VFR400 NC21 front shocks?

[Theflash]

GRRRRRRR, I have taken one shock off the viffer to replace a leaking oil seal and dust cap, but I cant get the bottom Allen bolt out. I have tried compressing the shock in a pipe clamp (as the manual says) and still spinning internally.
Anyone got any bright ideas?

PS, anyone know whereabouts I could get the shocks re-chromed in AK (preferably) and price?
Might need doing soon.

[Theflash]

Got it sorted, the spring inside was obviously not strong enough to hold the bottom from turning internally, took of the top cover, took the spring out. Fitted a steel pipe inside(cut of an old mop handle) and clamped it with a pipe clamp. Fucken honda, they have a bleed screw of-set in the bottom, why didnt they put it in the middle with a locking hole in the internal part that spins. GRRR. 1 down, 1 to go.

[SS90]

Shit mate, erm, I suggest you might try getting some advise from a professional regarding stripping your forks, no manuel in the world tells you to hold it in the vise....trust me, I have been a motorcycle mechanic for more than 15 years...... there is a special tool that is required (your manual will tell you this), that holds the damper rod from turning when you undo the bottom bolt....jamming a broom handle in there was pure luck.... I suggest that if you have been holding the stanchions (that's mechanic speak for "the chrome bit") in a vise, then they are well and truly rooted now........ I can't recommend anyone who can chrome them, I live in Europe, but 6 years ago you had to send them to Aussie.....

[Pumba]

I dont know of any one in Auckland, but there is a place in hamilton out by the airport that does hard cromeing, (and it needs to be hardened crome not the decrative crome that most places do). Have a search there name has been mentioed on KB many times before, it just escapes me at the moment.

[Pussy]

I dont know of any one in Auckland, but there is a place in hamilton out by the airport that does hard cromeing, (and it needs to be hardened crome not the decrative crome that most places do). Have a search there name has been mentioed on KB many times before, it just escapes me at the moment.

Engine Components at Hamilton airport....

The tubes will come back better than new

[Theflash]

Shit mate, erm, I suggest you might try getting some advise from a professional regarding stripping your forks, no manuel in the world tells you to hold it in the vise....trust me, I have been a motorcycle mechanic for more than 15 years...... there is a special tool that is required (your manual will tell you this), that holds the damper rod from turning when you undo the bottom bolt....jamming a broom handle in there was pure luck.... I suggest that if you have been holding the stanchions (that's mechanic speak for "the chrome bit") in a vise, then they are well and truly rooted now........ I can't recommend anyone who can chrome them, I live in Europe, but 6 years ago you had to send them to Aussie.....

Hi SS90, to quote the Haynes manual VFR CN30 NC35, section 6.8

"Alternatively, a long metal bar or length of wood dowelling (such as a broom handle) passed down through the fork tube and pressed hard into the damper rod head quite often suffices"

PS: I only clamped the bottom fork slider in the vise.

Anyway it was a bastard of a job, which would have been easier if them stupid japansese design techs had put the "oil bleed" screw hole in the middle of the lower fork and a hole in the internal damper rod seat, then you could easily push a pin in through the hole and lock the damper rod seat from spinning internally.

There is a place in Otahuhu who does hard chrome for $130 a fork
Hard chroming Otahuhu
09 276 4796

anyway, I replaced the Oil seal and refilled with #10 oil, seems to be sweet for now.

Cheers all.

[SS90]

Hi SS90, to quote the Haynes manual VFR CN30 NC35, section 6.8

"Alternatively, a long metal bar or length of wood dowelling (such as a broom handle) passed down through the fork tube and pressed hard into the damper rod head quite often suffices"

PS: I only clamped the bottom fork slider in the vise.

Anyway it was a bastard of a job, which would have been easier if them stupid japansese design techs had put the "oil bleed" screw hole in the middle of the lower fork and a hole in the internal damper rod seat, then you could easily push a pin in through the hole and lock the damper rod seat from spinning internally.

There is a place in Otahuhu who does hard chrome for $130 a fork
Hard chroming Otahuhu
09 276 4796

anyway, I replaced the Oil seal and refilled with #10 oil, seems to be sweet for now.

Cheers all.

Wow, I tell ya, Haynes manuels have changed in the last few years! Broom handle ? wow!

Good to hear that you only clamped the bottoms in a vise!

By the way, an old girlfriend of mine had one (the Rothmans model), and the front springs where eternally too soft, even for her 60KG frame.

I simply raised the grade of fork oil one, and fitted 15mm spacers to the top of the forks (actually it was 20c pieces) and it improved the bike no end....before she couldn't even come up a driveway with-out bottoming out!

[Theflash]

Yeah, I was hesitant about poking anything up there, but was grumpy as hell at the time. Figure if I stuffed it, only $200 for a second hand pair.
Bike was a bit boggy in the front, but seems better with new oil, maybe it had just lost it's shwing (like we all do with age).

I might try the spacers, might cost me more as 20 cent piece's are NLA, maybe 3 X $2 coins :-)

Cheers