fun, nothing nasty like it was before when I was on the 85s and underdamped, or the 85s and overdamped!!! Looks like under heavy breaking I am using all but the last 10mm of travel, which is cool i am after movement, and I’ll drop that up the yokes, to make it turn sharper (when they go on the track bike).

Still think I’d have liked some 75s better (if there were such a thing) but I am now happy with how they performed on the test and willing to put them on my track bike, where lets face it, it will be all the high speed stuff, it was mostly the slow speed (talking roadspeed, not damping speed at this point) that I felt it was still not optimum.

So overall glad I have done the swap and at least I now have the emulators and oil set to something sensible.

Oh and as I have set the sag it is ~24mm Static, ~ 36mm rider. I can add or subtract 2mm from that by placing or removing spacing washers if I fancied.

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

As a follow on to my Forking Dilemma thread http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=41526 …

Ok … got my 80s … filled forks with 15w oil … installed them … then remembered that the emulators were set on zero … now everything should be in equilibrium, I figured that I ought to put them back to a more recommended setting. So delved back in … oh my new oil everywhere

And now you know why I ordered TWO litres of fork oil

Sounds good though. We'll be doing ours at the weekend.................fingers crossed!!!!

Originally Posted by Lissa

And now you know why I ordered TWO litres of fork oil
...

I know you said you were two-up but with 90s your ‘front end’ is going to be harder than a Rottweiler on Viagra!!

The 'Harshnes' will still be there as long as there's emulators in there, most bikes setup for high speed use(emulators or gold valves), track or road give a 'knocky' feel round town and up to 50 odd mph.
The more compliant they are at lower speeds reduces the effectiveness of the compression at higher (bike) speeds.

.75's will prob need 10wt, but the initial compression is controlled by the spring on the emulators, more pre-load on this spring increases the start rate of the compression damping, softer emulator springs are available whcih will help the 'Knock' but as said before the high speed performance will be reduced

Originally Posted by Robw#70

The 'Harshnes' will still be there as long as there's emulators in there, most bikes setup for high speed use(emulators or gold valves), track or road give a 'knocky' feel round town and up to 50 odd mph.
The more compliant they are at lower speeds reduces the effectiveness of the compression at higher (bike) speeds.

.75's will prob need 10wt, but the initial compression is controlled by the spring on the emulators, more pre-load on this spring increases the start rate of the compression damping, softer emulator springs are available whcih will help the 'Knock' but as said before the high speed performance will be reduced

If I were to keep them on my road bike, I’d be tempted to go that route, but as I intend to put them on my track SV then it is the high (road) speed damping that I am more after, it would seem my brief test coincided with the symptoms you describe, which is reassuring. You say that I can't expect to ever get good high and low (road) speed stability, so I'll let it be rarther than fiddle more, Cheers.

Thanks for your, northwind, sdusk etc etc technical help with these forks by the way. It was good to get the ‘all clear’ with the photos

Now what am I going to do with these stock forks that I am taking off the track bike and putting on my road bike?? (it is handy having the two you know as it makes initial component testing so much easier, else I would be limited to track test only, and I am not going to be able to fiddle as I have and not loose precious tracktime).

Did we say 15w oil in stock forks was a good or bad idea?

Originally Posted by blue_sv650s

Sling some Hyperpro progressiNow what am I going to do with these stock forks that I am taking off the track bike and putting on my road bike?? (it is handy having the two you know as it makes initial component testing so much easier, else I would be limited to track test only, and I am not going to be able to fiddle as I have and not loose precious tracktime).

Stcik some Hyperpro progressive springs in there, no emulators and oil they come with and forget about them.
Good allround performance, nothing to adjust

Dude, I think I have spent enough cash on springs/forks this month already (had to buy a set of forks for my minimoto too where I cartwheled it at the w/e and bent them ) …

So I’ll just change the oil in the stock forks (as I have no idea how long the other stuff has been in there; and the forks are out anyway) and have done with it … for now As long as I don’t feel I am in danger of it spitting me off every ride, I don’t really care about how 'good' my road stuff is.

[RingDing]

What air gap you running? The recommended from Race Tech for me (67kg) is 80 springs, 20 weight oil (with 130mm airgap) and two turns on the emulator preload.

If you are running standard air gap (100mm) it might be that your forks are too stiff on compression.

With the 85s I was running 130mm, with the 80s I am running 110mm.

The air gap is only really going to make a difference near the end of the stroke, it is the slow roadspeed - hispeed damping that I think is still a bit off, the air gap wont really have any discernable impact on this.

My stock forks I have filled to 105mm, I haven’t put these in the bike yet, so untested.

[johnnyrod]

Glad you're getting somewhere - but what about the rear? You know if you have it set too soft it'll make the front feel harder? Bit late in the day to mentoin it but better late than never...