Evidence against USD forks

[steveb64]

Ladies and gentlemen of the court,

Evidence has come to light, for appeal against Skidmarks overwhelming wank wank over Upside down forks (USDs)


Last weekend I noticed the usually awesome brakes on the TL werent so Awesome.

5 days later I realised Ive gone and got a farked fork seal on the right side.

What has happened is that the oil has pissed out all over my right disk, rendering it completely useless.

Not only that but on USDs, due to gravity, the oil gets flung downwards far easier, making a perished seal much harder to detect.

Of course with shit normal way up forks (NWUs) the oil tends to stay on the shiny bit, and is very difficult to drip and fling all over the discs.

I rest my case.

Discuss.

What makes you think RWU forks have some sort of anti-gravity device in them? The times (a couple) I've blown seals on RWU's - the oil has managed to run down the outside of the fork leg, and insinuate itself into the guts of the brakes very nicely. It MOST definitely did NOT want to stay anywhere near the shiny bits. ...I wish it had...

+1 for the troll, BUT -1 for taking 5 days to notice that oil was pissing all over your brakes - AFTER you'd noticed the drop in brake performance!

[madandy]

What he said ^^^
brake fluid on tyres aint a good look neither

[bungbung]

If your seals are going to leak, it's normally far more likely on USD forks for two reasons:

The stanchions are more susceptible to stone chip damage
When they are leaking, the oil sitting on the seal under gravity is pumped out.

Whereas leaking rwu forks usually leak a whole lot less.

[gijoe1313]

Wheres Ixion and all the other older curmugdeons? They will be muttering dark and portentous utterings like "...forks? Suspensions? Pfeh! In our day, we only had two sticks and we had to hold onto them! Luxury!"

I remember when a fork seal blew on my little ol'hornet when I was doing SH22, ended up with a pucker moment when I went to use them and... woo woo!

Pulled over and oil was merrily making itself onto the brake disc! Alls well, got home and learnt how to change forkseals and such!

USD RWU forks ... I think in future there will be free floating magneto suspension systems which will obviate the need for said arguments!

"In my day, we had these two little metal tubes that kept the wheels on! And they bounced up and down they did!"

[Mikkel]

If your seals are going to leak, it's normally far more likely on USD forks for two reasons:

The stanchions are more susceptible to stone chip damage
When they are leaking, the oil sitting on the seal under gravity is pumped out.

Whereas leaking rwu forks usually leak a whole lot less.

True USD fork seals are more vulnerable. However, if you take good care of your bike the advantages should outweigh the disadvantages - that being said, there's a lot of wank going on about this subject!

On RWU forks you have to remove bugs on the forkarms before they dry and become hard - otherwise that can fuck the seals as well.

On USD forks the front mud guard usually provide substantial protection against the evils of the road!

[FROSTY:Me]

To add to the discussion is my bitter little tale with my race SV650.
We set up the front end on my sv as best we could with spacer adjustment oil viscosity and springs.
Still no good I decided to go to USD forks
well I wish like heck I'd stuck with right way up and saved my money -in that for about 1000 RT could have built me a really trick set of fork internals for the factory forks

[Mikkel]

To add to the discussion is my bitter little tale with my race SV650.
We set up the front end on my sv as best we could with spacer adjustment oil viscosity and springs.
Still no good I decided to go to USD forks
well I wish like heck I'd stuck with right way up and saved my money -in that for about 1000 RT could have built me a really trick set of fork internals for the factory forks

But now you can make a really trick set of fork internals for the USD ones which ought to be even better

At least SM might consider cheering for you trackside now - not a honda and it has USDs...

[madandy]

To add to the discussion is my bitter little tale with my race SV650.
We set up the front end on my sv as best we could with spacer adjustment oil viscosity and springs.
Still no good I decided to go to USD forks
well I wish like heck I'd stuck with right way up and saved my money -in that for about 1000 RT could have built me a really trick set of fork internals for the factory forks

What USD forks did you use & what parts did you trick them up with Tony?

