Air adjustable front forks?
Thomas Goodman
have a manual for it so I need some info here. I've read some where that
the from forks on this bike are air adjustable. I notice that it has two
valves at the top of the forks. Does this mean I can pump them up with a
regular air compressor? How much do I put in and what exactly will this
effect the ride height or just the strenght of the shock? Also can I put
air into the the KYB thingie like the forks? Sorry if these are stupid
questions. I just have no idea what to do without a manual. I'm
definately going to get me a shop manual for it though.
Thanks
Thomas G.
Thomas Goodman
have a manual for it so I need some info here. I've read some where that
the from forks on this bike are air adjustable. I notice that it has two
valves at the top of the forks. Does this mean I can pump them up with a
regular air compressor? How much do I put in and what exactly will this
effect the ride height or just the strenght of the shock? Also can I put
is a small black knob on the bottom end of the shock that has the numbers
1-2-3-4 around it. What does this do and how the heck do I turn it (with
a hammer and a punch like I did the top adjusters)? Sorry if these are
definately going to get me a shop manual for it though.
Thanks
Thomas G.
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John Cunningham
best to refer to the owner's manual, however, I can tell you that I
have seen many instances,(different bikes) where it is possible to
pressurize the front forks with air to make the suspension stiffer.
The most pressure I have ever seen recommended is five to six p.s.i.
Your rear shock should already be pressurized. There again, I have
seen pressures of roughly 150 p.s.i. to 250 p.s.i. Honda recommends
using nitrogen gas in the manual for my '89 Honda CR 250. I would
assume the same would hold true for yours. On the other hand, my other
bike, an '87 Kawasaki KX 125 recommends compressed air. Since air is
about 77 or 78% Nitrogen anyway I wouldn't think it would make much
difference.
John
GraemeD
(John Cunningham ) writes:
>Subject: Re: Air adjustable front forks?
>From: cunn...@ix.netcom.com (John Cunningham )
>Date: 16 Sep 1995 00:57:43 GMT
NO AIR !!!!!!!, all it does is make the ride harsh on small bumps . the
valves are there to BLEED air after a ride, so the forks are not harsh (
they pump up when you ride the bike)
As for the rear shock DONT Touch IT, if you even try to check the pressure
then you will lower it too much . it has only a small volume so any let
out willaffect the shock.
and only use Nitrogen to fill a shock, due to the fact that it will not
change pressure when it gets hot. If you need to know the pressure, take
it some where it can be recharged
Graeme D.
John Cunningham
>
>John Cunningham (cunn...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
>
>: Your rear shock should already be pressurized. There again, I have
>: seen pressures of roughly 150 p.s.i. to 250 p.s.i. Honda recommends
>: using nitrogen gas in the manual for my '89 Honda CR 250. I would
>: assume the same would hold true for yours. On the other hand, my
other
>: bike, an '87 Kawasaki KX 125 recommends compressed air. Since air
is
>: about 77 or 78% Nitrogen anyway I wouldn't think it would make much
>: difference.
>
>Compressed air is fine in forks. You should only use nitrogen in rear
>shocks. Shocks run very hot. Combine a hot shock, oil, high pressure
>oxygen, and a super-critical compression rate and *BOOM*, shock
converts
>to so much shrapnel.
>
>-Jeff Deeney- DoD#0498 NCTR FOLMA#2
>j...@fc.hp.com AMA#540813 COHVCO '85 XT600 '88 XR600-Shamu
>We don't stop riding because we get old, we get old because we stop
riding.
Excellent reply. I was originally going to give him the line
about oxygen in the shock creating an explosion but then I figured he
was probably to smart to believe it.
John
st...@ddi.digital.net
> NO AIR !!!!!!!, all it does is make the ride harsh on small bumps . the
> valves are there to BLEED air after a ride, so the forks are not harsh (
> they pump up when you ride the bike)
>
> Graeme D.
I've never heard this before. Where does this air come from during the
ride that you would bleed out? Also, N2 does expand when it gets hot, just
like all other gases. Maybe it doesn't expand as much, but it definitely
does expand. I think the reason N2 is generally used is that it is much
cleaner than compressed air, is less likely to cause corrosion, and is in
general much less reactive with fork components than air.
h%d...@dfmail.usafa.af.mil
The manual of every bike I have owned has stated exactly what Graeme
said above. These are bleed valves only. My speculation is that the
air source is a combination of air leaking in through the seals and
gas bubbles which were previously dissolved in the fork oil. Naturally
you should try to minimize this second category whenever you change
the fork oil, but you can never get it all out.
You can pressurize some forks on purpose if they have Schrader type
bleeder valves -- my White Powers only have a bleed screw. Pressurizing
them will give you a very harsh ride, but you might not bottom as often.
Not really worth it.
Finally, forks (at least current ones) do not contain compressed N2.
Shocks are pressurized, but not forks unless you did it yourself for
some reason. I don't think there is any way a fork can contain the
kind of high pressure gas you'd find in a shock (150 psi?). The seals
would never hold it.
Merrill Hoekstra 94 KTM 250 with heavier springs, not compressed air.
