[Oregonwinger]

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Maybody everybody knows this already. But I discovered this the other day. Switch to rear tire onSuspension switch. (LTD, SEi 1500 SE, works, anyway) I don't know why it wouldn't work on Aspencade. Do a rear shock pressure test. Do this on center stand, BTW, If it's at 50, for instance, lower it to a cple lbs below what you want in your rear tire. Say you want 41 in your rear tire. Set the rear shock to 39, or so. Now hook up air hose to outlet, then to rear tire. Start engine, if you have throttle lock, set to point of maintaining 14v. (About 1200 rpm on mine) Do a rear shock pressure increase. If the tire was at ,say 35, you'll notice nothing happening on pressure gage, till the tire gets to 39 (pressure you set the shocks at) thenthe tire and the shocks will increase together. Really slick, in my estimation. But watch that you don't run the compressor too much ! ! !

Works excellent on my LTD, and 90 GL1500 SE. Reason for doing it this way, instead of using park? Much faster compressor operation, cause of engine running., and pretty well eliminates constant pressure checking, while inflating.(using park sucks!) Course a hose with a accurate guage built in, is the way to go. I don't happen to have one of those.

Then do a final check with accurate tire gage. You'll eventually get an idea where your suspension readout really is, compared to a known accurate tire gage. Both of mine were only off about 1 psi. I was amazed, to say the least ! ! ! Do at your own risk, of course, as I'm not liable for a "booooo-booooo

 

[twisty]

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Oregonwinger wrote:

Maybody everybody knows this already. But I discovered this the other day. Switch to rear tire onSuspension switch. (LTD, SEi 1500 SE, works, anyway) I don't know why it wouldn't work on Aspencade. Do a rear shock pressure test. Do this on center stand, BTW, If it's at 50, for instance, lower it to a cple lbs below what you want in your rear tire. Say you want 41 in your rear tire. Set the rear shock to 39, or so. Now hook up air hose to outlet, then to rear tire. Start engine, if you have throttle lock, set to point of maintaining 14v. (About 1200 rpm on mine) Do a rear shock pressure increase. If the tire was at ,say 35, you'll notice nothing happening on pressure gage, till the tire gets to 39 (pressure you set the shocks at) thenthe tire and the shocks will increase together. Really slick, in my estimation. But watch that you don't run the compressor too much ! ! !

Works excellent on my LTD, and 90 GL1500 SE. Reason for doing it this way, instead of using park? Much faster compressor operation, cause of engine running., and pretty well eliminates constant pressure checking, while inflating. (using park sucks!) Course a hose with a accurate guage built in, is the way to go. I don't happen to have one of those.

Then do a final check with accurate tire gage. You'll eventually get an idea where your suspension readout really is, compared to a known accurate tire gage. Both of mine were only off about 1 psi. I was amazed, to say the least ! ! ! Do at your own risk, of course, as I'm not liable for a "booooo-booooo

Bob, not sure it will work on the Aspencade.. My 1200 won't allow the FT/RRselector switch or pump to operate with the engine running.. I do agree that having the engine running (or in my case being able to adjust shock pressure while riding down the road) would be a good way to go.. My plans are to re-wire the pump relay to allow operation like your 1500 next time I have the plastic removed..

Twisty

 

[Oregonwinger]

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That sucks. My LTD even works going down the road, altho only up to about 10 mph. Don't quote me on that. Some low speed, anyway. The 1500 won't work at all, if it's in gear. Doesn't the aspy have a manual air selector valve. Ifg so, it would be easy to circimvent the relay operation. I know one thing, that compressor works a WHOLE lot better with 14 v, than with <12 v. Like, exponentially. I am very pleased. Now, if I could just get better legs! Any ideas? Trike!? Heaven forbid!!!

 

[hockeydad33]

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My 84 Aspencade will pump up the shocks with the bike running. I was 2 up and had forgotten to adjust the rear for the extra rider so when I was at a stop sign I just reached down and increased the pressure to the rear suspension before the light hanged. Thought thaat was normal until now. Randy

 

[twisty]

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Oregonwinger wrote:

That sucks. My LTD even works going down the road, altho only up to about 10 mph. Don't quote me on that. Some low speed, anyway. The 1500 won't work at all, if it's in gear. Doesn't the aspy have a manual air selector valve. Ifg so, it would be easy to circimvent the relay operation. I know one thing, that compressor works a WHOLE lot better with 14 v, than with <12 v. Like, exponentially. I am very pleased. Now, if I could just get better legs! Any ideas? Trike!? Heaven forbid!!!

