| Author | Message | ||
     Punkrider99 |
After almost 40,000 miles I finally had my front forks rebuilt by Race Tech in Corona. All they did was a standard rebuild and replace the seals and fluid and what not. I get them back and put them on my bike and now it seriously rides like shit. I ride my bike 120 miles a day to get back and forth to work on freeways and I typically ride pretty aggressively and have always been very confident with how my bike handled. I could fling it where I wanted it to be and it went and stayed there. Now it feels loose and sloppy. Unfortunately it's very hard to describe exactly how it feels now but it doesn't feel right. I checked the pre-load, compression, and rebound settings and they're all correct for my size. I'm pretty big and probably weigh near 300 lbs fully loaded with gear. The bike used to ride great when it was fresh many thousands of miles ago so I know it's not me being a fat ass that's the problem. What do I need to check? I'm a total noob when it comes to suspension stuff especially on motorcycles. Needless to say I'm very disappointed after spending this much time and money to have these rebuilt just to have the bike ride like ass. I really hope I can get it fixed. Question: could the pre-load on the headset bearings have loosened up when I pulled the forks off? It kind of seems like the front end turns with less effort now than it used to and feels "loose". Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! | ||
| Buell_bert |
I would also find out what fluid they put in and how many ounces. I have rebuilt a few forks for the M2's and had no problem. | ||
| Punkrider99 |
Interesting you mention how much fluid they put in. When I pulled the forks out of the box they came out upside down. When I turned them right side up I could seriously hear fluid running from one end of the shock to the other. I would have expected the fork to have been full enough to the point where you couldn't hear fluid running from one end to the other when you invert the fork. Does this sound normal? On a side note, a guy I worked with told me a horror story about dealing with Race Tech and warned me about sending my forks there. I also didn't get much of a warm fuzzy from the dude I dealt with there either. Does anyone have feedback on Race Tech? | ||
| Buell_bert |
I am not familiar with the XB's but the type and amount of fluid in the M2's makes a difference. The amount affects the bottoming resistance and the type affects how fast it reacts (thicker/thinner). I just use the type E fluid. | ||
| Reepicheep |
dunno about the XB forks, but when I rebuilt my KDX forks, the correct oil level is WAY down the fork. So "slosh on inversion" would be absolutely normal. | ||
| Punkrider99 |
Guess I'll be giving Race Tech a call. When they asked me how much I weighed I said 250 but the spec sheet they sent with my shocks said 215. I rode it one day as they were sent back to me but it felt to soft so I adjusted the compression and rebound according to the manual and it made a small difference. Maybe fluid type and quantity is way different from 215 to 250. | ||
| Los5445 |
Does anyone know if there is a torque recommendation for the clamps when reinstalling the tubes? I think the guys who did my rebuild over tightened them. | ||
| Husky |
08 Service manual, 23-25 ft-lbs of upper clamp and 20-22 ft-lbs on the lower clamp. husky | ||
| Gunut75 |
I would re-torque the steering head bearings first. Then check where your pre-load is set. If the forks are set up for a 215 lb rider, thats a problem. They may have used too thin (viscosity) oil in there for your application. Fork oil change is fairly easy. |
