Front fork issue

[savagehenry]

hey everyone,

 

thanks for all the helpful ideas. I'll try to get some pictures up here tomorrow. I live in NYC, so working on the bike myself is kind of impossible. Don't have the space to keep all the tools needed. Plus, I'm new to bikes, so I don't know enough to dig into them myself with confidence.

 

 

So? You haven't lived until you see your bike fall over right before your eyes ,then give a harangue so filthy Chris Rock would call the cops on you.

don't ask how I know. p.s. when you remove the second fork cap the front suspension IMMEDIATELY colapses. This action takes place best on dirt bikes with long travel suspension.

Or when you're carrying your Sportster motor out of your livingroom to your truck, over newly fallen snow, only to find that your roommate has placed CERAMIC TILE (?!?!?!!!) at the front door as a door mat. This causes you to have your feet INSTANTLY shoot out in front of you, and the motor lands on your chest, bounces off and hits the concrete, busting the cases back by the transmission. But your chest hurts so bad you can't yell at him anyway, much less yell obsenities. Just alot of that clenched teeth seething, mixed with the sound of gasping/sucking air...It is probably too early to recognize the signs, but YOU are starting to exhibit them, "Motorcycle Madness". When you consider either hauling your bike up the elevator, or lifting it by rope and pulleys with a homemade yardarm on to your balconey, it will be TOO LATE. I know, I've done it...Friends will be a big help. Not cause they will assist you with vast expanses of knowledge, but because all of you can assure each other that this type of behavior is completely normal...

 

Also, mayonaisse in the place of oil pert near always means water got in there, in my experience, and that so called confidence is usually born of trying it, effin' it up, and keeping on till you get it right...Good Luck, keep us informed, S.H.

[handtius]

hey everyone,

 

thanks for all the helpful ideas. I'll try to get some pictures up here tomorrow. I live in NYC, so working on the bike myself is kind of impossible. Don't have the space to keep all the tools needed. Plus, I'm new to bikes, so I don't know enough to dig into them myself with confidence.

 

 

So? You haven't lived until you see your bike fall over right before your eyes ,then give a harangue so filthy Chris Rock would call the cops on you.

don't ask how I know. p.s. when you remove the second fork cap the front suspension IMMEDIATELY colapses. This action takes place best on dirt bikes with long travel suspension.

 

With my first bike, i did come outside to see it on it's side, cursing the heavens and the bastard that knocked it over, only to realize the concrete caved in under one side of the centerstand.

 

Heavy rains today in NY. I'll try for pictures again tomorrow. I got caught in heavy rain on my ride home and got soaked straight trough. Not enjoyable.

[Kiwi_Roy]

 

p.s. when you remove the second fork cap the front suspension IMMEDIATELY colapses. This action takes place best on dirt bikes with long travel suspension.

Don't forget the oil shooting out the top makes one hell of a mess. Block the bike up under the sump to take weight off front wheel and you should be OK.

I'm pretty sure you can drain out the old emulsion if you pull the wheel out then reach up into the bottom of the fork with an allen key and unscrew the bolt. May want to tie the bottom of fork to the bars so it doesn't drop out.

I would drain all the old gunk out and replace with some new oil then perhaps seal around the adjuster screw with silicone until you get time to have it fixed properly.

Actually once you have the wheel out might as well just pull the fork leg out, it's easy enough.

Roy

[richard100t]

To change the fork oil you must remove them from the bike. Unless you can turn the whole motorcycle upside down and shake it Loosen the front caliper bolts and pull off the calipers, then loosen the pinch bolt on the bottom end of the forks. Then loosen the axle rod in the wheel. Once you've done all that raise the front wheel off the ground slightly. Remove the axle and gently remove the wheel. Then you need to remove the fender, its pretty easy. Oh yeah one other thing you should do before you raise the bike up is loosen the fork caps SlIGHTLY, just enough so that they come off easy when the time comes. Ok next is the triple clamps, upper and lower, loosen the pinch bolts, the top is a little tricky because theres some pinch bolts that are a little hard to see and get to if you arent looking for them.

Once all the pinch bolts are loose you can slide the fork tubes off the bike. Wait until the forks are off the bike before you take the fork caps off so that you dont make a mess. Then remove the caps and drain the fluid and pump several times until its all gone.

Putting new fluid in is a little trickier depending on how you have the bike jacked up. If you're new to this as I think you are just add the 400ml to each fork leg before you put the forks back on the bike, making sure the forks are extended enough to take all the fluid. Put the caps back on as tight as you can without getting carried away while the forks are off the bike.

Assembly is the reverse of dissassembly of course.

If I missed anything I'm sure someone can fill in the blanks.

[gstallons]

hey everyone,

 

thanks for all the helpful ideas. I'll try to get some pictures up here tomorrow. I live in NYC, so working on the bike myself is kind of impossible. Don't have the space to keep all the tools needed. Plus, I'm new to bikes, so I don't know enough to dig into them myself with confidence.

 

 

So? You haven't lived until you see your bike fall over right before your eyes ,then give a harangue so filthy Chris Rock would call the cops on you.

don't ask how I know. p.s. when you remove the second fork cap the front suspension IMMEDIATELY colapses. This action takes place best on dirt bikes with long travel suspension.

