Air Fork Balance kit

[dragxs11]

This is a neat little kit I found from Dennis Kirk to link the forks on my SG. It's true enough that you could make your own, but I thought for $25 it was worth avoiding the hassle. After working on Maximan's xj, I felt that this would bring me closer to having the toys that his bike has.
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/produc...d=41606&mmyId=

[John]

That kit looks cool, but I'll bet the inflator won't fit under the bars, unless you use a riser. There is only 1/4 inch or so of clearence between the existing fork air valve caps, and the bottom of the bars. I needed to raise the forks up in the triple clamp in order for SWMBO to ride the 81XS11, and that's when I found the clearence problem. I was fortunate enough to have a set donated to the cause by a very generous member.
Here is a link to the risers that I used.
http://www.zianet.com/GenMar
On the left side of the page, click on 7/8 bar style, 1inch up. 1 3/8 back. Those work great. A little pricey, though. Maybe you could find some locally, or on ebay.

[jetmechmarty]

I just had a look at mine. If they're small enough, they'll work. There isn't much room under the bars of my SG. The same angle will have to be maintained or it's hopeless.

Why don't one of y'all try it and report back.

[dragxs11]

Had to take the bars off to spin on the kit's caps, but no clearance issues after that. If you need to you can spin the forks in the clamps to get a better angle. It won't change anything. I was worried about that when I ordered the kit. But I did it anyway, and fortunately it worked. I like this kit because the air line is small and I could hide it in the forks better. My old mans G model has a link too, but the lines come out to a valve on the t-clamp behind the bars. Easy to use, but not really pretty. Anyway, I just like to share things like this so people know that stuff's available.

[bandet01]

neat little kit but wont work for me since mine is a standard without air but it would work on my dads and my brothers bike since they bothe ave air ride on there bikes

[NemisusDM]

Hello,
i just picked up a kit too. Just wondering if you've had any issues with the kit. Any air leaks?

Thanks,

[dragxs11]

no leaks for me.

[Pat Kelly]

Mine is working too, slight air leak.
Need to check it every couple of weeks.

[Brent]

Why? Why NOT. re air

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jetmechmarty
[B]I just had a look at mine. If they're small enough, they'll work. There isn't much room under the bars of my SG. The same angle will have to be maintained or it's hopeless.

Why don't one of y'all try it and report back.

Handling!
I do not want to increase, amplify, or exacerbate the bouncing wobble hinge dance when leaned over in a curve with an upset chassis.

When a shock or fork retracts, I want the air in it to compress, not be pushed to the other side pushing the opposite fork to extend. If straight, with equal pressure on both sides no problem having air in both forks connected. When leaned over, however, this pressure is not equal. The high side of the tire is not even touching the ground past center tread.

My HD roadking has one schrader valve to pump up both rear air shocks, sort of convenient, BUT
I talked with the HD factory service tech for Buell (who also owns a roadking) about ways to improve handling. He indicated that eliminating this connection and adding a second schrader valve for the second shock would be the BEST thing to improve handling, even beter than the $400 HD frame stiffening kit.

The HD FLHRI is not notorious for the "hinge dance" (there is no fork brace available). Even so, I have found it when leaned over in a curve hitting a bump or dip. Adding a second valve and seperating the air shocks is on my list of things to do.

I would not connect the air in my XS1100 if the kit was free and the installation very easy.

An accurate , quality, low volume, air pump with guage and bleeder valve is about $45. I recommend it for easy, safe, accurate, equal air pressure in shocks & forks.

:O oh!

"Why don't one of y'all try it and report back. "

Marty, Was that retorical?

[trbig]

When a shock or fork retracts, I want the air in it to compress, not be pushed to the other side pushing the opposite fork to extend. If straight, with equal pressure on both sides no problem having air in both forks connected. When leaned over, however, this pressure is not equal. The high side of the tire is not even touching the ground past center tread.

This thinking makes no sense to me. The shocks CAN'T operate independantly since they are linked by a solid axle. If they moved seperately, it would allow the wheel to sway from side to side and rub fenders and discs would rub brakes since there's very little clearance there. It wouldn't matter if the tire were not even involved and all the pressure was placed on one fork... since it's all mounted together, it's still going to incorporate the other shock eually... unless the axle bolt gets wallowed out. That's the reason you'd WANT a linked system.. to let it keep the air equal between them and they would react the same.

On the back, the swingarm will let it go up and down, but prevent any twisting or right or left movement. I don't know about a Harley rear end though..

Tod

[Brent]

Originally posted by trbig


This thinking makes no sense to me. The shocks CAN'T operate independantly since they are linked by a solid axle.

Todd, your reasoning here is sound, IF there is no flexing of the fork, axel, frame, swing arm etc. However it all flexes a little



If they moved seperately, it would allow the wheel to sway from side to side

it does Sway some, causing riders to call the unnerving wallowing an extra "hinge" in the bike. I believe it takes very little wobble to really upset handling.


and rub fenders and discs would rub brakes since there's very little clearance there. It wouldn't matter if the tire were not even involved and all the pressure was placed on one fork... since it's all mounted together, it's still going to incorporate the other shock eually... unless the axle bolt gets wallowed out.

There is the experiment...with the weight on one fork (by jacking it up) Does the wheel move sloightly to one side? do the forks compress exactly equally?

. That's the reason you'd WANT a linked system.. to let it keep the air equal between them and they would react the same.

Sure, I want the air equal when I fill the forks. But then I want to keep exactly the same air in each shock individually, not allowing the volume to vary side to sided as the different sides may encounter slightly different forces or weights on them.

Tkat says, "if you want to see how much it flexes, hold the wheel straignt between your knees & twist the handlebar & tripple tree." His braces help a lot to cut down on flex. Bike magazine editors were critical of V-max forks too "like spagetti" The new one is much stiffer, they say.

On the back, the swingarm will let it go up and down, but prevent any twisting or right or left movement. I don't know about a Harley rear end though..

I believe that the swing arm flexes & twist a little too.

Tod

'course if a fellow lived in OK on mostly straight roads and rode around with his front wheel in the ari most of the time..., then just a slight loss in lateral stiffness would not matter.

Happy motoring,
Brent in GA