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  • fork balance kit pressure question.

    hello i have already done searches and can't find exactly what i am looking for???

    79 standrard . the bike has a balance kit on it with gold caps. now if i want to pump the air up to 14 or so since i have the balancing kit 14 should be the pressure for both tubes??? right?

    after the crash i haven't noticed any fork oil leaking but it seems unusually soft on the front. i did however play with the forks a bit and when i was unscrewing the steering head it was bending the balance tubes so i may have ruptured them?

    also i got my daytona bars installed. thery look awesome! and also new grips and mirrors. i'll post pics soon! these bars give the bike a meaner look!
    " She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

    79 xs11 standard
    xs pods, Kerker 4-1, zrx1200r carbs mikesxs coils 35k voltz of power!!!
    8mm msd wires
    tkat fork brace...
    Fox shocks...
    mikes650 front fender
    led's gallore...
    renthal bars
    gold valve emulators
    vmax tensioner
    Rifle fairing

  • #2
    Hey Chris,

    The 79 standard and most of the XS's that I know of didn't come with a balance set of hoses for the forks! I think that was a feature of the 82XJ. But yes, the pressure should be IIRC Max of 17 psi...at least on the XJ, and with a balancing tube, wherever you measure the pressure it should equalize between the 2 tubes!
    T.C.
    T. C. Gresham
    81SH "Godzilla" . . .1179cc super-rat.
    79SF "The Teacher" . . .basket case!
    History shows again and again,
    How nature points out the folly of men!

    Comment


    • #3
      these were put on by a previous owner... also my 82 does not have a balance tube the forks have dials on top to adjust the pressure. the 79 i have has two gold caps with the air tubes coming out of them they look like about a 19 or 22 mm hex head???
      i read about them in that article about handling in the articles section. it also said the best rear shocks were the fox ones. the po put those on this baby as well.
      thanks for the confirmation about the pressure.
      i thought that was right but sometimes the brain can confuse you!!!
      chris
      " She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

      79 xs11 standard
      xs pods, Kerker 4-1, zrx1200r carbs mikesxs coils 35k voltz of power!!!
      8mm msd wires
      tkat fork brace...
      Fox shocks...
      mikes650 front fender
      led's gallore...
      renthal bars
      gold valve emulators
      vmax tensioner
      Rifle fairing

      Comment


      • #4
        82 XJ

        Dawg . The 82 has the dials but also a balance tube . A single point of entry for air on the left side . Mine anyway
        XJ1100K
        Avon rubber
        MikesXS black coils
        Iridium plugs w/ 1k caps
        MikesXS front master
        Paragon SS brake lines (unlinked)
        Loud Horns (Stebel/Fiamm)
        Progressive fork springs
        CIBIE headlight reflector
        YICS Eliminator

        Comment


        • #5
          mine probobly has it then i just never looked that hard. all i saw was the dials on top.
          " She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

          79 xs11 standard
          xs pods, Kerker 4-1, zrx1200r carbs mikesxs coils 35k voltz of power!!!
          8mm msd wires
          tkat fork brace...
          Fox shocks...
          mikes650 front fender
          led's gallore...
          renthal bars
          gold valve emulators
          vmax tensioner
          Rifle fairing

          Comment


          • #6
            Specials with air assisted front forks 5-6 psi. I've run up to 10 psi with no problems but blew seals out with higher pressure. I know that the XJ max pressure is around 17 psi but don't know if there is any differences between the XJ vs XS front forks & seals. Just my $0.02.
            Do'Lee
            XS1100SF "Green Hornet"
            (1) XS1100LG "Midnight Dream" Restoration has begun.
            (2) XS1100LG "Midnight Madness" Waiting to be next
            (5) multi partsters for bobber "Ruby Red II" On the list.
            SR500H "Silver Streak"

            Comment


            • #7
              Not sure if there are any differences with how a standard fork handles air pressure compared to the air assisted special fork. On my special I typically run 18 PSI in the forks and have done this for years with no seal issues. 21 PSI is the max (for a 79) with a full load.

              I do not have a balance kit but with one, the pressure should be exactly the same in both tubes. The inherent problem I see with balance kits is that they insert five or six places where a potential air leak can occur at fittings. I use a mini pump with a gauge that screws right onto the schrader valve on the fork cap. I check the forks 2-3 times a year and they never seem to lose pressure.
              Mike Giroir
              79 XS-1100 Special

              Once you un-can a can of worms, the only way to re-can them is with a bigger can.

