pretty sure my front suspension on my Kawi is blown... Not really leaking fork fluid but its soft as hell. Bottoms out all the time, I think factory settings says +10 clicks. I'm there but it's still too soft. Any help or suspension gurus out there?
250 Pogo stick
- Thread starter AdamRides87
- Start date
No didn't do anything to the forks. This problem existed before the rebuild. Didn't really know how bad it was til I got my ktm and noticed how awesome it's suspension is. I'm pretty sure the springs are stock. I have never changed them and my buddy who had it is the same weight as me and raced it so I can't image him putting softer springs in it
It leaves a thin film, it's not drenching my caliper or leaving a clear ring around the fork leg. A thin thin layer is to be expected but this is a little more than that. Also it's just the left leg. I'd have to pull apart the forks to check the spring rate right? The manual calls for 13 clicks on compression and 12 for rebound I believe, stiffened up to 8 clicks on compression and 10 on rebound. Haven't gotten a chance to ride yet but I'll keep updates. Also rear is 12 clicks rebound and 10 compression, changed to 11 rebound and 8 on compression. I'll let you guys know if I get the huck a buck lol
real special tool: i use a bent piece of welding rod. to simply see if the levels match, i guess you could do it with a flashlight and a thin measuring tape with the forks extended. I usually end up checking mine when the front wheel is off for something else, but it doesnt need to be. How soon can you spend about 30 minutes with it?
the first thing you are going to check with is to see if the levels are very close to even with eachother. so loosen the top triple clamp and and unscrew those. when you put them back, keep in mind they don't have to be as tight as some people try to make them.
collapsed is the best way to test and set the levels, but i take the springs out first, since less oil comes up with the springs. with the caps loose and the rods loose from the caps you can remove the springs over a bucket or newspapers very slowly to avoid mess and to keep as much oil to measure as you can in the tubes. once collapsed i take my bent piece of rod which is a little over 10" long act as a dipstick checking where the level comes on each leg and measuring with a little machinist rule that i have. a measuring tape works as well, and you can even put it down the fork and meausure the height, tho i like the dipstick way best. the higher the level the more spring affect you have. measure the springs and see if they are within a 1/16" of eachother and compare the lengths to what the manual suggests. race tech can give you a measurement if you dont have access to it. at this point since you are probably going to ride it anyway it is kind of just so you know how worn they are.
I havent set up a kx in so long my levels would be a little like guessing. I starte kyb 46's with a collapsed height of 6 3/4" of an inch. for my bikes (yamaha yz's) it seems to work because I like them just a bit stiffer than how they come. Play with it and see what you like. lots of people use those 2 dollar turkey basters to suck oil out and add it to get the level they want. you can change the oil easily on the outer chamber once you have it down this far. when i refill i dump about 300 cc's in, then work the slider up and down to get the air out, then hold my hand over the cap end to create a vacuum a time or two to help that as you pull the slider down. probably does nothing except give you something to do.
then go back together and test it to see what y ou like.
collapsed is the best way to test and set the levels, but i take the springs out first, since less oil comes up with the springs. with the caps loose and the rods loose from the caps you can remove the springs over a bucket or newspapers very slowly to avoid mess and to keep as much oil to measure as you can in the tubes. once collapsed i take my bent piece of rod which is a little over 10" long act as a dipstick checking where the level comes on each leg and measuring with a little machinist rule that i have. a measuring tape works as well, and you can even put it down the fork and meausure the height, tho i like the dipstick way best. the higher the level the more spring affect you have. measure the springs and see if they are within a 1/16" of eachother and compare the lengths to what the manual suggests. race tech can give you a measurement if you dont have access to it. at this point since you are probably going to ride it anyway it is kind of just so you know how worn they are.
I havent set up a kx in so long my levels would be a little like guessing. I starte kyb 46's with a collapsed height of 6 3/4" of an inch. for my bikes (yamaha yz's) it seems to work because I like them just a bit stiffer than how they come. Play with it and see what you like. lots of people use those 2 dollar turkey basters to suck oil out and add it to get the level they want. you can change the oil easily on the outer chamber once you have it down this far. when i refill i dump about 300 cc's in, then work the slider up and down to get the air out, then hold my hand over the cap end to create a vacuum a time or two to help that as you pull the slider down. probably does nothing except give you something to do.
then go back together and test it to see what y ou like.