Dropping the fork

[raz]

My fork legs has been level with the upper triclamp since I bought the bike. I know some people drop the forks to get quicker steering but I've considered that a possible future elaboration. Now I just realized the WHB says it should be dropped 10 mm from where it is now just to get to factory spec! I probably have a drag racing geometry as it is now.

 

My first plan was to do this with wheel and stuff attached, both legs simultanously. I realize that may be optimistic. With the bike on central stand, I loosened all triclamp bolts up and wiggled about but of course nothing much happens. What's the sensible procedure here? Should I remove the front wheel and fender and do one leg at a time?

[big J]

Yep

[raz]

Yep

Damn No short-cut?

[Alex-Corsa]

Damn No short-cut?

 

Yes one leg at a time. The 10mm or about so is comepestating the back height loss when a 60 profile tyre is fitted, perhaps that direction goes for the Daytona RS that has a 60 back tyre.

Not so necessary when in 70 profile

I have dropped mine about 2-3mm ,still wearing a 70 profile and that's all, and even when have riden with a 60 and no drop still was fun to ride, too much details at big level is IMO just a load of **** that you don't need in the street situations if the bike is otherwise tip-top OK and you know how to ride it.

I was such a sceptic some years ago but right now after 55Kkm riding the bike the matter means nothing to me.

Rule of the thumb is to set it up as you'll fit better on it (riding position and style)

[raz]

 

Yes one leg at a time. The 10mm or about so is comepestating the back height loss when a 60 profile tyre is fitted, perhaps that direction goes for the Daytona RS that has a 60 back tyre.

Not so necessary when in 70 profile

I have dropped mine about 2-3mm ,still wearing a 70 profile and that's all, and even when have riden with a 60 and no drop still was fun to ride, too much details at big level is IMO just a load of **** that you don't need in the street situations if the bike is otherwise tip-top OK and you know how to ride it.

I was such a sceptic some years ago but right now after 55Kkm riding the bike the matter means nothing to me.

Rule of the thumb is to set it up as you'll fit better on it (riding position and style)

Thanks, that makes sense. I wear a 70 so maybe this isn't the most urgent fix after all. I can only say the bike's handling is fantastique but I don't have very much recent experience to compare with.

[Guest ratchethack]

Raz, I've fiddled with fork height quite a bit on the Guzzi. It's easy to do this with wheel and fender in place. With the bike on a stand and front wheel off the floor, back off the triple clamp pinch bolts and GENTLY and EVER SO SLIGHTLY wedge open the slots in the clamps with small screwdrivers, leaving them in place while you adjust height.

 

NOTE: DO NOT do this without supporting the wheel from underneath! The fork is likely to drop straight through.

 

You can easily do this with such little wedging that you won't have any paint damage. You REALLY DON'T want to put very much pressure at all on the screwdrivers. With too much force there would be RISK of "springing" the triple clamps. All you're looking for is a few thousandths of an inch spread. AGAIN -- PLEASE NOTE that it takes surprisingly LIGHT "wedging" to let the forks slip very easily up or down with just a TINY BIT of "persuasion".

 

Once you have the screwdrivers GENTLY wedged in place, if you put a 2x4 under the front tire and use it as a lever, you can set up enough vibration in the fork by giving a whack on the tire with one hand (the vibration "walks" the forks very easily in either direction) while levering up on the 2x4 with the other, and it'll raise the forks in the clamps just as pretty as you please.

 

I've probably done this a dozen or more times on the Guzzi.

 

Have I emphasized enough that it doesn't take more'n a TINY BIT of LIGHT wedging and very little "persuasion"??

[Alex-Corsa]

Thanks, that makes sense. I wear a 70 so maybe this isn't the most urgent fix after all. I can only say the bike's handling is fantastique but I don't have very much recent experience to compare with.

 

If you still want to stay on the 70's you can then try the Metzelers Z6 roadtecs they have some sporty quality in them in terms of grip and geometry (more than any other 70 profile tyre on the market for sure) Well they are not pilot powers or M1's, but they are excellent in what they are.

For me suspencion is much more important but I haven't dig much into that a lot since i don't do track.

hope you find what's best for you.

[guzzi jon]

I've never had to remove squat to raise the fork legs, prop it up, loosen them a bit and tap the forks with a rubber mallet until where you want, tighten each side when it gets where you want. At RH said, have the sucker jacked up first or you will quickly be resting on the fender...

[Guzzi2Go]

Well, the bike has lousy ground clearance as it is with the forks fully backed out, so I would think twice before making it even lousier. :!: Unless you want to remove the flaking paint of the oil sump.

 

Seriously, I am not much of a squid, yet I managed to scrape the side stand more than once. The bike is forcing me more and more to ride "hanging off" (so keeping it as much upright as possible), as I'd like to.

 

So I was actually thinking about how to raise the back of the bike, rather than dropping the front. However, apart from adjusting the rear spring preload, there is little to do.

[Ouiji Veck]

I can't see where 10mm one way or the other is going to make

an appreciable difference under normal or even extreme road use.

 

Ice racing we'd drop/raise the triple inches with very detectable effect

on traction. ie; front end pushing out in the turn...drop the T clamps..way down./

rear tire skating/ too loose ...raise the front/ put weight on the rear.

This is normal practice day/ practice lap R&D depending on ice conditions.

( Along with screw pattern, tire pressure, cocktail selection etc.)

 

I think cutting very hard lap times on a track, a 10mm fork height adj. might

be appreciated by a very good racer. Not me. 30-40mm I might notice..if I'm

paying particular attention to it trying to cut a nano second off my lap time.

I run mine 10mm above...musta read it somewhere..

 

Screw this..it's gonna be 50 today...I'm outta here!!

[raz]

If you still want to stay on the 70's you can then try the Metzelers Z6 roadtecs they have some sporty quality in them in terms of grip and geometry (more than any other 70 profile tyre on the market for sure) Well they are not pilot powers or M1's, but they are excellent in what they are.

For me suspencion is much more important but I haven't dig much into that a lot since i don't do track.

hope you find what's best for you.

That's good news because that is what I've got now, brand new. Rear is a Z4 with 7000 kms on it. I'll have a look at 60 rear next time. Are you saying I could go 60 for the front too?

 

Raz, I've fiddled with fork height quite a bit on the Guzzi. It's easy to do this with wheel and fender in place. Back off the triple clamp pinch bolts and GENTLY and EVER SO SLIGHTLY wedge open the slots in the clamps with small screwdrivers, leaving them in place while you adjust height. You can easily do this with such little wedging that you won't have any paint damage. You REALLY DON'T want to put very much pressure at all on the screwdrivers. With too much force there would be RISK of "springing" the triple clamps. All you're looking for is a few thousandths of an inch spread. AGAIN -- PLEASE NOTE that it takes surprisingly LIGHT "wedging" to let the forks slip very easily up or down with just a TINY BIT of "persuasion".

Thanks Ratch (and guzzi jon), that's what I was fishing after. Good to know for next time. This time I already removed the wheel (I realized I wanted to have a look at the wheel bearings anyway) and did one leg at a time. That was easy.

 

Ground clearance is not much of an issue to me and I don't expect this 10mm drop to make much difference in driving, I just didn't like the idea of having added to an already slow setup. Another side-effect, my bike was at a much greater angle on the side stand than a friend of mine's similar bike. This, and the backing off of rear preload I did to compensate for my tiny weight, may add up to fix that a little.