docc

Thanks, but I got 'em back sorted. I still want to change springs and look into the Ohlins for the rear. I think I can mount the preload adjuster on the right by the seat release. You going to east Tennessee a day early so you can stay at the Athens Super8 for a night? Who knows, ya might see Bill there trying to make the most of The Raid.

I'm not now entirely sure it was so recent. I rode to town to get an extra quart of oil and noticed a change pulling in the parking lot over a seam. Always, well for as long as I can remember, the front end would make a 'plinck' when bumping a sharp edge at low speed. I never could find it and finally assumed it was play in the Heim joint for the steering damper. It was so surprising today not to hear and feel it! I rode around town bumping through rough pavement before coming home. The Sport is now sorted for the South'n Spine Raid. It's amazing what valve adjustment, plugs and a throttle body synch will do. Shifted into second at about 7000 rpm and she snatched the front tire off the road!

The 'foot valve' is the bottom of the cartridge assembly which bolts securely (or not) into the bottom of the fork tube with an anchor bolt which is inserted from the underside, its T50 Torx head recessed up in the bottom of the fork strut (which is attached to the tube and mounts the axle and caliper). The foot valve has a hex head which drops into (or no) a hex recess in the bottom of the fork tube allowing the cylindrical case of the cartridge to shoulder securely (or not) to the bottom. Apparently, this foot valve never dropped into engagement in the hex recess. Eventually it bounced about and rotated enough to line up and fall in which introduced the play. Perhaps this occured when I was monkeying around trying to remount the spring and spacer. Peering down into the tube it was apparent that there had been some banging about But probably not for more than the 126 miles of the morning ride. The hex on the foot valve is aluminum so it couldn't have stood up to those kinds of tolerances for long. One of the mysteries is I don't recall removing the cartridge in the four oil changes I've done. If it was done by Marzocchi, you'd think my damping will be much improved. The front fork diagram in the workshop manual at F26 does not show the bolt (or 'screw') which goes up into the bottom of the fork strut/tube (23), nor does it show the set screw which anchors the head of that bolt and inserts through a 5mm threaded hole inboard and above the axle. Like a dope I thought it was just a casting feature. Being inboard the hole was mucked in and the tiny hex head recesses probably 3 or 4 mm. Even after forcibly turning the anchor bolt (gouging the head circumferentially) I had to drive the bolt out from the inside (marring the head longitudinally), such that I am certain the set screw does indeed act as a keeper for the head of that bolt. The whole thing has been a menagerie of , , and followed last night by and this a.m. by and

All this connubial, brass nipples, vinyl tubing . . . I must be missing something using mercury sticks. ( the ports are 5mm)

Dave, Remeasuring with an alloy, analogue Vernier caliper I get the following values (not sure how they compare with what was posted before): Outside diameter, Ohlins (Guzzi spec spring: 1.475 " Outside diameter, Marzocchi spring ('00 Sport): 1.374 " Inside diameter, Marzocchi fork tube 1.415" As they say in gunsmithing,"go,no go." I wish that they had worked. Now back to the archives for a source for good springs since my chance of losing 40 pounds is rather, ahem, slim .

I hate this. If it weren't for the internet I could have privately humiliated myself with my comedy of errors and never left the garage. Now the world knows. What a . First, I'm not sure how the play got in the cartridge ( I don't remember ever breaking it down that far), but the foot valve was not seated in the bottom of the fork tube. Luigi maybe? But if so, what a Homer for me not to find it for 50,000 miles. Maybe it was tied down well enough and only recently rotated enough to start moving up and down the 4-5mm. It gets worse. I don't care who makes your 8mm hex drive when the fastener actually is a T50 Torx. Sure the #6 screw extractor got it, but it was ugly. And gets uglier. There's a set screw that keeps the anchor bolt for the cartridge. Did I say set screw? I meant SET SCREW. The screw doesn't show on the schematic and isn't mentioned in the manual's text. I'm sure any decent experienced technician would have known. Fortunately, I learned the delicate craft of tuning from the finest of sweaty, ham-fisted redneck tractor mechanics and got the thing apart in spite of how it was put together. The Maxim oil looked really bad ( after 126 miles!!), so I'm glad it's gone and sorry it's still in the compression fork. The 5wt Silkolene is a synthetic, so I'm still uncertain about this whole "cartridge fork oil" thing. So the Sport sits back on her own feet. Tomorrow I'll slip out and see how she feels.

Talk about friends. You ask for a fork and a guy offers you a bike!

I was hoping to convert the thing to a Torx by hammering it in. A T50 is exactly 8mm so I'll have to go up a size. I'm not sure what that is in Torx. Even the body of the T50 I have is too large to insert in the fork's recess. You're right about the Craftsman of course ( how'd you know that's what I used?) Great Neck is even worse by far.

