Lowering the trees on the forks?

[Waylander]

After my ride on sunday I realized how slugish the Vmax's steering is for tight and close corners. Takes a bit of effort and more time than it should to swap from a right hand to a left hand corner, like s-curves.

I remember someone with his own site (dustmax I think) who had lowerd the trees down about an inch on the forks. He said he got snapier and more responsive handeling by doing this. Don't think I need to go a full inch down, maybe just half to start with.

Has anyone here done this and does it really work?
Also how do you sort the air equalizer for the forks?

 

[firefly]

Now you are starting to experience max handling deficits, you definitely can lower it from the triples BUT be for warned that if you lower more than one inch and still have the soft stock springs the front fender will hit the radiator in a big bump, that is why I recommended you do it right and do the racetech spring & emulator with one inch internal lowering! but if you want to go the cheap route get a stiffer spring from progressive then lower from the triples.
You can experiment with a little lowering now but try to avoid big potholes, that is what I did before I decided to go with racetech.
I and many others consider racetech to be the most bang for the buck in suspension mods.

After my ride on sunday I realized how slugish the Vmax's steering is for tight and close corners. Takes a bit of effort and more time than it should to swap from a right hand to a left hand corner, like s-curves.

I remember someone with his own site (dustmax I think) who had lowerd the trees down about an inch on the forks. He said he got snapier and more responsive handeling by doing this. Don't think I need to go a full inch down, maybe just half to start with.

Has anyone here done this and does it really work?
Also how do you sort the air equalizer for the forks?

________
Y135LC

 

[Waylander]

Yea plan on doing the Racetech springs eventually but still have to pay the loan for the bike off. So right now doing everything the cheap way.

Front wheel hitting the radiator was my main worry about doing it wich is why I only plan on going half an inch down.

 

[firefly]

Can you open up the forks? do you have the tools to do it yourself? or maybe a friend that have done this before? if so get racetech or progressive springs, fork oil and a plastic pluming tube to make a spacer from, the whole thing will not cost more than $120.
Or if you want real cheap lower from the triples and pump the forks using a bicycle pump to NO more than 14 psi ( the max ) this will stiffen the fork enough so you wouldn't hit the rad. now that is cheap and will work fine.
________
Honda Z50M

 

[Waylander]

Not down here in bumfucksville NZ mate, Take anything USD then double it and add another third of that total for government loafer taxes and shit. $120 suddenly becomes $320NZD. I finih paying the bike off just after next winter starts. (early spring here now) so will do everything the propper way then.

Not too keen on pumping up the air pressure as I've seen a few bikes do that and it blows the fork seals.

 

[firefly]

Don't worry 14psi will not blow the seals, when my bike was new I pumped it to 40psi before I read the manual and rode the bike for two days that way and I still have the same seals 28000 miles later so you are safe.

Not down here in bumfucksville NZ mate, Take anything USD then double it and add another third of that total for government loafer taxes and shit. $120 suddenly becomes $320NZD. I finih paying the bike off just after next winter starts. (early spring here now) so will do everything the propper way then.

Not too keen on pumping up the air pressure as I've seen a few bikes do that and it blows the fork seals.

________
weed vaporizers

 

[Buster Hymen]

Don't worry 14psi will not blow the seals, when my bike was new I pumped it to 40psi before I read the manual and rode the bike for two days that way and I still have the same seals 28000 miles later so you are safe.

:surprise::surprise::blink000: Wow I'm surprised the seals held at that PSI!! Must have made the front end STIFF. Hope you had really smooth roads.

 

[firefly]

After reading the manual I was surprised the seals did not blow up, the forks were stiff as hell, but the lesson here is that 14 psi will not cause the seals to blow.

:surprise::surprise::blink000: Wow I'm surprised the seals held at that PSI!! Must have made the front end STIFF. Hope you had really smooth roads.

________
volcano digital vaporizer

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I lowered mine front and back 1.5" using progressive rear shocks and racetech springs and emulators up front; I made my own lowering blocks and stuck them in there with the rebound spring......
The bike essentially sits at the same attitude as stock only lower....

I've lowered the front different amounts at diff. times and for me anything past a 1/2" on the trees it gets way to squirrely...

 

[Lew L]

I lowered the the forks in the trees about 3/4" and it really did help. I have my handle bars a bit lower than most also and I think this helps with counter-steering. The bike is good in the twisties( Mt. Rose Hwy. is right next door), not like a modern 600 sporty but my back dosent hurt either.
Lew

 

[Rusty McNeil]

After reading the manual I was surprised the seals did not blow up, the forks were stiff as hell, but the lesson here is that 14 psi will not cause the seals to blow.

What about with a few "hard landing" wheelies??

That's the kind I usually do cause I suck at wheelies and have blown the seals out of a few bikes...

