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K100-forum.com » Technical, repair and troubleshooting » Frame, fairing and wheels » Front suspension feels hard

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1Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:52 am

Holister

Holister
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I've just done nearly 2K klm on new 10w (360ml) fork oil and the suspension feels a particularly hard up front. I can feel a lot of the bumps thru the bars and our roads here in OZ aren't great.
Just wondering how new fork springs would affect the suspension or should I just try 7w?


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808		 Front suspension feels hard Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

2Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:26 am

Rick G

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10 is as hard as you will ever need to go. I run a mix of 10 and 5 or you can try to use about 10 - 15 ml less, what that does is effectivly gives the air more room so it does'nt compress as much. That compression is quite a bit of the spring in effect.


__________________________________________________
"Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."   Dalai Lama


Bikes 1999 K1100 LT with a Big Block 1200
    

3Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:30 am

92KK 84WW Olaf

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KH

I am shortly going to do my fork oil too but I remember years back an overfill would make the forks very hard. So would heavier oil.

I imagine you have the right quantity but the book quantity as far as I know is from dry. An oil change will surely leave 10-20ml in there before you refill.

Do you know what grade oil was in before the oil change? I am 75kg and live rural with lots of bad roads and would be going for the lighter oil.


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

4Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:36 am

Holister

Holister
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Thanks Rick. I'll remove 10ml and see if that makes a difference.

Olaf, good thought. There's always going to be a little left in the bottom of the stanchions I guess.
I have no idea what was in there previously but what I drained out was way past its use by date.



Last edited by Kaptain Holister on Mon Jan 11, 2016 4:00 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808		 Front suspension feels hard Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

5Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:41 pm

Born Again Eccentric

Born Again Eccentric
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Kaptain, 

You may have already seen this old post, but I recalled some common themes with your current issue:

https://www.k100-forum.com/t7862-short-fork-travel#91702

Like many others, I have opted to use a 50/50 blend of 10W and 5W oil. I find it makes the front end just a little soft, particularly when braking hard (not the I do that very often), but it is far more comfortable than having it too hard and riding a bone shaker.


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Front suspension feels hard Uk-log10 Front suspension feels hard Sco-lo15
                              Paul  Front suspension feels hard 905546712

"Heidi" K100LT 1991 (Grey) (VIN 0190172 Engine No. 104EB 2590 2213) - 5th owner. January 2014 (34,000 - 82,818 miles and counting....)
"Gretel" K100LT 1989 (Silver Grey) (VIN 0177324 Engine No. 104EA 2789 2211) - 4th+ owner. September 2015 (82,684 miles and counting....). Cat C Insurance write-off rebuild Feb 17
"Donor" K100LT 1990 (Red)  (VIN 0178091 Engine gone to Dai) - 6th & final owner (crash write-off now donor bike).   June 2012 (73,000 miles) to November 2013 (89,500 miles)
    

6Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 4:15 pm

Holister

Holister
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Thanks BAE. Good thread. Will try removing 30ml using your method. The 10w can stay there for the time being.

"Jackhammer" is certainly an apt description of how it feels.


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808		 Front suspension feels hard Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

7Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:07 pm

Motorbike Mike

Motorbike Mike
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I must be the odd one out here because I have 10 weight in all my K road bikes and an extra 10ml in my K1100LT. 
I like plenty of feedback from the front so it really suits me. 10w fork oil transformed the front of my K100 Basic from a wallowing jelly into something nearly sharp, I have a stiffer shock on the rear too.
After all, the K's haven't got a bad chassis have they? Cross country my Basic is a blast.
I've found a nice balance between taught and comfortable-a fluke I'm sure.  Shocked

    

8Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:10 pm

Dai

Dai
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Makes two of us, Mike. I'm running 10w in the front with Hagon Progressives and a RamShok at the rear.


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1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

9Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Sat Jan 16, 2016 9:19 am

Holister

Holister
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Life time member
Took 30ml out of each and its a bit better but still could be a little softer. I'll try a mix of 5w and 10w next time.
Thanks everyone 🤡


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808		 Front suspension feels hard Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

10Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:02 am

92KK 84WW Olaf

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Motorbike Mike wrote:I must be the odd one out here because I have 10 weight in all my K road bikes and an extra 10ml in my K1100LT. 
I like plenty of feedback from the front so it really suits me. 10w fork oil transformed the front of my K100 Basic from a wallowing jelly into something nearly sharp, I have a stiffer shock on the rear too.
After all, the K's haven't got a bad chassis have they? Cross country my Basic is a blast.
I've found a nice balance between taught and comfortable-a fluke I'm sure.  Shocked

Ah yes but the other trick we had as fork seals and sliders wore was to use a thicker oil to compensate. A lot depends on rider weight and which model. From K100 basic to K100LT there is a lot of extra weight up front and even more for the K1100LT, all on what seem to be essentially much the same set up.


__________________________________________________
1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

11Back to top Go down   Front suspension feels hard Empty Re: Front suspension feels hard Sat Jan 16, 2016 3:00 pm

Motorbike Mike

Motorbike Mike
Life time member
Life time member
92KK 84WW Olaf wrote:
Motorbike Mike wrote:I must be the odd one out here because I have 10 weight in all my K road bikes and an extra 10ml in my K1100LT. 
I like plenty of feedback from the front so it really suits me. 10w fork oil transformed the front of my K100 Basic from a wallowing jelly into something nearly sharp, I have a stiffer shock on the rear too.
After all, the K's haven't got a bad chassis have they? Cross country my Basic is a blast.
I've found a nice balance between taught and comfortable-a fluke I'm sure.  Shocked

Ah yes but the other trick we had as fork seals and sliders wore was to use a thicker oil to compensate. A lot depends on rider weight and which model. From K100 basic to K100LT there is a lot of extra weight up front and even more for the K1100LT, all on what seem to be essentially much the same set up.
I suppose that it's very much down to individual rider preference too. I'm not keen at all on wallowy soft bikes but I do understand what you say about ware of the internals. 

These alterations must be tried to find what's best for both bike & rider and this kind of modification is easily reversed if it's not to a riders liking-I shall keep searching!  Very Happy

    

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