Air suspension pressure

[magnum-pei]

Front is 7lbs?

Is that per shock or total for both forks?

 

& rear is 0-57lbs?

[sarges46]

That would be for each. That also would be the max for the front! For me that is way to much....personal thing the pressures but I run around 2-3 lbs.

 

Back is correct and also a personal preference.

 

Dont use compressed air to pump up...get a hand held like the progressive pumps.

[Maritimer]

Just make sure you have the same pressure on both sides. To have the exact pressure, you can get a ballancing kit http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=58318&store=&catId=416&productId=p58318&leafCatId=41606 and a progressive pump to fill it http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/tpl/product.jsp?store=Main&catId=119&leafCatId=11907&skuId=28235&productId=p28236&mmyId=

 

Cheers

[magnum-pei]

I went to my local HD dealer today to buy a air suspension pump. $70!!!!

Called Toys for big boys in Moncton & they are asking $50.

May very well be a road trip this week.

 

Are DK pricey in there shipping to Canada?

[sarges46]

What ever you do dont ship anything to you via UPS or Fedex! You will pay brokerage fees that are killer high if you ship across the border with these folks.

 

Use USPS-United States Postal Service.

 

On another note...there are two pumps or at least I have two pumps....one is for the front and resembles a large shringe type deal and measures very low pressures and the other one is for the rear and measures much higher pressures. Both have the bleed and dont lose any air when taken off the nipples.

[Maritimer]

That's where I got mine Magnum....Both Toys for Big Boys and Eldrige's are the same price. I just have to look the other way when I use it so I don't see the tiny HD logo LOL

[dharnie]

Guys - got a couple questions fer yas - if yas be so kind to tells me

 

question number 1 - what is big deal about balancin shocks whether front or rear? I never had a bike - till I got my big ass haul ass red yamahachi street screemer - that "needed" balanced shocks. Now that I got me a fancy ride I gotta waste my hard earned beer money on spensive shock inflaters and air measurrers thingamajigs? As far as I know all mine are "0" pressure so that would qualify them as bein "balanced" - correct? - since they are all equal? (0+0+0+0=0)

 

And another question about my fancy ride's tool kit

 

question number 2- maybe it is in the instruction manual somewheres, but I never read them danged things except to check on sompthin, - but what is the air guage for that comes in the tool kit with the wierd numbers on er? I gave it as a present to my Auntie Sue and got me a 99 cent walmart one which I knows da numbers.

 

Thanks fer edjumacatin me on dem dere issues!

[bobbyduck]

Don't know about any gauge in the toolkit, my RSTD didn't have one.

 

But the bike is an entirely different and much more enjoyable ride with about 5 pounds in each of the two front forks and 25 or more in the one rear shock. Running 0-0-0 again after you have run with air, you'll wonder how you could have ever done without the air! You shouldn't use a tire pump though, get a suspension pump. I got one at Harley that looks like a big syringe and is accurate as low as 3 pounds and up past 57, it will work for front or rear.

 

[pilothawk]

Here is where my ignorance between dirt bikes and road bike comes into play. On dirt bikes I have always used to the bleeder at the top of the forks to bleed any accumulated air out of the forks, and in the rear I have always charged the shock with nitrogen.

 

The shock design on road bike is probably completely different, and what I just said doesn't matter, much less make sense. So I'm sorry if I'm confused.

[dharnie]

and then there is concern of blowing the oil seals out with too much air and ending up with more problems & expenses. I read here many times about the rear shock being not adequate and failing prematurely and I wonder if much or ALL of these leaking shocks are not the result of being overinflated!!?? with "o" air pressure in my 3 shocks I think my bike rides just fine and IF the rear shock starts leaking it will not be because I put too much air in it.

[Bummer]

..what is the air guage for that comes in the tool kit with the wierd numbers on er? I gave it as a present to my Auntie Sue and got me a 99 cent walmart one which I knows da numbers.

The gauge measures kPa - that's kilo Pascals. 100 kPa is 100,000 Pascals. 100 kPa converts to 1 bar. 1 bar is 14.5 psi.

