Pulling the front wheel this weekend for a new tyre fitting. I am thinking while it is out I could take an extra ten minutes and drop the forks. I am sure the oil has never been done and I have a bottle of fresh 7.5w under the bench. My question is should I get a set of springs and if so which ones? The bike is a '00 750ie with the poverty spec non adjustable forks. I have not got huge issues with them and feel they felt better when I put a Wilbers shock on the back.
I don't know nuffink about spring rates, but from what I have seen, it seems that Wilbers make most fork springs anyway.......... ...........but if you feel that you could easily strip the forks and change the springs, it will refresh the front end a bit; otherwise just do an oil change..............but make sure you get all the old oil out first and then get the right quantity of new oil back in..... AL
Probably the simplest thing to do..........my bike is 17 years old and the budget Marzocchi fork springs are still OK, although I have adjustable Showas fitted to the bike which are even older........they have been professionally overhauled and re-sprung for linear rather than progressive springs, but IMO there isn't much difference between the Marzocchis and the Showas.
My 900 has the poverty spec Showa forks fitted and changing the spring and oil certainly put some control back. Word to the wise have two people around to help with the reassembly.
Interesting... should I assume when I get around to doing mine that allowing a slightly larger air gap than recommended means software ride, and that too small a gap means that the forks lock solid after a small amount of travel? I have the "one step above poverty spec" Showas in my 900SSie and I hate the harsh ride; I know I could spend a lot to improve them (I read the magazine article a few weeks back) but like Nobbi I was thinking of starting by changing the oil (and perhaps dropping from 7.5 to 5W?).
After my Marzocchis were rebuilt and I thought they were a bit soft even though the required 380cc was correct, I added 5cc more to each leg..............that can only have reduced the air gap a tiny amount, but they are now rock solid.
Yep, from memory of my old monster race bike, less gap = harder...but could easily be wrong :Banghead: Also makes huge difference if you have linear v progressive springs. Think std tends to be progressive so ypu get a lot of initial dive under breaking, but helps iron our regular bumps on the road. Wilbers are progressive. I prefer linear
I dunno about you guys, but my 2001 750ss ie had such hard front forks when I got it my shoulders and neck used to ache affter about 20mins riding. I put some hyperpro progressive springs in them and dropped the level/weight of oil and it has been transformed - much more compliant now. Mind you, I don't weigh that much and my riding style isn't exactly aggressive either ;-)
I am fat and hard on the brakes so I will drain out the oil in the morning and put in the book amount. I can add a few extra cc at a time without dropping the legs so it should be ok. I seem to remember the back being to hard and the front being to soft with the rebound being ok. I am still looking in to the possibility of using late model forks from another bike but that will have to wait for winter now.
