Found a problem in my front forks today!!!

[crxtasy169]

I deffinently see your point with the motion having to travel to the weaker part of the spring. I just spent about a half an hour going through different bike sportbike manuals with inverted forks and some are tight up and some are tight down now Im really lost! I also looked it up in my MMI notes and found where I wrote it down as tight coil up. All of the sportbikes I have done forks on in the last few years have all had the coil tight up.My manual doesn't say anything about which way it goes. I guess some of them do though and I'm a big believer in following the manual so looks like I'll be switching it back tomorrow. What a waste of time sorry guys!

 

[mxracer409]

Like I said I'm not 100% sure. However in the sole argument of unsprung mass it doesn't make much sense to flip it to me. Having said that, that tiny amount of spring mass will most certainly be undetectable to the handling of the bike to us common riders. I would suspect that some top pros would be able to feel something different but most likely not you or I.

I'm am sure there must be some reasons to install them then the other direction as many people do it and they told you that at school. But like I said when it comes to the dynamic movement of the suspension I am more than skeptical. Eric and his team of engineers spent countless hours designing these bikes to be the best handling ones out there. I don't think they would have missed something as simple as flipping a spring over.

 

[konarider94]

i dont think its a waste of time. its been a pretty good discussion i think. wheres an engineer from showa when you need one. i would like to know why some choose one way and others choose the opposite.

 

[BuellerPilot]

Stick one in right side up and the other right side down. There, it's a WIN WIN no matter which camp or school of thought is right!

~Mike.........

 

[Paniller]

Maybe tight-wound up gives less unsprung weight, and tight-wound down gives quicker and smoother absorption of small road imperfections?

Could it be as simple as personal preference? Buell sacrificed unsprung weight in favor of a smoother ride? Though minuscule in both regards.

 

[crxtasy169]

I just switched them back and test rode it and that is exactly what it does Paniller! Also it felt a little sharper in the steering when tight was up, now it feels heavier and slower to act in the steering.
Well manual say down so that is the way it is staying for me thanks guys for all the input! This was fun and now I know the difference.
Anrkizm95 what year is your manual? Mine is for a 2006.

 

[delta one]

you guys are right and wrong

it wasn't the new guy that did it it was a 20 year man

he was doing assembly's and read the shipping label "Harley Davidson" was getting billed for these forks.

well that's simple enough, H-D never uses inverted forks so the springs go this way. DUH!

so turn your forks upside down like harley wants and the tight wind will be on top like it should be
LOL

or do as I did and swap out to linear rate springs and then there really is no debate about it

 

[crxtasy169]

Where did you get a linear spring for the XBs?

 

[delta one]

get these

EBR may be able to hook you up but my dealer got them to me in 3 days

 

[anrkizm95]

my manual is for 09