NC30 forks - replace them myself, or leave for the pros?

[ramonlv]

I have an nc30 with bent front forks. It's at the mechanics at the moment with a list of work needed that could cost well over a grand. The question is how much of this stuff I could do myself? The front forks were what we agreed to takle first, but here is a full list of what work is needed, so far:

FRONT DISCS 3.3 + 3.35 (MIN 3.5MM)
CALIPERS NEED CLEAN
LOWER RAD CORRODED AND BLOCKED
EXHAUST FLANGES RUSTED OFF FRONT DOWN PIPES
SYSTEM BENT INWARDS AT CAN
O/S FOOTREST BOLT BENT (OE)
FBL BENT, CLUTCH LEVER SLIGHTLY
BOTH BARS SLIGHTLY BENT
FORKS TWISTED IN YOKES (BOTTOM YOKE??)
RH FORK SEAL SLIGHT WEEP
F TYRE BIT STEPPED
REAR CALIPER BINDING
RUBBERS MISSING FROM TOP RAD MOUNTS

So the bike needs a lot of work. What of this could I handle myself considering this is my first bike and I've only ever accomplished cleaning and balancing the carburettors?

cheers guys

[Drunkn Munky]

bring it to me i'll do it for £500

Na seriously pretty much everything on that list can easily be done yourself, buy a haynes manual and spend a few hundred quid on some decent tools, have a good read and post here any questions. Job sorted and some mechanical knowledge learnt

[Delboy]

if your not in a hurry and have a haynes manual and a half decent tool box you could tackle all of the above.
If and when you get stuck, post on here and some one will help out

[Hadies]

Beat me to it DM. If u have the tools and a Heinz manual then its all doable.

[ramonlv]

wow, great response guys. thanks

Well then, if I'm going to do the forks, I'm going to need new ones (or more likely second hand). The problem is I didn't notice the original ones were bent in the first place, although I didn't inspect them. So does anyone have an idea of how much a decent set of forks should cost, new or used?

[ramonlv]

Also, what are the essential tools?

[Hadies]

Put a wanted post up for all the parts you need. Good bunch here will sort you out. You might even want to look into other forks ie zxr, rvf. A set of forks you can get for about 100.
Essential tools I'd say include a good socket set and a bike stand. ABBA stands are the bees danglies.

[ramonlv]

the mechanic said there was a good chance I'd order a part that might not fit because of the different variations of nc30. is that just scare tactics? I would definitely check on here first anyway. Would other forks be difficult to fit though? If it's a case of nuts and bolts then sure, but if I have to modify I don't think i've got the tools or skill. Do you know which are the best handling forks though?

It sounds like a much better idea though. saving a few hundred quid, possibly several in total, and just doing it myself and learning. it's what i wanted to do anyway but just lacked a bit of guidance so went to the mech

[Cammo]

the mechanic said there was a good chance I'd order a part that might not fit because of the different variations of nc30. is that just scare tactics? I would definitely check on here first anyway.

Dodgy mechanic... there are 2 types of nc30 forks (early and late model), both fit exactly the same, the later model has more adjustability.

Would other forks be difficult to fit though? If it's a case of nuts and bolts then sure, but if I have to modify I don't think i've got the tools or skill. Do you know which are the best handling forks though?

No other model forks are a straight bolt on without a fitting kit etc. As for handling, any forks with uprated springs will be very similar in performance.

Stick with 400gb for your advice - avoid your mechanic!

[ramonlv]

ha ha! love it!

thanks a lot for the advice guys. I truely appreciate it. I'm totally swayed and am definitely going to give this a crack myself. I love this site!