Mike Stewart Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 Paul, It isn't that difficult to install the Showa forks and I do believe it will be a much better fork than the stock unit. At least it will be tuneable. A well tuned Showa is on par with Ohlins as I am told. I had my stock forks reworked twice by LE and was not happy with the fork afterwards . Way to stiff, not supple at all. If I can get the front end to work like my Aprilia, I will be a very happy camper! My Dymag front wheel uses one 47mm. bearing on one side and a 42mm. bearing that is on the right side. There is plenty of material that can be removed to fit the 47mm. bearing but finding a competent machine shop may be a different story. Mike
Paul Minnaert Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 After 45 replies on the subject, here it is, delivered in 24 hours from bologna to the netherlands!!!! Why can't Guzzi do that? cost not more than normal= 65 euro for the axle and 7 euro for the alu nut.
al_roethlisberger Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 ...yep, the curse of "blazing new territory" always seems to haunt me... dual-plugging, 2003 forks on a 2002, Corbin Seat... Why can't I just wait a year for someone else to figure the "kit" all out, then order the parts and have it done in a weekend In the end it still ends up taking me a year to get it all done half the time Of course in this case, all the credit really goes to Paul for researching the parts Thanks again Paul! al
al_roethlisberger Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 After 45 replies on the subject, here it is, delivered in 24 hours from bologna to the netherlands!!!! Why can't Guzzi do that? cost not more than normal= 65 euro for the axle and 7 euro for the alu nut. Who did you order it from? My quote from Victor at FBF said 2-3 weeks... al P.S. What diameter is the "big end" of that axle? I only mic'd one leg of my forks, and that came out to 25mm. I am assuming that the other end has a bigger ID of maybe about 30mm and the fork-leg axle hole I didn't measure is big enough to accomodate that larger axle ene??
al_roethlisberger Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 Paul, It isn't that difficult to install the Showa forks and I do believe it will be a much better fork than the stock unit. At least it will be tuneable. A well tuned Showa is on par with Ohlins as I am told. I had my stock forks reworked twice by LE and was not happy with the fork afterwards . Way to stiff, not supple at all. If I can get the front end to work like my Aprilia, I will be a very happy camper! My Dymag front wheel uses one 47mm. bearing on one side and a 42mm. bearing that is on the right side. There is plenty of material that can be removed to fit the 47mm. bearing but finding a competent machine shop may be a different story. Mike ...sounds like we need a Showa/Ohlins SHOWDOWN... Hong Kong style.... whooo weeeeowwww cha!! See Mike, that's what you get for having those fancy schmancy wheels on your Sport al P.S. Go check out the "CF Hugger" thread, I have a request/question for you there
Paul Minnaert Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 Who did you order it from? My quote from Victor at FBF said 2-3 weeks... P.S. What diameter is the "big end" of that axle? I only mic'd one leg of my forks, and that came out to 25mm. I am assuming that the other end has a bigger ID of maybe about 30mm and the fork-leg axle hole I didn't measure is big enough to accomodate that larger axle ene?? I ordered at a local ducati dealer. So this is the normal ducati delivery proces, only they told me it could be a week, but then added that there was a 24hour service also, with no price difference, so I asked for that:-) Al do you think after all the measuring that I tell you to buy an axle that won't fit in the forks? AND that I order one myself if it doesn't fit? So here all sizes:
al_roethlisberger Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 Al do you think after all the measuring that I tell you to buy an axle that won't fit in the forks? AND that I order one myself if it doesn't fit? So here all sizes: The only stupid question is the one that goes unspoken ...doesn't hurt to ask Thanks! al
Mike Stewart Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Yo Al, My 2003 Rosso uses the same front axle as your 2002. Did your Ohlins forks accept the 25mm./Ducati axle? Guzzi minds want to know! Mike