MATTHEW HOFER
St> @FROM :st...@ddi.digital.net
St> N @SUBJECT:Re: Air adjustable front forks?
St> N @UMSGID :<steve-1909951837300001@pm2_16.digital.net>
St> N @UNEWSGR:01rec.motorcycles.dirt
St> N From: st...@ddi.digital.net
St> Organization: FLORIDA ONLINE, Florida's Premier Internet Provider
St> I've never heard this before. Where does this air come from during the
St> ride that you would bleed out? Also, N2 does expand when it gets hot,
St> just like all other gases. Maybe it doesn't expand as much, but it
St> definitely does expand. I think the reason N2 is generally used is that
St> it is much cleaner than compressed air, is less likely to cause
St> corrosion, and is in general much less reactive with fork components
St> than air.
I would have to disagree with the point that N2 is used because it is a
cleaner gas. I recently tore my rear shock apart to rebuild it myself
what I found was that the N2 is on a thick rubber diapragm that squashes
when the shock is compressed. The N2 never comes into contact with any of
the inner workings of your shock. N2 is used becuase that it won't condense
and does not easily attact moisture and is not affected adversally by heat
with other gasses. It also has excellant characteristics such as not being
an excellerant such as oxygen so if you blow up your bike you can be sure
the the N2 is not adding to the tremendous blaze.
I'm not definitally sure on all the reasons N2 is used but I know that
is definatily not used because it is cleaner. Maybe someone with a little
more background can help me out on this one.
Matt Hofer
Dinuba Ca
(matthe...@dinuba.com)
'89 TRX 250R '86 ATC 250R
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR]
SBroon
with other materials. This is good when you have a pressurized gas in a
rubber bladder and you pump it up to 170 psi and heat it up every day for
months or years......
Mark Lechowski
: The nitrogen is used because it is an inert gas, meaning it does not react
: with other materials. This is good when you have a pressurized gas in a
: rubber bladder and you pump it up to 170 psi and heat it up every day for
: months or years......
Oh please! Nitrogen an inert gas?! Check with chemistry 101 book and save
yourself embarassment.
On the other hand , why wouldn't they use and inert gas like Argon or Neon?
Seams the above argument might be vaild.
Mark L.
Roserunner
>SBroon (sbr...@aol.com) wrote:
>: The nitrogen is used because it is an inert gas, meaning it does not react
>: with other materials. This is good when you have a pressurized gas in a
>: rubber bladder and you pump it up to 170 psi and heat it up every day for
>: months or years......
>
>Oh please! Nitrogen an inert gas?! Check with chemistry 101 book and save
>yourself embarassment.
Those shocks are filled with HELIUM, which is a totally inert gas.
The main reason for using helium, is that it has a slower pressure rise
in relation to temperature than air. A shock with helium in it will
suffer less pressure rise as the shock warms up, than one filled with
air. This will make it more consistent.
----
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In article <DFFKB...@apollo.hp.com>, lechowsk@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE (Mark Lechowski) writes:
/*SBroon (sbr...@aol.com) wrote:
/*: The nitrogen is used because it is an inert gas, meaning it does not react
/*: with other materials. This is good when you have a pressurized gas in a
/*: rubber bladder and you pump it up to 170 psi and heat it up every day for
/*: months or years......
/*
/*
/*Oh please! Nitrogen an inert gas?! Check with chemistry 101 book and save
/*yourself embarassment.
I can't second-guess SBroon, but what he probably meant was
'non-oxydising', which holds true for nitrogen quite nicely.
It's also used in Citroen's hydro-pneumatic suspension.
/*On the other hand , why wouldn't they use and inert gas like Argon or Neon?
/*Seams the above argument might be vaild.
$$$. Nitrogen does the job just as well, and much cheaper.
--
'86 R80ST '91 R100GS/PD (room for more!)
Rik Steenwinkel | Any similarity between my opinions and those, past
Digital Equipment Co. | or present, of my employer is purely coincidental.
A lot of new developments are heralded by the words: 'Now that's funny...'
Mike Chaplin
>Those shocks are filled with HELIUM, which is a totally inert gas.
>The main reason for using helium, is that it has a slower pressure rise
>in relation to temperature than air. A shock with helium in it will
>suffer less pressure rise as the shock warms up, than one filled with
>air. This will make it more consistent.
Helium, huhh ? ! It is certainly inert; but I would be concerned about
its leak rate. Them little-bitty molecules will leak away much faster
than nitrogen or any of the gases with larger molecules. It is the
leak-detection gas of choice for this very reason.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Mike Chaplin | cha...@netcom.com | The Endorphin Express -> ZX10, CX650Turbo
Concord, Ca. | mcha...@llnl.gov | DoD, MSMC, Northstars XR650L, TL364
* "If you can't run with the big dogs, ya gotta sit on the porch." unknown **
gyps...@gmail.com
Felix
OK, I don't have a whole XR200, but I got the fork. It's on my XR185,
which is really the same bike as a 200 anyway. Well, my bike's an
XL185S, not an XR185, but pretty much the same thing.