front suspension gettin soft???

[riderdan]

I've had this '01 750ACE for three years now and recently I find the front end bottoming out at railroad tracks and certian intersections that have pretty decent ruts... Does this mean that I am in need of new seals or more oil or both. This is a new issue for me and any links or advice on this topic would be very much appreciated. Dan.

[J3rm]

Probably...
You can start by draining and replacing the fork fluid. My bike has a bad seal and I have to replace/refill the fluid once or twice a season otherwise it gets "spongy."

Good luck

[Cbjr]

The springs do get weaker over time - however for about $60 and a quart of heavier wt fork oil you can make vast improvements to the front suspension - which by design is pretty mushy.

Buy a set of Progressive Springs from Progressive Suspension, replace the current fork oil with Belray 15wt - created a nice front suspension feel.

Fork seals don't need to be replaced unless they are leaking and won't need to be touched to do the spring/oil change-over.

[h13man]

Originally Posted by Cbjr

The springs do get weaker over time - however for about $60 and a quart of heavier wt fork oil you can make vast improvements to the front suspension - which by design is pretty mushy.


Buy a set of Progressive Springs from Progressive Suspension, replace the current fork oil with Belray 15wt - created a nice front suspension feel.

Fork seals don't need to be replaced unless they are leaking and won't need to be touched to do the spring/oil change-over.

Ditto. Progressive part #: 11-1126 Be sure they send you enough PVC for making the replacement spacers. (5 in. lg. for your Ace)

[riderdan]

OK, no leakage=good seals...got it. After reviewing the manual, my next question is, can the fork oil be added/replaced with out dismantling the fork itself? The reason I ask is the bike is my only mode of transportation and I need to make sure this procedure can be accomplished in an afternoon or a day topps. Also the manual specifies 8-10wt oil, will 15wt oil work properly? If anybody knows of any sites that demonstrates the process, that would also be great. Thanks for tips so far (keep 'em comming please).

[Notorious]

Someone mentioned this in an earlier thread, and I don't remember who it was but it was a very good reminder.

Make sure you keep your fork tubes clean. A dried bug on your fork tube can cause cuts in your fork seals.

[litnin]

Originally Posted by riderdan

OK, no leakage=good seals...got it. After reviewing the manual, my next question is, can the fork oil be added/replaced with out dismantling the fork itself? The reason I ask is the bike is my only mode of transportation and I need to make sure this procedure can be accomplished in an afternoon or a day topps. Also the manual specifies 8-10wt oil, will 15wt oil work properly? If anybody knows of any sites that demonstrates the process, that would also be great. Thanks for tips so far (keep 'em comming please).

If you are going to change the oil and add in new springs, I suggest you
go ahead and do a complete rebuild.

Chances are, if the oil needs changed, the guide bushings do to...

The oil in the forks don't wear out... it gets contaiminated... by wear
from the bushings.

You can do a complete rebuild on both forks for about $200, which
includes the price of the springs.

Go ahead and do it right... don't half ass it.
Replace the piston ring, the guide bushings, the seals, and the wipers.

As far as taking down the ride... Once you have the forks off the bike,
you can rebuild one in about an hour....
It's about 30-45 minutes getting them off the bike, an hour each to rebuild
them, and about an hour to get them back on the bike and have
the bike rolling.
You can easily do it on a weekend afternoon.

Just order your parts and have them ready ahead of time.

15 wt oil will work fine. It will add some extra stiffness to the suspension.
The forks are nothing more than the equivalent to the springs on a car.
The oil and pistons inside the forks are the equivalent to the shock
absorber, that supresses the spring bounce.
Going to a heavier weight oil, like 15wt, will not allow the springs
to oscillate as much due to the viscosity of the oil.
It's just like going to a stiffer shock absorber.

[riderdan]

Thanks litnin, thats good info to know. I appreciate you taking the time to explain what's involved.

[h13man]

Just for reference sake, how many mile's are on your ride? This could help other's determine future maintance on their bike's.

[riderdan]

33,526 miles are on it now...I've put close 16k on myself.