al_roethlisberger Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Hrmm, I thought all the 2003 bikes have a larger axle than the 2002s? That is what was mentioned in all the 2003 marketing hoopla along with the move to 43mm forks Anyway, specific to my 2002 LeMans, no.... the stock MG axle on my 2002 is 25mm diameter on one end x about 17mm on the threaded end, and the ~17mm end is threaded/screwed into the Marz left fork leg eye. Although I haven't had the axle out of the front yet, I believe that the stock 2002 MG solid axle is 25mm diameter throughout, with just the threaded end a slightly smaller diameter(again ~17mm). The Ohlins forks we bought do not have any threading in either fork leg to receive a threaded axle, and although I didn't measure both eyes, I know that one is definitely 25mm, and Paul(who has the same forks) measured the other eye as 30mm.... hence his recommendation for the Duc axle. How are the Ohlins/axle fitted on the 2003 Rosso Corsa? Is the axle threaded into the fork eye, or does the axle pass through have a nut like the Ducati axles we are buying? From what I understood, the forks we bought were the same as those fitted to the 2003 Rosso. Perhaps I misunderstood. If so, and the Rosso uses a larger, but still threaded axle.... then the stock Rosso axle parts will not work with this setup, and the only option becomes the Ducati kit. My only final concern, although I'm not worried about it as Paul has measured it all up... is that the new Ohlins are the right length, and perhaps most importantly are the right diameter to slide right in to the stock 2002 triples. Paul does have photos of his mounted, but I'm not sure which model year bike his triples came from. I'm sure Paul can chime-in on the axle, fork length, diameter... etc al
Mike Stewart Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Brother Al, My 03 with the Ohlins forks are like the 02 Scura in which the front axle is threaded into the left fork leg. I would rather have the larger hollow axle version that you have because while being way lighter it is also stiffer. So if you run into any problems with fit, let me know and I will take the forks off you hands. You need to check the length of the fork and also the diameter where the triple clamps meet against your stock units to make sure they are infact the same. Mike
Paul Minnaert Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Ok al, the triple clamp mount is the same =54 mm, the lenght is 10mm extra, so you let it slip the gold 10mm more above your top triple clamp. So you can see it! I just put the axle in, with the original v11 spacer, fits like a charm. My triple clamps are from Wp. but are the same size as guzzi makes them. Also the distance between the legs is the same.
al_roethlisberger Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 ...AWESOME Thanks again Paul, looks great!! Curiously, is there a safety-wire or pin for the axle nut? So BTW, since it's now obvious that these forks aren't OEM forks for the Scura, Rosso Corsa, or Cafe Sport.... as I thought they were(which is fine)... I wonder what bike these forks were intended for? Or are they just non-OEM, and simply aftermarket forks from Ohlins that they sell to fit the V11? Interesting to wonder. Regarding being a bit longer, when mine arrived from Paolo via FedEx from Italy, the top edge around the crown of the forks were dinged up as if during packing or handling, someone had set the forks on the top end and rotated them around... mabe even stood them on end or something. The dings are very small, but noticeable, so Lindemann said they can run a polisher around the top 5mm or so to get them out, but it will be silver instead of gold. So I'll end up with a silver "ring" around the top edge of mine, but that's fine. Anyway, I'll order my axle ASAP, and should get my forks back from Lindemann next week sometime. Hopefully I can get them installed soon after al
Paul Minnaert Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 no safety for the nut, but its not crucial, if you tighten the 4 axle screws. You can drop a bit of loctite on it if you are not shure. I put the bike on the wheels, and the sag is 30mm, from the ohlins website I read that it should be even more, so I'm interested what lindeman thinks about the springs. And if he can see what rate are in? But I first will try how it is, before changing. There is a number in the inside of the brake mounting point, with that you should be able t source the forks, but It's no afteramket ohlins, because they only sell them with the sort of brake mounts that you can detach. My forks were in new condition, no schratch at all!
al_roethlisberger Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Yeah, I think mine were just the victim of sitting around Paolo's house for an extra month, and then shipping and handling But the "damage" is very minor, and is only minimally cosmetic. No one by myself will really ever notice al
Paul Minnaert Posted September 27, 2003 Posted September 27, 2003 Then I wouldn't polish the gold off. I like the gold, and it will last better than blank alu.
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