Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 25, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 25, 2012 Ok, after riding a new, puny Suzuki V-strom 650 the other day, I had a troubling revelation...my suspension sucks!! Go figure, it's a 2004 with over 48k miles and to my knowledge the suspension has never been serviced. I looked over several topics and found one that HS posted up a while back about removing and servicing the forks on his old 5th gen here: http://www.vfrdiscus...e-fork-service/ Does this procedure apply to the 6th gen as well as far as removing the forks? My plan is to remove the forks and send them off to be rebuilt. I am a mechanical midget and don't want to get in over my head and bork my front end. Is this something I should try? My previous level of experitse is changing the oil, brake pads, and I replaced my stator, R/R, and battery once. Pretty much a complete novice and have limited tools. After I get the forks done and recover financially, I am also wanting to replace the shock. Am I missing a how to guide on removing and replacing the forks on a 6th gen? Thanks. P.S. I have the service manual and can follow basic instructions and have basic tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gswanson Posted October 25, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 25, 2012 Steve, I'll help you whenever you are ready. It's a piece of cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer huntinggunns Posted October 25, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 25, 2012 Steve, I can also help if needed. I have the siphon tool for setting the fluid level, just let me know when and I will drop it off for you. It really is simple and no need to pull the forks. The biggest tool to make it easier is an impact to bust loose those stubborn retainer bolts in the bottom of the forks. I have that and the bit if you guys need that also. Only thing to purchase is the fork fluid. Also, if you have not set up the sag on the bike this is a good time to do it. I can bring a measuring tool for that too, one of HS's creations and it works like a champ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 25, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 25, 2012 Thanks for the offers guys. Gary do you have room in your shop to leave my bike up on blocks while waiting for the forks to be rebuilt? Fred I will probably need to borrow some of those tools...thanks. I would like to do this over winter sometime. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer huntinggunns Posted October 26, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 26, 2012 No problem Steve, just let me know when you are ready. The front forks will not take long at all and there is no need to pull them unless you plan on installing new seals. Some do and some do not replace them. My opinion, as long as the bushings feel smooth and tight and the seals are not leaking and are not cracked, I would just service the forks and replace whatever internals you are wanting to install. My 98 only has 18,000 miles on her right now but the seals are 15 years old and still in great shape, no leaking at all, for what it is worth. Even if you are replacing the valves and springs in the front this can be done with the forks still on the bike. The only thing you would have to wait on is sending the rear shock out unless you find a cheap e-bay one and have it built before performing the services. Then the bike would only be down for a day at the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted October 26, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 26, 2012 aaaaahhhhhh Oklahoma Group Hug!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted October 26, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 26, 2012 If they have never been serviced in 48k miles, I suggest you pull the forks and completely clean each individual part. There probably isn't any fluid left in the forks, just a bunch of sludge stuck in all the passages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted October 26, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 26, 2012 A good way to ship your forks is to use a hard shell rifle case (if you have one. e.g. Pelican Case). I was chatting with another rider who was sending his forks in to have them worked on and this is the way they preferred to have them shipped to them, they even shipped him the case for him to use. Makes perfect sense too. Having to risk sending my forks in an a cardboard box by UPS/FedEx scared the living daylights out of me, if I had a rifle case, probably a little less. I ended up performing the work myself to avoid any shipping hazards. After all, the VFR is my main commuter and having a fork less bike is not an easy thing to ride! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gswanson Posted October 26, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 26, 2012 I am sure I can find room to keep your bike while the forks are re-worked. Just say when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 29, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 29, 2012 I got this link from another thread, but can't remember who recommended them. http://www.35motorsports.com/ Anybody use them? Located in Indiana Here is what he recommended for me (170 lbs without gear rider weight) Hi Stephen, thanks for inquiring. I have installed several piston kits made by GP Suspensions in VFR’s with excellent results and good feedback. I have copied and pasted the recommended parts/service items and attached a PDF. On the VFR’s I recommend new bushings and seal kits mainly because of the mileage that they see and the fact that they are hard on bushings. I would probably opt for a lesser spring rate for your body weight than that listed. If you decide you’d like to get the work done, please print out a work order from my web site and include it with your forks. I would recommend a Penske sport shock model 8975 for the rear, it is the same body as the 8983 and8987 racing shocks and has compression, rebound and spring preload adjustability, but no reservoir ($725 + shipping). Turnaround time is about a week for the forks and 7-10 days on a shock (they are built to order). Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks. Reuben Frankenfield 35Motorsports 9031 N Watson Meadows Ln Mooresville, IN 46158 317-850-3884 The work recommended for the forks: Install fork cartridge kit/service forks 2 51414-MCF-003 bush, guide 2 51415-MBW-E11 bush, slider 2 51490-MCF-000 seal set, fork 1 pr. Fork springs 38x260x.95/1.0kg/mm 1 GP suspension compression piston/rebound shim kit 1 liter 165/85 suspension fluid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer huntinggunns Posted November 5, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 5, 2012 Steve, Sent you a PM. This is the route I am thinking about going on my 6th Gen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted November 5, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just wanted to ask again if anyone has used this suspension shop in Indiana? Reuben Frankenfield 35Motorsports 9031 N Watson Meadows Ln Mooresville, IN 46158 317-850-3884 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted November 9, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted November 9, 2012 OK, planning on tackling removing the forks myself, since it's unreasonable to ask others for their time, tools, and shop space even though I know a couple of members close by that have already offered to help. I need to man-up and learn something I think. I was told by them and Jamie Dougherty that it is not that difficult. So, few questions: Is it best to put the bike up on the center stand (after breaking torque on all the bolts) and use a scissor-jack and piece of wood to support the front end by the underside of the header pipes? Would this be the order of removal? 