Can I use these fork tubes on my race bike

[h2o-pro]

While ago I got some chinese fork tubes off ebay... thought they'd do as spares for my NC30 race bike, which was fine at the time... I just looked them over & put them in the spares rack...
Last meeting of the season I managed to stuff up my forks... So out come the new forks...which of course are quite different.
Can any one tell me if I can use these... and what they are (apart from chinese crap)... to be honest my race bike could have odd forks fitted.

As you can see they are different. the existing ones have a pair of holes & the chinese ones have four but have some sort of blanking tube fitted which covers 2 holes and partially covers the other two.
The existing ones are 520 long the new ones 580 & the insert also prodrudes 20mm less from the china version

[Cammo]

The nc30 has 2 different types of forks - early (non-cartridge) and late (cartridge) types - this could be the problem.

More info here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=39444&hilit=tubes

[h2o-pro]

Thanks Cammo ... I have gone through this thread ... this is my top adjuster

Do I have a bitsa here ?
I have Rick O's springs & spacer in these too ... I thought I had late type forks ???

[Cammo]

That's a late type fork top, any chance they sent you early fork tubes?

If it's anything like this ebay ad then they don't differentiate between the early and late model forks which would be wrong, they're different parts and not interchangeable: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HONDA-VFR400 ... 651wt_1313

[h2o-pro]

Yep Cammo ... those are in fact the beauts ... They are different for sure to my originals
The thread that you linked has me worried though as I seem to have late tops on early forks
Am I getting the correct damping ... yes I get preload... but do the early inserts work with the late tops

[Cammo]

Yep Cammo ... those are in fact the beauts ... They are different for sure to my originals
The thread that you linked has me worried though as I seem to have late tops on early forks
Am I getting the correct damping ... yes I get preload... but do the early inserts work with the late tops

It's more likely that you have complete late model forks which are not compatible with the early model tubes you were sent.

[Neosophist]

As cammo said.. The later tops will not work on the earleir forks as the internals are totally different.
If your fork top screws onto the cartidge and doesnt just dangle freely inside then you have the later internals too and most likely the proper fork tubes.

I've heard many stories of shitty chinese tubes, people being sent the wrong type, when finally getting the correct tubes them being distorrted or too small or other problems.

Based on that id say the tubes are junk

[h2o-pro]

Hey thanks for all the info ... Here's top adjuster & insert ...are they defo the later type..?


I've seen some tubes on wemoto's site ... does anybody recommend them ?
http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/vfr_4 ... _-_single/
I guess Italian is better than chinese

While I'm on the subject of front suspension does anybody have much experience using RaceTech G2R Gold valves
I just race this bike and need good performance from the front end, which I'm lacking a bit with the existing set up

[magg]

What specifically is wrong with the OEM fork tubes and also what is lacking in your existing setup.

[Neosophist]

Hey thanks for all the info ... Here's top adjuster & insert ...are they defo the later type..?


I've seen some tubes on wemoto's site ... does anybody recommend them ?
http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/vfr_4 ... _-_single/
I guess Italian is better than chinese

While I'm on the subject of front suspension does anybody have much experience using RaceTech G2R Gold valves
I just race this bike and need good performance from the front end, which I'm lacking a bit with the existing set up

Yes they are lter type forks.

Are they all stock (springs etc) it depends on budget but the cheapest and probably most noticable improvement you can make to the stock forks is to get a new set of springs installed and get the suspension setup by a proper specialist unless you know exactly what you doing, you'll also learn a lot. (they will need you and your race gear)

Assuming you havent replaced the springs yet, if that and getting it setup doesnt make things better id consider fork upgrades to 3 way adjustable forks before racetec valves (depending on budget)