[1200bikes]

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HI ALL,im not too clued up on the settings for the front forks damping settings,i know 1 is soft and 4 is the hardest but how does this effect the handerling and so on as this is asubject i have not come across on other bikes i have owned...many thanks BRI:baffled:

 

[welsh winger]

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Hi 1200bikes,

The setting are for the anti dive on the front end, as you correctly say 1 is soft going up to 4, other factors affect this from the condition of you front springs to how long since the oil was changed in the forks, Talking to others when I owned my 1200, some did not notice the difference others swore it did make a improvment, in short try the different setting for yourself, myself I set them on 4 and enjoyed 5 years of 1200 magic, and yes I still miss it

welsh winger

 

[BRowan]

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You may be dissapointed when you make adjustments. The difference between 1 & 4 is so small that I can't tell the difference.

 

[exavid]

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I really can't feel much difference in the settings.

 

[1200bikes]

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hi all,thanks for your quick responses i think i will set it on 4 and see how it rides and see if there is any difference or not as the case maybe...many thanks again,BRI

 

[weewillywing]

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That adjuster is for the anti-dive damping. I didn't see what model Goldwing you have, but I can tell you that on the 1500 you won't notice any difference at all. I tried it and ended up setting it back to normal.

 

[Goldwinger1984]

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You're right on weewillywing, the adjusters are for anti dive only. The way you check these adjustments is to set it at 1, go for a ride, then snap the brakes on hard. In the 1 position the front end of the bike will drop to the lower limit of the front suspension travel. If you set the adjustment at 4 and go for a ride then snap the brakes full on you'll find that the front suspension drops only a small amount when stopping hard.

What this adjustment does is allow tailored suspension travel under hard braking conditions.

If you want to change the front suspension ride dampingrates you would have to change the fork oil. Lighter oil means softer rates, heavier oil means harder, rougher ride rates depending on the loading of the bike.30W fork oil makes the Wing ride like a truck, while 5W fork oil makes for a wallowing feeling.

On my Wing I use 15W fork oil as it suits the gross weight I normally ride at because it gives me a controlled suspension feelwhile still returning good damping, but, a lighter rider on my bike would find it the ride too hard riding and would have to go with 5-10W to give him the nice ride feel.

Hope this helps.

Vic

 

[07Silver]

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Goldwinger1984 wrote:

You're right on weewillywing, the adjusters are for anti dive only. The way you check these adjustments is to set it at 1, go for a ride, then snap the brakes on hard. In the 1 position the front end of the bike will drop to the lower limit of the front suspension travel. If you set the adjustment at 4 and go for a ride then snap the brakes full on you'll find that the front suspension drops only a small amount when stopping hard.

What this adjustment does is allow tailored suspension travel under hard braking conditions.

If you want to change the front suspension ride dampingrates you would have to change the fork oil. Lighter oil means softer rates, heavier oil means harder, rougher ride rates depending on the loading of the bike.30W fork oil makes the Wing ride like a truck, while 5W fork oil makes for a wallowing feeling.

On my Wing I use 15W fork oil as it suits the gross weight I normally ride at because it gives me a controlled suspension feelwhile still returning good damping, but, a lighter rider on my bike would find it the ride too hard riding and would have to go with 5-10W to give him the nice ride feel.

Hope this helps.

Vic

15w fork oil seems to be reccomended for Wings by anyone who does their own Wing maintenance. Must be the way to go.

 

[Goldwinger1984]

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03Silver, 15W does noticably firm up the suspension, but, I'm sure there are some Wing owners who only want a cushy, plush ride and do not care about handling in the least, for those riders, 5W would be best suited for their needs.

Vic

 

[Heffo]

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Vic is most likely right. I guess on nice long straight country roads with good surfaces5w fork oil would be fine. Not so goo dfor the potholed roads we frequently negotiate over here.

 

[Renegade]

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This is a good mixture of information and it's what we all need... I've consistantly used ATF in forks that I work on and change it at the recommended intervals (at the very least), more often on my own machine.. Never had any leaks or performance issues....And yes... I'm very proud tosay that I amone of those individuals who really enjoys a cushy ride.... I've got a "bony butt" and need all the softness I can get...