[avrflr]

From Wikipedia:
"Conventionally, the fork sliders are at the top of the fork assembly, clamped to a triple tree, also called a yoke, pivoting around the headstock, and sliding in and out of the spring/damper unit at the bottom of the assembly. On many sport bikes, this system is inverted, with the spring/damper unit clamped to the yoke while the sliders are at the bottom of the assembly. This is done for two reasons: to reduce unsprung weight by having the heavier components be suspended, and to improve the strength and rigidity of the assembly by having the bulkier and stronger component being directly supported by the pivot.[2] Such a system is referred to by many as upside-down forks or USD for short."

They put USDs on sportsbikes and dirtbikes because they go to a lot of effort to make them light and handle as well as they possibly can. If they put RWU forks on your bike, it's because they weren't trying that hard.

Forks are crap anyway. They are the wrong engineering solution to the problem of suspending the front end of a motorbike. There are examples of niche manufacturers (e.g. Britten, BMW, MotoCzysz) who have some variation of the "front end swingarm" that work extremely well.

[clint640]

Lightness? Handling? who cares, it's all about bling bro, yo' wheels have to look like you tha Motogp an MX1 shizz an USD iz the phat goods fo' that!

Actually, it's the general consensus that the WP 50mm Extreme RWU forks fitted to earlier versions of my bike were superior to the first of the 43mm USD ones fitted to later models. USD definitely doesn't always mean better.

Clint

[Morcs]

What makes you think RWU forks have some sort of anti-gravity device in them? The times (a couple) I've blown seals on RWU's - the oil has managed to run down the outside of the fork leg, and insinuate itself into the guts of the brakes very nicely. It MOST definitely did NOT want to stay anywhere near the shiny bits. ...I wish it had...

+1 for the troll, BUT -1 for taking 5 days to notice that oil was pissing all over your brakes - AFTER you'd noticed the drop in brake performance!

Well my fluid had gone brown, and my first reaction was to order new fluid, pads etc.

[skidMark]

Ladies and gentlemen of the court,

Evidence has come to light, for appeal against Skidmarks overwhelming wank wank over Upside down forks (USDs)


Last weekend I noticed the usually awesome brakes on the TL werent so Awesome.

5 days later I realised Ive gone and got a farked fork seal on the right side.

What has happened is that the oil has pissed out all over my right disk, rendering it completely useless.

Not only that but on USDs, due to gravity, the oil gets flung downwards far easier, making a perished seal much harder to detect.

Of course with shit normal way up forks (NWUs) the oil tends to stay on the shiny bit, and is very difficult to drip and fling all over the discs.

I rest my case.

Discuss.

Did you think to perhaps wipe down your fork stanchons after each ride as you are meant to with USD forks?

[skidMark]

Call it a Duolever... or 'that Britten front end' like everyone else.

Here's a few others:
Girder Fork
Trailing Link Fork
Leading Link Fork
Springer fork
Earles fork
Saxon-Motodd (Telelever) fork
Fior fork (Hossack)
Coaxial steering front suspension
Centre hub
RADD

I'm pretty sure the Britten bike had Cavantalier type setup (sorry can't spell it)

[Morcs]

Did you think to perhaps wipe down your fork stanchons after each ride as you are meant to with USD forks?

Its not like a go for a once a week sunday afternoon ride.

They get cleaned as and when the bike gets washed - usually fortnightly.

Unless ive been riding in rain and mud, then a hose down is always good.

I have a rag wrapped around the stanchon and cable tied so it doesnt fall down. Seems to be keeping some of the oil away.

[skidMark]

True USD fork seals are more vulnerable. However, if you take good care of your bike the advantages should outweigh the disadvantages - that being said, there's a lot of wank going on about this subject!

On RWU forks you have to remove bugs on the forkarms before they dry and become hard - otherwise that can fuck the seals as well.

On USD forks the front mud guard usually provide substantial protection against the evils of the road!

Ummm yeah about that, my mates just bought me a crashed CBR.

It's going to become a RBC though.

Putting the ZXR's front end in it all going to plan.

so it will be like VFR and RVF and RVF is a VFR with USD's, thus CBR becomes RCB.

MmMmM a CBR thatll go around corners. w00t.