 

Inside the trunk is a sticker that tells how much air to run in the tires. It's in kPa first then lists psi. The manual lists pressures for the shocks. Pg 3-17 for the fronts, pg 3-18 for the rear. The fronts are maxiumu 50 kPa or 7.1 psi. The rear is listed at maximum 400 kPa or 57 psi. All of these are g, meaning psig, kPag - that assumes starting out at atmospheric pressure. If you want absolute pressure you have to add atmospheric to the gauge reading.

 

By the way, this whole kPa thing is why we have such odd pressures on the shocks. 7.1 and 57 are uneven to us, but 50 and 400 are even everywhere else.

 

I hope that cleared that gauge thing up for you.

 

As to shock pressures, I run 5 in the front 20 in the rear all the time. I run 7 in the front and 55 in the rear when Irene and I are touring. These pressures compensate for our weight and the bike handles better.

 

Then there's the premature shock failure thing. What's premature? I consider the shock a disposable/wear item. At nearly 26,000 miles my rear shock is going soft. I'm not going to have Yamaha replace it. I'm going to get a Works Performance shock. The idea of expecting a shock to last the life of the vehicle is totally alien to me. I guess I'm not young anymore. I used to have to replace shocks a lot more often than this.

 

Then there's the pump issue. If you'd have spent another ten grand you could have had a pump with the bike. I just bought a couple of good pumps and counted the money I'm ahead.

[Seaking]

Just make sure you have the same pressure on both sides. To have the exact pressure, you can get a ballancing kit http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=58318&store=&catId=416&productId=p58318&leafCatId=41606 and a progressive pump to fill it http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/tpl/product.jsp?store=Main&catId=119&leafCatId=11907&skuId=28235&productId=p28236&mmyId=

 

Cheers

 

Progressive makes a 0-10 psi pump which would suit the fronts a lot better.. I tried doing mine with the 0-60 psi pump and it's too broad a guage to be super accurate with..

 

Balancing kit would do well in there..

[bobbyduck]

I have to agree - I recently installed a Works Performance rear shock that they tailored to me with wife and trailer. It's awesome, way better than stock! And no air to add so it ends the debate with respect to the rear.

 

I run 5 - 7 in the front, depending on load....

[bobbyduck]

and then there is concern of blowing the oil seals out with too much air and ending up with more problems & expenses. I read here many times about the rear shock being not adequate and failing prematurely and I wonder if much or ALL of these leaking shocks are not the result of being overinflated!!?? with "o" air pressure in my 3 shocks I think my bike rides just fine and IF the rear shock starts leaking it will not be because I put too much air in it.

 

Well I've only been riding 39 years but that's long enough to know that any suspension improvement equals a more fun and safer ride. At least that's what I think, and it works for me.

[dharnie]

so progressive for the front pump

 

and performance works for replacement shock

 

we have the 2 links here to denniskirk's site - any links to these other 2 sources?

[Bummer]

This place has both the 0-15 and the 0-60 pumps. It's best to get both. It may not be the cheapest solution, but the 0-15 does the best job for the fronts since you can be more accurate with it. Obviously the 0-60 is for the rear.

 

This is a pretty nifty thing to have also. It makes balancing much easier.

 

This is the Works Performance site. It's best to call them up and chat. You're going to have to give them information anyway.

[bobbyduck]

Another mod I did which is really awesome is the Racetech Gold Valve kit that includes stiffer springs and lowers the front 1 inch.

 

With my short legs the 1 inch helps, and the new geometry is close to what is acheived by the "leveling link" that raises the rear by 1 inch.

 

With it and the Works shock, tar snakes, chuck-holes, whatever ya got, we are having more fun now!

 

Oh and the Avon Venoms, 130/90 in front.

 

Totally different bike!

[magnum-pei]

Has any one ever considered running Nitrogen in there shocks?

The local tyre shops here have high pressure for inflating tyres. Not good when filling the front shocks.

[Little Bob]

bobbyduck, Can you email the specs for your new rear shock. I am looking to replace mine. Going in friday for new rear shock under warranty. Help would be welcome. Thank you in advance.

:guitarist 2:

[Tombo]

Little Bob - if you are considering a Works Performance shock you may want to take a look at this site and give Howard a call. He is very responsive and may have an alternative that works as well or better. Just a suggestion.

 

http://motorcyclemetal.com

Edited September 26, 2008 by Tombo
correct hyperlink