Suzuki fork disassembly

[Pixie]

Has anyone disassembled forks on a Bandit 1200 or a RF 900 or similar?
Including removing and disassembling the dampers?
Can it be done with normal tools or are specials required?
I'm thinking of fitting some Gold Valves.

[ManDownUnder]

Has anyone disassembled forks on a Bandit 1200 or a RF 900 or similar?
Including removing and disassembling the dampers?
Can it be done with normal tools or are specials required?
I'm thinking of fitting some Gold Valves.


PM me with your email address - I'll fire down some pages from the manual...

Reassembling and getting them tuned etc is a fine art though. Shaun set his whole business up on it...

[Pixie]

Quick reply!Thanks Bud

[ManDownUnder]

Quick reply!Thanks Bud

peesaweez...

[Robert Taylor]

PM me with your email address - I'll fire down some pages from the manual...

Reassembling and getting them tuned etc is a fine art though. Shaun set his whole business up on it...

There are a number of special tools required to do the job properly. Please dont take this the wrong way...if you have not done this sort of job before it takes a lot of care and precision ( plus a whole load of experience ) that is not detailed in manuals, textbooks etc. Very often the job is less straightforward than written material will have you beleive. This is also very very much a safety related issue and my best sincere advice is to take this job to an acknowledged high volume suspension expert with a lot of experience in rebuilding and valving road bike suspension. I dont just mean external setup and changing springs, I mean someone who is fully equipped with fork and shock rebuild equipment. PM me if you want a reccomendation for someone in your area.

I know I possibly risk a chorus of kneejerk responses ( and you are probably a very particular / careful person ) but I really struggle to concur with the ''kiwi can do it mentality''. That might have applied in a less complicated world but the world has moved on and work such as this requires careful , methodical, experienced specialists with full and proper equipment. ( Sorry for repetition ) Plus the tenacity to make sure of an excellent result.

Not a month goes by without getting someones forks to put right. This month I have a set of Triumph forks that had a gold valve kit installed by a supposed motorcycle mechanic. The result is horrible and it looks like ''Egor'' has been in there with a pipe wrench and hammer. And oh, they didnt work so well.

BTW, I am not looking for the work myself. My concern is that for whatever reason it doesnt go horribly wrong for you and to also affect your safety. Please accept my comments as totally sincere to that end.

[ManDownUnder]

My concern is that for whatever reason it doesnt go horribly wrong for you and to also affect your safety. Please accept my comments as totally sincere to that end.

For what it's worth my impression is that it's more complex than just an unbolt/rebolt task. I got Shaun to have a look at the RF's forks and his first question was "so how do you ride"...

It made sense but was a much bigger perspective than I'd been considering to that point.

[Robert Taylor]

For what it's worth my impression is that it's more complex than just an unbolt/rebolt task. I got Shaun to have a look at the RF's forks and his first question was "so how do you ride"...

It made sense but was a much bigger perspective than I'd been considering to that point.
100% correct. If you have any further questions please dont hesitate to ask.

[imdying]

BTW, I am not looking for the work myself. My concern is that for whatever reason it doesnt go horribly wrong for you and to also affect your safety. Please accept my comments as totally sincere to that end.Too late to say something after the fact mate, so we appreciate your input early on :yes:

The amount of bling (the little green squares) you've been given and you've not even posted 40 times, think of that as an indicator of how much we appreciate you giving us your time :yes:

[rogson]

Forks - do them yourself. Be methodical and take your time the first time.

The springs in forks are usually under a small preload, but not enough to fire the cap at your face when you take it off. Still, be aware the cap will probably release suddenly, drop to and roll across the floor, and disappear into some inaccessible corner of the garage if you let it.

I'm not familiar with the GSF/RF but if they are like most other forks the trickiest job is putting the seals in on reassembly (assuming they have to come out for dissassembly - many/most do).

The seals must be put back-in with the fork assembled, and there is not much room between the inner and outer tubes to get at the seal and push it down without risking damaging it. Here's the trick for your 43mm forks (I should charge for this). Get a piece of 50mm PVC pipe, square-off one end as best you can and cut an axial slot long and wide enough so that when you compress the tube it will slide into the top of the outer tube. Tap the seal into place using the PVC pipe as a drift/guide (the PVC pipe obviously needs to be long enough so the end protudes above the top of the stanchion so you can tap on it). Piece of cake!

Other diameter forks can done in the same way - just need to get the appropriate sized pipe.

After you've done it once you won't have any trepidations about doing it again if necessary to tweak and fiddle in order to get them "perfect".

[Robert Taylor]

Forks - do them yourself. Be methodical and take your time the first time.