Oregonwinger/ Randy, your posts got got my curiosity up so I went out to the barn & tried my 86 again & sure enough you guys are correct in that it will work with the engine running. I have probably tried mine more than 20 times & it never worked before so now I'm thinking either I'm getting senile or I have always tried it while traveling down the road at speed.. I thought it might be trans gear sensitive but it worked in the few gears I tried it in.. Next time I ride it I will have to see if it is a speed thing. I sure hope it is a speed thing & not me getting old..

Oregonwinger thanks for the initial post or I would have gone through life thinking it wouldn't work with the engine running.. I sure like the idea of having charging voltage while running that pump.. Good observation on your part..

Twisty

 

[Brojees]

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It's all in the finger Twisty!

 

[Hawker22]

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Along the same vein, I was noticing that my front forks would always seem to have a bit of air pressure in them, even though I like to keep them at zero(good for the seals and I have progressive springs) I was visiting a local wing wrench today and he pointed out something. I adjust my rears quite a bit due to driving under different conditions a lot, and of course I alwaystake a peek at the front. If you check the front after having pumped the rear, the air pressure left in the chamber will be forced into the front forks and they will get partially pressurized. Do this a few times and all of a sudden you are back to a bar or two, without even starting the compressor. Nice pointer.

 

[Oregonwinger]

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You might loosen the line to the front just a bit, so it leaks very slowly.

 

[exavid]

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My SEI would allow pressure changes to the front or rear at any speed. One the 1500 it appears to have an input from the speed sensor to lock it out when moving. Next time I'm tear into the bike I plan on eliminating the speed lock on the compressor. I can't see any major hazard being able to adjust it on the fly.Can anyone with 1987 Aspencade adjust while moving? If it was safe on my 86 SEI it shouldn't be any more dangerous on the 1500 although the SEI had handlebar controls.

 

[Oregonwinger]

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But, the neat part, is filling the rear/front tire this way, with a faster compressor. Provided one has the hose.

 

[exavid]

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Oregonwinger wrote:

But, the neat part, is filling the rear/front tire this way, with a faster compressor. Provided one has the hose.

It would have been nice to know about when my brother's BMW had a flat rear on our last trip. Filling a completely flat rear tire is excruciatingly slow. I had to stop and let the compressor rest and run the bike occasionally to avoid overheating the compressor and to be sure the battery didn't run down. Having the extension hose aboard along with plugs is a must with me.

 

[shydog]

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Hello all...I thought that the air in the shocks was only supposed to be adjusted when the bike was on the center stand. I believe it says something about that in the owner's manual. Does anyone know what harm it might do to adjust the air with the bike just on the side stand without anyone on the bike.

Thanks, shydog

 

[twisty]

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shydog wrote:

Hello all...I thought that the air in the shocks was only supposed to be adjusted when the bike was on the center stand. I believe it says something about that in the owner's manual. Does anyone know what harm it might do to adjust the air with the bike just on the side stand without anyone on the bike.

Thanks, shydog

Shydog, yes, you are correct that is what is in my 1200's ownersmanual.. Like most things in life there is the published way, the easy way, the wrong way, & the way a lot of people just do things for convenience..

It doesn't hurt anything to fill the shocks or forks withthe bike standing up, or on the side stand but the dash gauge reading will be off a little. I usually adjust mine while standing up & just add a bar to each reading as it will usually drop one bar on each end when on the center stand..

Twisty

 

[shydog]

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Thanks Twisty...That's pretty much what I figured, but wasn't sure as to the reasoning other than the pressure reading would be off a little. I've been putting my '84 on the center stand (with my wife's help) to add air. I usually don't think about it until we have gone down the road a ways and the need to add air makes itself known. I'm sure my wife will be glad to hear that she won't have to help me put it on the stand anymore. This bike is by far the hardest bike to get on the center stand than any others I've had, but this is the heaviest bike I've ever had and, like everyone else, I'm not getting any younger and have one back surgery under my belt already.

shydog

 

[Oregonwinger]

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Like Twisty says. I don't do the centerstand way. My LTD is a beast to get on centerstand, and even harder to get off. My 1500SE is extremely easy, and also comes off too easy. Go figure

 

[johnmac]

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I was leaving work the other day when I noticed my rear tire was low, (found a nail in it later) so I got out my home made air hose and tried this trick on my '85 Aspencade, and it works!! My compressor fills so slow it may run the battery down trying to fill a totally flat tire using it in the park position, as the tail lights are also on.

Thanks, Oregonwinger, for the great tip!!!:clapper:

 

[Oregonwinger]

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You're sure welcome. I thot it was a pretty neat trick. As long as we don't burn up compressor!!!!