fork preload adjusters?

[Lucky]

since i blew out my fork seal & have to rebuild the forks anyway, I was thinking about the possability of replacing my air caps with adjustable preload caps.

anyone know of any that will fit?

I could imagine that it might not be too hard to fabricate using 82 caps (wait, they don't fit into the 83 forks properly right?) with a threaded bolt thru the center with a flat washer welded to the inside of the bolt...  the question if they fit, would be how to seal them so they don't leak.

what think yee?

--Lucky

[Walt_M.]

You could probably make something from a similar vintage fork cap but you still won't have a modern fork action. You may be happier with new seals and the the '83 caps.

[Lucky]

I wouldn't expect modern fork action, there still would be no rebound adjustment compression adjustment, etc.  of course i'm putting seals in it...and t already HAS air caps (note i said 'replacing my air caps')

I'm pushing the bike more towards touring, so i'd like to make adjusting the preload a simpler task when the bike is loaded up.  very few modern bikes even bother with air caps anymore. they increase sticktion & are a poor substitute for accurate prload adjustment.  check out spotr riders articals on the subject, & even Progressive reccomends no air pressure.

btw, the forks are 83's and already have progressive springs.

--Lucky

[louthepou]

Just to answer a question in the opening post:

The 83 caps can't go on 82 forks, the thread in the fork isn't deep enough. Fudge...

Lou

[Superfly]

But there are plenty of sets of 82 forks out there..... When I did my 83 forks, I used the upper tubes from an 82, and the lower tubes from the 83.

[louthepou]

Same here. The 83 tubes were pitted with rust. I still used the progressive springs, but the shorter spacer that goes over them. Fresh new oil, and I love the feel. Quite a different from my ol' 82 forks on the cafe racer. If only... Ah, some day, another 83 parts bike.

Now Lucky, I understand that after successfully finishing your oil cooler project, you're starving for new, never-done-before imporvements, but really, would these be necessary? Oh, but of course, that's not really the point.  ;)

Lou

[kiawrench]

Lucky,
   i reset my 82 spring preload by using spacers, made from cut offs from a steel pipe. i thin kthe ones in now with the quicksilver fairing are 3/4 inch. i just cut the length, put in after the springs, just before the caps. works great. it does take an assistant to get caps on, due o spring pressure, but it stopped the sloppy ride real quick .

[Rick G]

My bike now has  the  83 sliders  and  progressive springs from the  Vision racer, befor that I  drilled a hole in the  fork  cap and  installed  a threaded valve stem from an old  inner tube  and pumped it up to 10 psi . It rode better and eliminated the  nose dive during stops pluss it was super easy to do.

[Lucky]

I got an entire 83 ft end from an 83 that Sable & I raped last spring, changed the seals last weekend & found 82 springs in it, then i went to put longer spacers in & found that the stock spacers were an inch shorter than the 82's...
i thought 83's had progressive type springs & no spacers?? unless someone cut down 82 spacers to soften it up or reduce ride hight? (short riders, lol!!)

[louthepou]

When I opened the forks on a dead 83 last year, I found progressive springs, and LONGER spacers than those I normally find in 82 forks.

In the swap to the yellow Vision, I put the progressive springs, and "normal" lenght spacers. Feels ok.

In my cafe racer, the front is very soft; I'll soon use the longer spacers to stiffen things up a bit.

I love Rick's cap retrofit! Perfect "ol'school" ingeniuity.

Lou

[Lucky]

I'm shying away from using air in the forks, because i just can't see how they would stay filled over time. plus, it's such a pain in the ass to fill them so little, 6 psi, 10 psi, etc, and get them even...

i'm about 225lbs & even with the longer spacers, i'm not thrilled with the amount of sag i get when i sit on the bike.

come to think of it the spacers i removed had to be stock, because they sat at the proper length, right at the top of the fork tubes. perhaps this was an early 83 ft end.. longer 'stock' springs & shorter spacers with air caps..