Hi all, I have a 2001 vfr with 21,000 km on it, and I am really enjoying this bike. I have been noticing a bit of stick on the front forks when I break, almost like a bit of hesitation and then a dive. I am wondering what would cause this to happen. I have new ebc HH break pads front and rear, and new dot 4 fluid throughout, what a pain the dual linked breaks are to blead. I am wondering if the stock suspension set up is meant for someone my size. I am about 210 lbs. and would like to set up the front forks and rear suspension a bit more for the track. Any advice would be appreciated on this subject. Also what is the sceduled maitenance for fork oil. I haven't noticed any leaks but they don't feel like they did when I bought the bike 5 years ago. Does the fork oil break down, would this cause the sticking? Thanks Bill
yes it does brake down ,time to service them forks about every 2 yrs depending on the type of riding you do:thumbsup:
No oil expert....... but i do know the oil you drain out won't look like the what you pour back in. Dirt, moisture, metal particles or whatever, it turns muddy, sticky and grey after a few years, and fresh oil usually feels much better. Upgrading to Progressive, or Racecraft springs matched to your weight might be someplace to start.
There isn't much you can do to the rear shock other than replace it if you are wanting more performance out of it. You can set your preload and rebound on it and get it somewhat good, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Penske and Ohlins make replacements and there are numerous conversions that you can do from the CBR's. Search the forums and you will find specifics on each. The fronts give you more options, but getting positive results for the track out of just springs is optimistic at best. Revalving the forks as well as new springs and different weight of oil will bring things a lot closer to what you are looking for. I'm not sure about 5th gens but with 6th gens there is always the options of going with cartridges from a CBR or Traxxion Dynamics. Check the websites for Penske, Ohlins, Traxxion Dynamics, and RaceTech and you will find your options for sure. Then you can decide where your money is best spent and bringing your suspension to where you want it to be.