              Comment


              • #8
                I run 15 PSI in the forks on my LG (with Kennis Kirk balance kit).
                The problem I find is leaking air when you remove the hose from filling the system. With the low volume of air you probably lose half the air with that little 'hiss'. Then more is lost when you check it with an air gauge.
                Maybe better to go with Progressive fork springs (like in my E) and forget about using air.
                Pat Kelly
                <p-lkelly@sbcglobal.net>

                1978 XS1100E (The Force)
                1980 XS1100LG (The Dark Side)
                2007 Dodge Ram 2500 quad-cab long-bed (Wifes ride)
                1999 Suburban (The Ship)
                1994 Dodge Spirit (Son #1)
                1968 F100 (Valentine)

                "No one is totally useless. They can always be used as a bad example"

                Comment


                • #9
                  15psi? They would be like solid suspension!

                  I used to run 5 psi, now I run 0.

                  Most people run thier suspension WAY too hard.
                  Nice day, if it doesn't rain...

                  '05 ST1300
                  '83 502/502 Monte Carlo for sale/trade

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    fork pressure

                    I run about 7 psi . First I fill it to about 10 psi with a hand pump then I use the tester repeately until at the desired pressure.
                    My dials are at "1"
                    XJ1100K
                    Avon rubber
                    MikesXS black coils
                    Iridium plugs w/ 1k caps
                    MikesXS front master
                    Paragon SS brake lines (unlinked)
                    Loud Horns (Stebel/Fiamm)
                    Progressive fork springs
                    CIBIE headlight reflector
                    YICS Eliminator

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      well it's too soft now. it has way too much travel!!! i used to be able to carve curves easily but now it feels squishy and even when i am doing 80 down the freeway it seems to move up and down alot. it could just be that they are higher up in the tree but i am not sure. i have them all the way up to the gold caps. before it was about 1 inch below that. maybe i should lower it back down???
                      " She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

                      79 xs11 standard
                      xs pods, Kerker 4-1, zrx1200r carbs mikesxs coils 35k voltz of power!!!
                      8mm msd wires
                      tkat fork brace...
                      Fox shocks...
                      mikes650 front fender
                      led's gallore...
                      renthal bars
                      gold valve emulators
                      vmax tensioner
                      Rifle fairing

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Have you checked or changed your fork oil level? I would check fork oil before playing with the air. Air is supposed to be for fine tuning. The oil and springs are for the majority of the suspension.
                        John
                        Now: '78 XS1100E 750 FD Mod (Big Dog)
                        '81 CB900C ( 10 Speed)
                        '78 CB750F ( The F)
                        '76 CB400F ( The Elf)
                        New '82 Honda MB5 Ring Ding
                        Then: '76 CB550K
                        '78 CB750F
                        '84 VF1100S
                        And still Looking!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          "well it's too soft now. it has way too much travel!!! i used to be able to carve curves easily but now it feels squishy "

                          Funny thing is: suspension is supposed to be 'squishy'.

                          That is what it does. If you make it too stiff, you actually lose a lot of your traction and cornering ability.

                          The way you can tell is, if you can travel everywhere and never get close to bottoming your shocks/forks, your set too stiff.

                          You SHOULD use ALL (90% or so) your travel, on the worst bumps or corners that you play on.

                          If your only using part of your travel, you are actual limiting what your bike can do.

                          Watch the super bikes, they use every bit of suspension travel they have.

                          and I don't know who it was that told everyone the front of your bike shouldn't drop under front braking!

                          The pivoting of your bikes mass onto the front wheel increases the amount of traction on the front wheel quite considerably.

                          What is really fun is (at your own risk) go somewhere where you can do some braking trials away from traffic. hit a reasonable speed and hit your front brakes medium hard, THEN hit your rear brake and see if you can lock the rear!

                          It's usually very hard to lock the rear if the front is already loaded... and very easy to lock the rear, when you don't use the front.
                          Nice day, if it doesn't rain...

                          '05 ST1300
                          '83 502/502 Monte Carlo for sale/trade

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            well if you must know someone ran me over at work the other day and i had to play around with it alot to get it straight. i know it's tooo squish now because itdrops 10x what it did before. i know it's supposed to have travel. i have several books on setting up suspension. i can just barely push down on the handlebars while standing next to the bike and it drops quite a bit.

                            i think i must have let some air out when i bent the tubes.

                            i'll have to get a pressure gauge and check it...
                            " She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. "

                            79 xs11 standard
                            xs pods, Kerker 4-1, zrx1200r carbs mikesxs coils 35k voltz of power!!!
                            8mm msd wires
                            tkat fork brace...
                            Fox shocks...
                            mikes650 front fender
                            led's gallore...
                            renthal bars
                            gold valve emulators
                            vmax tensioner
                            Rifle fairing

                            Comment

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