Motley indeed. Perhaps more and more motley all the time. Are you guys gonna make me ride in the back if I bring the GB500? Tell me it doesn't look that bad: Watch the unfolding at The Fork Thread. Better yet, maybe one of you could overnight a rebound fork leg to rescue my sorry a**.

To complicate matters, the manual specifies the torque value with Loktite 601. Isn't that the red stuff?

I seem to remember reading those lyrics were based on some truth of arlo crashing his bike. A Triumph was it?

Less than a week to The Raid and I've had worse nightmares. Like when my high school girlfriend missed a period. Three times. Indeed it appears the cartridge ( or some part of it) has 4 or 5 mm play up and down. The anchor bolt is tight. So tight , in fact, that it is no longer a hex drive. More of a round drive. And 8mm is certainly bigger than a #5 screw extractor. Where could the play be coming from and how in the world to get the thing apart now??

Yeah,this is my fourth oil change and if I've overfilled them a little (or more) each time they've gotten progressively harsher with less and less air gap. I've gotten somethng munted though. The rebound fork makes abit of a clunk when compressed and doesn't appear to be damping. I don't think I set the thread height above the blue lock nut correctly.I spun it all the way down then brought it back upto lock the cap. Back to the shop now and try to sort it out.

You'll be amazed what can be accomplished right on the tarmac of the motel. Looks like Bullock will be joining us on the TDM.

No, really, I had the forks apart and the Ohlins springs don't fit. Something must be awry with the OD measurements on the springs They are a little funky to measure and I didn't retry as I was all anxious to get it back together to ride. Meeting some folks today for a painfully slow cruiser ride with a novice wife-rider in tow. But it is riding and her hubby is a fine fellow and a State Trooper. He actually let me go on a 64 in a 45 on the Sport before we met otherwise. It is , as g.forrest has said, time to ride.

Look for a fuel line lying too close to the cylinder fins, especiaaly on the left side. Otherwise, a cracked or loose intake rubber could give these symptoms . . .

0.007" assuming the measurements were all good. I didn't take time to remeasure. I didn't like the Maxima 5wt oil I used. It was clear and colorless. Not hardly as interesting as the blue Silkolene I've used before. I'm looking forward to trying the synthetics. Are they more compliant? I was surprised that the volume to set the 100 mm luftkammer varied from 355 ml to 300 ml from right to left. Made me feel like I'd screwed something up. Before I'd used the volume measure ( to +/- 0.1 mL). I must have had much less air spring. Should that make the forks less harsh now ( with more air spring)?

Nerts, Dave was right. The Ohlins springs won't go in the Marz forks. I suppose I'll change the oil ( the crap that came out is nasty) and try to set my 'air spring' like a good boy. I'm pretty sure I can change the sprinngs without taking the forks off the bike, so I'll have to source some springs and come back to it later.

Zerk on the shifter . . . that is stellar! Gini, has the clutch fluid been bled? I did mine today after an embarrasing three years. It looked like vegetable broth coming out. Why is it the clutch fluid gets so much worse than the brake fluids?

Truly, taking something meant to be rugged and trying to make it pretty is like putting make-up on Army Rangers. It comes out weird looking and pisses off the Ranger.

Was it Patton who said ( something like), "There's nothing quite as exhiliarating as being shot at and missed." Glad you're OK and the Sport has only a little 'experience.' Here's to good gear.

Indeed, it sounds like a dead switch. Try removing it and cleaning/cycling it a few times to rescusitate it.

These bikes are really not about off-road. True, the Husky or something like Honda's XR650 is the ticket there. No, this is more about an all-road bike. Fast freeway, twisty bits, bad pavement, no pavement, creek crossing all the while with an open, comfortable riding position, more suspension travel than a sportbike, good lights,mirros and luggage. Did I mention it can't be too tall, too heavy or have a big slow-turn radius? Plus, it needs to look rugged and in fact have tip-over protection. And a torquey understressed twin would be good. Big gas tank with 200 mile range and alternator to spare. That's a lot to package into one bike. The new meld of the duel-sport ( too off-road), adventure tourer ( too tall and heavy) and the supermotard ( too stripped down) may be bringing us the perfect tool. Then again, you may still need five different bikes and a trailer . . .

We're looking like 7 Guzzis and perhaps three other bikes leaving Columbia for the 200-230 miles to sweetwater. Good to hear Scott's bringing his fine looking Ballabio and ( I can't believe it!) The Professorhisself is stomping in from duties in NH. This is gonna be some music!!