NC30 front fork RO kit install

[Mr_Fen]

Thanks for the offer Pikey, I'm in Reading so 2.5 hours away I'll be having a go one evening this week if not this weekend. I have opened the pack Rick Oliver has sent and it has better instructions than the haynes manual in it

Thanks Rick

[Mr_Fen]

Done it :D

Now they are back on and look ok, how should I set the dials on top?

[spanky]

Does Rick supply starting settings? Its probably worth giving him a ring as he'll know where to start but if you're in a hurry use the preload (spring) setting to set the sag to about 20mm (i.e. how much the forks compresses under the static weight of the bike and you).

Damping is harder as it depends on what you're using the bike for, tyre type, oil weight amongst other things. As a guess, wind the rebound adjusters all the way in (14 ish clicks) then back off about 4 or 5 clicks. Bounce it up and down and check the damping seems about right, then ride it. Too much rebound and the front will 'ratchet down', particulary after braking as it won't come back up fast enough. Too little and it feels bouncy. Take a little screwdriver with you and adjust a couple of clicks one way or another after a few miles and see what it does.

There's a lot of magic to getting suspension spot on but through trial and error you can do a pretty good job.

[Mr_Fen]

so, I have tweaked the dampners out 3 clicks and set the preload to three 'rings' and went for a spin, I think the handling has definitely improved or it could be that the suspension was never set up correctly in the first place.

Unfortunately I need a new top oil seal for the right hand fork as its leaking out the top. I took the retaining clip out and it looked a bit tatty, it definitely needs replacing now. I had a go at undoing the fork to service it completely and its locked shut.

Will be stripping the shock off and taking it to a garage for this bit unless anyone wants to volunteer their skills

[spanky]

Nonsense man. Fork seals are easy too. Quick summary....:

1) Wind the preload all the way in then slacken the fork-top a fraction of a turn while the bike is still together.
2) Remove the fork leg then turn it upside down and remove the allen bolt from the bottom
3) Remove fork top and spring, empty out oil and prise out the dust seal
4) use the stantion to slide-hammer out the seal. Put the stantion back in once the seal is out.
5) tap the new seal in using a suitable size bit of plastic pipe that sits on the outside edge of the seal, or if you're feeling flush buy a fork seal driver.
6) put everything back together by reversing the above, remebering to get the fork oil height right and threadlocking the bottom bolt.

There's a few bits that can go wrong (step 2 is a favourite) but it's not a difficult job. Cheapest place for fork seals is either Rick O or david silver, I'd go genuine with fork seals as you don't want to be doing it twice. If you haven't got one, go and buy a haynes manual so you can see what its all about before you start.

(Congrats on doing the RO conversion yourself, by the way)

[Mr_Fen]

thanks Spanky

I had a go at step two when I had the forks off before, I can't get the allen key to turn. The Haynes manual mentions to fix it with Locktite so its been stuck good and proper. Is it worth using a heat gun on it to melt the locktite or is that inviting a burning/exploding/melting problem.

I have contacted RO for replacement seals, after my ride there was a bit of seepage from the dampner tops so I might need new seals for that too.

I will have a better look this weekend hopefully :)

[Sligeach]

watch my new video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIizmZ_OpSY

[spanky]

great video - who needs a haynes manual.

Getting the bolt out can go one of three ways:

1) The bolt turns but doesn't come out - that happens when the internals (into which its threaded) turn with the bolt
2) The bolt undoes and comes out - this is good
3) The head of the gets rounded and the allen key slips in it - this is not good.

Important thing is to use a tight fitting allen key. I've got a Halfords Pro socket set with allen keys in it but they always feel on the loose side. Instead I use a traditional L-shaped one as they tend to fit better. Maybe worth buying a single really good allen key like a Wera or something, that way you can give it maximum stick with less chance of knackering the head. Not sure what the best way to break loctite is other than force.. maybe someone else has a good technique?

[jetblack]

Can this be done without a headstock stand or resting the belly of the bike/manifold on axel stands?


I want to do the forks myself but don't want to tackle it with out a proper way of supporting the bike...

[spanky]

I've got a headstock stand now but the first time I did forks I didn't. Instead I used ratchet straps to string the bike up to the roof beams in the garage... It swayed a bit but worked. I've used the same technique for removing the rear shock as I don't have an abba stand. If you do try it, It's easier if you slacken things off half a turn before stringing it up.

You can't jack up underneath without taking the downpipes off.