Or when you're carrying your Sportster motor out of your livingroom to your truck, over newly fallen snow, only to find that your roommate has placed CERAMIC TILE (?!?!?!!!) at the front door as a door mat. This causes you to have your feet INSTANTLY shoot out in front of you, and the motor lands on your chest, bounces off and hits the concrete, busting the cases back by the transmission. But your chest hurts so bad you can't yell at him anyway, much less yell obsenities. Just alot of that clenched teeth seething, mixed with the sound of gasping/sucking air...It is probably too early to recognize the signs, but YOU are starting to exhibit them, "Motorcycle Madness". When you consider either hauling your bike up the elevator, or lifting it by rope and pulleys with a homemade yardarm on to your balconey, it will be TOO LATE. I know, I've done it...Friends will be a big help. Not cause they will assist you with vast expanses of knowledge, but because all of you can assure each other that this type of behavior is completely normal...

 

Also, mayonaisse in the place of oil pert near always means water got in there, in my experience, and that so called confidence is usually born of trying it, effin' it up, and keeping on till you get it right...Good Luck, keep us informed, S.H.

 

did you make this up?

[savagehenry]

hey everyone,

 

thanks for all the helpful ideas. I'll try to get some pictures up here tomorrow. I live in NYC, so working on the bike myself is kind of impossible. Don't have the space to keep all the tools needed. Plus, I'm new to bikes, so I don't know enough to dig into them myself with confidence.

 

 

So? You haven't lived until you see your bike fall over right before your eyes ,then give a harangue so filthy Chris Rock would call the cops on you.

don't ask how I know. p.s. when you remove the second fork cap the front suspension IMMEDIATELY colapses. This action takes place best on dirt bikes with long travel suspension.

Or when you're carrying your Sportster motor out of your livingroom to your truck, over newly fallen snow, only to find that your roommate has placed CERAMIC TILE (?!?!?!!!) at the front door as a door mat. This causes you to have your feet INSTANTLY shoot out in front of you, and the motor lands on your chest, bounces off and hits the concrete, busting the cases back by the transmission. But your chest hurts so bad you can't yell at him anyway, much less yell obsenities. Just alot of that clenched teeth seething, mixed with the sound of gasping/sucking air...It is probably too early to recognize the signs, but YOU are starting to exhibit them, "Motorcycle Madness". When you consider either hauling your bike up the elevator, or lifting it by rope and pulleys with a homemade yardarm on to your balconey, it will be TOO LATE. I know, I've done it...Friends will be a big help. Not cause they will assist you with vast expanses of knowledge, but because all of you can assure each other that this type of behavior is completely normal...

 

Also, mayonaisse in the place of oil pert near always means water got in there, in my experience, and that so called confidence is usually born of trying it, effin' it up, and keeping on till you get it right...Good Luck, keep us informed, S.H.

 

did you make this up?

Totally true. The motor was from my 1978 XLCH. I didn't have a garage at many of my previous homes, so I always had bikes in the house. The wife even put up with that for the first few years, and then agreed we really needed a garage!

The apartment stuff was my best friends bikes. The elevator incident was when he moved into a high rise and wanted to do work over the winter. The lift we made was for when he lived on the 3rd floor of a 4 floor flat. His upstairs neighbor was a biker too, and let us use his balconey to lift my friends bike up to the balconey below. We had it mostly stripped down, and did it in the middle of the night. Didn't think the folks on the first two floors would like a bike coming up the hallways/tight stairs. Plus it was just damned good fun to do when you're young and precocious. See, he almost got kicked out of the high rise because of the bike in elevator incident. Same problem both places. The "Straights" just don't see things the way WE do.

[gstallons]

I trust you I was just cracking a joke.

[savagehenry]

P.S. Sorry for the thread drift, Folks. Back to the problems at hand, ehem...

[handtius]

Hey guys,

 

been swamped at work...luckily got the day off tomorrow. I'll get some pictures up then. Thanks for all the advice. Like I said earlier, I won't be doing the work myself. Live in NYC and don't have the space, inside or out, to work on it. But I'll get some pictures up. Any other pictures you guys need to see of the forks except for the caps?

[handtius]

Hey guys,

 

here's some pictures. if you want pictures of anything else, let me know.

[gstallons]

Hey guys,

 

here's some pictures. if you want pictures of anything else, let me know.

 

 

If you want to buy them I'll sell the extra caps from mine.

[handtius]

Hey guys,

 

here's some pictures. if you want pictures of anything else, let me know.

 

 

If you want to buy them I'll sell the extra caps from mine.

 

I think the issue is more then the fork caps. I need the adjustment screws and i'm not sure what else. Are you just selling the caps?

[gstallons]

Hey guys,

 

here's some pictures. if you want pictures of anything else, let me know.

 

 

If you want to buy them I'll sell the extra caps from mine.

 

I think the issue is more then the fork caps. I need the adjustment screws and i'm not sure what else. Are you just selling the caps?

 

The caps wil contain the adjustment screws.........

[handtius]

The caps wil contain the adjustment screws.........

 

 

Oh ok. I'm new to adjustable forks. Only a year + into bikes. Do you have pictures and how much do you want for them? Can you hold them till i find out what exactly i need?

[handtius]

hey guys...can anyone tell me if 2002 fork tubes will fit in a 2001 triple tree?