The springs in forks are usually under a small preload, but not enough to fire the cap at your face when you take it off. Still, be aware the cap will probably release suddenly, drop to and roll across the floor, and disappear into some inaccessible corner of the garage if you let it.

I'm not familiar with the GSF/RF but if they are like most other forks the trickiest job is putting the seals in on reassembly (assuming they have to come out for dissassembly - many/most do).

The seals must be put back-in with the fork assembled, and there is not much room between the inner and outer tubes to get at the seal and push it down without risking damaging it. Here's the trick for your 43mm forks (I should charge for this). Get a piece of 50mm PVC pipe, square-off one end as best you can and cut an axial slot long and wide enough so that when you compress the tube it will slide into the top of the outer tube. Tap the seal into place using the PVC pipe as a drift/guide (the PVC pipe obviously needs to be long enough so the end protudes above the top of the stanchion so you can tap on it). Piece of cake!

Other diameter forks can done in the same way - just need to get the appropriate sized pipe.

After you've done it once you won't have any trepidations about doing it again if necessary to tweak and fiddle in order to get them "perfect".
Like this man said, hes not familiar.

Great idea re fork seal installation without resorting to special tools, but also the outer tube where the seal sits needs prewarming with a heat gun to ease installation.

But, if piston kits are being fitted it is only a case of removing the cartridges and ( technically ) you dont need to remove the seals on this type of fork. ( I am personally familiar with these )

There are a few quirks to doing the cartridges on these and that is exactly why I emphasise leaving it to the proffessionals who are familiar. Whilst it costs it will save a whole load of potential grief in the long run.

[Pixie]

Not a month goes by without getting someones forks to put right. This month I have a set of Triumph forks that had a gold valve kit installed by a supposed motorcycle mechanic. The result is horrible and it looks like ''Egor'' has been in there with a pipe wrench and hammer. And oh, they didnt work so well.

.

Thanks for the input guys.
The experience recounted in the above quote is the reason I prefer to do all work on my bike myself.
However, the requirement for special tools is sometimes an obstacle.
As a lab instrument service engineer,I am quite confident my skills exceed what is required to do an excellent job on any vehicle. :first:

[rogson]

...I am quite confident my skills exceed what is required to do an excellent job on any vehicle........

Then you'll be fine - go for it.
I don't let "special tool" requirements deter me.
Most "special tools" can be either avoided by tackling the job another way (a classic one being wheel bearing remover/installers), or substituted by a simple/cheap alternative fashioned for the job (like the fork seal installer described above).

[Pixie]

Then you'll be fine - go for it.
I don't let "special tool" requirements deter me.
Most "special tools" can be either avoided by tackling the job another way (a classic one being wheel bearing remover/installers), or substituted by a simple/cheap alternative fashioned for the job (like the fork seal installer described above).

Yes.
I have often resorted to similar means.

[Robert Taylor]

Thanks for the input guys.
The experience recounted in the above quote is the reason I prefer to do all work on my bike myself.
However, the requirement for special tools is sometimes an obstacle.
As a lab instrument service engineer,I am quite confident my skills exceed what is required to do an excellent job on any vehicle. :first:

I do hear exactly where you are coming from. As is the case with a lot of trades the standard of workmanship is very often quite appalling. I recently had a spouting repair done by a local plumber and Im still shaking my head about how they did it. I will not be paying them for the job.

I have very real concerns over something I have little control of, Heath Robinsons masquerading as suspension gurus doing god awful work on Ohlins ( or in fact any ) suspension units. The latest one is a compression piston installed upside down in an Ohlins fork revalved by a shop with a supposed whizzkid.

As far as safety for the user and other road users in his path that is contemptible.

Look for a post soon expressing such concerns in detail.

[Pixie]

Often the problem appears to be failure to pay attention to the job in hand rather than a lack of skills.
In the electrical trades,of which I am a member,workers regularly die because they didn't pay attention to what they are doing.
It often seems too much trouble to engage the brain when reassembling a machine.

[Pixie]

I 've laid out the fork internals for anyone who may be thinking of attempting a fork rebuild.
Remember absolute cleanliness is essential.
Obsessive compulsive disorder helps.
Pic #2 is the compression valve assembly in a clamp I custom made to hold it safely while I loosen the shim stack.
Pic #3 is a close up of the standard compression valve assembly.

[Pixie]

More pics.
Also it seems,while I was rebuilding the dampers,someone has smoothed out all the bumps on SH16.
Funny the road surface doesn't look any different.

Pic #2 is the compression valve assemblies with the RaceTech gold valve kits installed.
Pic #3 is the reassembled cartridge