1. Cover exposed painted stuff, break torque on all bolts to be removed or loosened (except upper and lower triples??), put bike up on centerstand and jack 2. Remove clip-on handlebars, leaving all controls attached 3. Remove right and left front brake calipers suspending them with some wire or twine so they don't hang on the brake lines 4. Remove front wheel and axle, labling spacers right and left 5. Remove fender 6. Loosen lower then upper triple clamps, remove forks. 7. Label forks right and left Does removing the fairings make this any easier or is that just more work? Things for a stupid newbie to watch out for or not do? Thanks guys, I just feel like I need a cookbook recipie to do this so I don't end up screwing something up that I can't fix... P.S. I have the service manual and was planning on following that unless there is better advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Burns Posted November 9, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 9, 2012 sounds about right. Not sure how much of the fairings need removed on the 6th gens, as I don't have one, but it MIGHT be possible to loosen the lower clamps without pulling them. With the 4th gens, there are also little wire 'c' retainers above the top triple that will need to be popped off (used to set the fork height).... I would think those would be on the 6th's also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gswanson Posted November 9, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 9, 2012 Don't forget to put some wooden spacers in your front brake calipers, between the brake pads. This will keep the pistons from popping out if you or someone else happens to bump or squeeze the front or rear brake levers. Follow the service manual and you should have no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted November 10, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 10, 2012 Removing the fender should be step 1. You can support the bike with some kind of jack & block under the oil pan, but it will be precarious. Be very careful not to upset the balance while working on things if you do this. I invested in a front stand that has steering stem attachment. It was well worth the peace of mind. Another option is to tie the rear down raising the front (I do this a lot on my lift), but you need to be sure you are tied off to the right things i.e. stuff that's structural like the frame, subframe, passenger pegs etc. It's also not the best for long-term depending on how you tie her down. On the RT I just throw a couple sand bags on the passenger seat, but she's nearly perfectly balanced on the center stand. Again not the best for long term, but fine for short-term. For long-term I will use the stand + tie downs, but then I live in earthquake country. It beats tornados, and hurricanes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted November 10, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 10, 2012 Your list looks good, as well as adding MBrane's suggestion about the removing the fender first. Since I "lost" most of my tools and mechanic's "accessories" (jack, jack stands, etc.) when I moved to OC, I had to improvise the lift/jack part. I went to Home Depot and bought a set of eye hooks that are meant for mounting a chair swing and I put them in the ceiling of my garage. I then took a ratcheting tie down and looped it under the frame right behind the triple clamp and in front of the gas tank, put the bike on the center stand and then ratcheted the tie down until the front was off the ground high enough to do the job. The tricky part is the lowering as the weight of the bike wants to immediately just drop when releasing the tie down ratchet. With that, a few handy items to have on hand are shop rags, contact/brake cleaner, empty container(s) for catching the old fluid, old towels to catch any "run off", air compressor with blow nozzle attachment, Nitrile gloves (you'll really want these when your dealing with oils of any kind), stove pipe wire (for getting things hung and out of the way) and maybe even your laptop or tablet PC to do quick look ups of anything that you might need the answer to in a hurry or even hit VFRD if you need VFR specific info (not necessary but comes in handy!). Here are a few pics of the ceiling strap setup. Although there are two tie down ratchets hanging from the hook in the picture, I ended up only using one. This picture was from my stress test. The eye bolt package says it will support 225 pounds, I don't recall the tie down strength, that's why I was going to use two at first, but the one sufficient. The one cool thing about using ceiling straps is you don't have to worry too much about knocking the bike off the jack/jack stand. Oh, and ignore all the clutter in the background. Somehow my garage became the "storage" unit. My wife's garage is practically empty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer huntinggunns Posted November 10, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 10, 2012 OK, planning on tackling removing the forks myself, since it's unreasonable to ask others for their time, tools, and shop space even though I know a couple of members close by that have already offered to help. I need to man-up and learn something I think. I was told by them and Jamie Dougherty that it is not that difficult. So, few questions: Is it best to put the bike up on the center stand (after breaking torque on all the bolts) and use a scissor-jack and piece of wood to support the front end by the underside of the header pipes? Steve, Duc2V4 has a great set up in his pictures for safety. As far as pulling the front fairing, that is up to you but it does make it easier especially if you are going to install steering stem bearings at the same time. Since you have it pulled that far down it might be a good time to install a set of All Balls in the stem. We need to check them when you have the front raised up and ready to start the work. My 98 felt great when riding it but when I checked the bearings they were just starting to bind when turning at only 12,000 miles. I can help you with that also. It is really simple once you start the process, just let me know when you get to the parts where you are unsure and I can stop by with special tools and help. BTW: Have you decided what you are going to run in the front forks? I am still leaning towards the Race Tech valving but still waiting to talk to a coupld of other suppliers. Also, Duc2V4 nailed it on the head. My garage is currently my wife's storage unit. I am slowly making her get rid of crap but it might take a while so I have only enough room cleaned out to get 1 bike at a time in there. 20 years of accumulation is amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer rangemaster Posted November 10, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 10, 2012 "Stuff fills available space". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted November 11, 2012 Author Member Contributer Share Posted November 11, 2012 Thanks for all the tips guys...thought I was going to get to this yesterday or today. Maybe tomorrow. Fred I will PM you about details...I am leaning towards Jamie Dougherty's proprietary valves and pistons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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