 

[Robbarrie]

It also tells you in the manual to have the front tire off the ground/garage floor before making the pressure changes. The fork oil does have to be changed once in a while - see manual for periodic mileage intervals. I know it makes a difference on my motocross bike.

 

[98Max]

lowered my front thru the clamps and the compressed the springs to the bottomed out position and theres room and does not hit. im more than an inch by far.. just a cheap fix so you dont have to tear forks apart for new springs. maybe low enough on mine to have to add 11.5 rear or 12 inch shocks even. looks good as well

 

[DanQuin]

Should be no problem in small amounts, but I have seen too many bikes gone too far. I get a kick out of seeing the damage to the fender and radiator.

But something I have been seeing on this forum that is counter to what I've learned about sportbikes. Several folks have made reference to progressive rate fork springs. I knw that must suspension tuners dread those things when it comes to tuning a sportbike suspension, with regard to both preload (sag) and damping. With regards to on the edge handling, don't you all think it's the same principle?

My two cents after taking progressive rate springs on a race track: nevermore. I will use straight rate springs from now on.
:twocents:
:bike1:

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Should be no problem in small amounts, but I have seen too many bikes gone too far. I get a kick out of seeing the damage to the fender and radiator.

But something I have been seeing on this forum that is counter to what I've learned about sportbikes. Several folks have made reference to progressive rate fork springs. I knw that must suspension tuners dread those things when it comes to tuning a sportbike suspension, with regard to both preload (sag) and damping. With regards to on the edge handling, don't you all think it's the same principle?

My two cents after taking progressive rate springs on a race track: nevermore. I will use straight rate springs from now on.
:twocents: :bike1:

I think the two main companies out there making springs for the Max are Racetech and Progressive.
I believe just about everyone agrees on the Racetech cartridge emulators but not about which brand of spring.

As for Progressive I'm not sure since that is thier company name if that is the only type of spring they make or not......Anyone know for sure

Right now I couldn't even tell you which ones are in mine without going out and looking at the box in the garage that I stored the old springs in...

 

[Buster Hymen]

Should be no problem in small amounts, but I have seen too many bikes gone too far. I get a kick out of seeing the damage to the fender and radiator.

But something I have been seeing on this forum that is counter to what I've learned about sportbikes. Several folks have made reference to progressive rate fork springs. I knw that must suspension tuners dread those things when it comes to tuning a sportbike suspension, with regard to both preload (sag) and damping. With regards to on the edge handling, don't you all think it's the same principle?

My two cents after taking progressive rate springs on a race track: nevermore. I will use straight rate springs from now on.
:twocents:
:bike1:

You are right about tuning with a progressive spring, however the starting point between the stock VMax forks and a SS bikes forks are large. The VMax forks are not as configurable as a SS bike so even a progressive rate spring feels like an improvement. The stock VMax fork uses air :icon_rolleyes: as a band aid for its soft front end. For most riding, that the VMax was INTENDED for, it is OK, however it is inadequate for those that like to ride it hard in corners or hard braking. Progressive brand springs are a progressive spring where RaceTech sells straight rate springs that you must order based on your weight, riding style etc. Either spring is better than stock as you can eliminate the air as part of the suspension. For proper suspension tuning, most (including myself) use a RaceTech spring and emulator.

 

[shawn kloker]

I never felt that I was a one spring fits all kind of rider.I went with racetech 1.0's.

 

[DanQuin]

I think the two main companies out there making springs for the Max are Racetech and Progressive.
I believe just about everyone agrees on the Racetech cartridge emulators but not about which brand of spring.

As for Progressive I'm not sure since that is thier company name if that is the only type of spring they make or not......Anyone know for sure

Ah... I definitely agree with the Racetech Valves. Love them in both my bikes, and the whole reason I chimed in on this thread is as soon as I get a V-Max the Racetech stuff will go in the front.

You are right about tuning with a progressive spring, however the starting point between the stock VMax forks and a SS bikes forks are large. The VMax forks are not as configurable as a SS bike so even a progressive rate spring feels like an improvement. The stock VMax fork uses air as a band aid for its soft front end. For most riding, that the VMax was INTENDED for, it is OK, however it is inadequate for those that like to ride it hard in corners or hard braking. Progressive brand springs are a progressive spring where RaceTech sells straight rate springs that you must order based on your weight, riding style etc. Either spring is better than stock as you can eliminate the air as part of the suspension. For proper suspension tuning, most (including myself) use a RaceTech spring and emulator.

Ah, good to know it's at least similar to tuning a sportbike suspension!

I never felt that I was a one spring fits all kind of rider.I went with racetech 1.0's.

I feel ya there... same weight I'm running in both my bikes, although I may run a little lighter in a V-Max.

Thanks a TON for the info guys. WIll make a huge difference when I get to setup my own.