What to do with forks???

[doc187]

I have been wanting to improve the suspension in my 2014 non ES for a while. It's loaded down often and I'm a 200lb guy. I was killing time today on the internet when I found a closeout sale on the touratech expedition shock. Couldn't pass it up.

My question is what to do with the forks. The dive on braking is too much. I might be able to get what I need with simple adjusting or changing the oil. If not that do I need to send them off for springs and revalve? Any recommendations on where to send them?

 

[EricV]

The answer to that in part is a question. How much do you want to spend? Heavier oil and stiffer springs will do a lot. Or... the 30mm Ohlins fork kit will do it all, but at a price. I have it, along with the TT shock and am happy with it. I didn't try stiffer spring and heavier oil first, so can't give you a comparison.

 

[doc187]

Which TT shock do you have? How do you like it? I'll likely just ride it with the fork as they are for another season and go with the olins next winter. I would rather cry once.

 

[EricV]

Which TT shock do you have? How do you like it? I'll likely just ride it with the fork as they are for another season and go with the olins next winter. I would rather cry once.

I have the Expedition. I was just going to get the Explore, but for my wide range of load uses, fuel cell and rally load to single, no luggage off pavement, I got upsold to the Expedition with the remote reservoir. I definitely wanted the remote preload, as I use that function more. FWIW, TT is showing the Expedition on sale at $995 right now for the Non ES, on their website. I was told the Extreme was overkill for anyone short of a competition rider.

I like the shock. I've had custom shocks on other bikes and this doesn't feel quite as smooth, but I honestly haven't played with the settings enough for high low speed. This is the first shock I've had with the high/low speed settings and I'm a bit ignorant of tweaking that part. I'll probably make an appointment before too long to get it re-built and get some help dialing it in better. I have close to 30k on it now.

 

[doc187]

That sale price is what sold me on the expedition. I bought it on the website yesterday when it said "last one". Still says last one today so who knows. You know that you can have the bottom out cushion, don't remember what they call it, from the extreme added when the shock is rebuilt. At least that's what I read online. Then you'd have an extreme without the adjustable length.

Glad to hear you like it. Sounds like the 30mm olins fork cartridges are the way to go too. You have a nice setup.

 

[doc187]

I got the full rumbux front and rear set from you a while back. Just made the connection. I love them, thanks!

 

[EricV]

I originally splurged on the Ohlins/Touratech combo for my 2012 Super Ten with 100k on it. When the wife 'suggested' that I should buy a newer bike I couldn't find anything else I liked better than the Super Ten, so bought a barely used non ES '15 that was still under the original warranty and swapped all my farkles, including the suspension, over to it. It really perked up the '12 over the getting tired oem stuff. The virtually new '15 suspension was ok, but all I did is one 1k ride and a few short rides before swapping things over, so not a real comparison.

Glad you're enjoying your Rumbux kit. Mine has saved me lots of plastic over the years and while I sold the first set with the '12, I bolted up a new set on the '15 right away! Love the integrated skid plate design for our bikes.

 

[steve68steve]

I asked a suspension pro how to best spend my limited budget. He told me on the forks, the right spring (and maybe oil/ settings) is 80% of the improvement. If you're on a budget, the improvement you will see from that alone will be dramatic enough that it's worth starting there and evaluating further.


I've put springs in the forks of every bike I've ever owned, but I've never been bothered enough by dive or performance afterwards to go the next step of changing valving.

 

[Sierra1]

I thought dirt bikes were supposed to have softer suspensions.

 

[Ramseybella]

I originally splurged on the Ohlins/Touratech combo for my 2012 Super Ten with 100k on it. When the wife 'suggested' that I should buy a newer bike I couldn't find anything else I liked better than the Super Ten, so bought a barely used non ES '15 that was still under the original warranty and swapped all my farkles, including the suspension, over to it. It really perked up the '12 over the getting tired oem stuff. The virtually new '15 suspension was ok, but all I did is one 1k ride and a few short rides before swapping things over, so not a real comparison.

Glad you're enjoying your Rumbux kit. Mine has saved me lots of plastic over the years and while I sold the first set with the '12, I bolted up a new set on the '15 right away! Love the integrated skid plate design for our bikes.

" When the wife 'suggested' that I should buy a newer bike"?
Nice woman, my wife dosn't suggest anything, she just waits for one to show up.
After my Triumph Tiger wreck she was demanding "NO" your not getting another bike!!! After the remember you doing barrel racing with a horse what did you do when you fell off?
A Tenere showed up at my house three weeks after my wreck, probably the last as i can't afford a new bike when this one gets to the end.

 

[doc187]

Well the ST should last a long while so you'll be alright!

 

[EricV]

" When the wife 'suggested' that I should buy a newer bike"?
Nice woman, my wife dosn't suggest anything, she just waits for one to show up.
After my Triumph Tiger wreck she was demanding "NO" your not getting another bike!!! After the remember you doing barrel racing with a horse what did you do when you fell off?
A Tenere showed up at my house three weeks after my wreck, probably the last as i can't afford a new bike when this one gets to the end.

I'm very lucky. My wife rides her own bike, and has since before I met her. Currently, she's on a '16 GSA, so pretty much anything other than a Ducati Multistrada Enduro costs less, and getting another Super Ten was cheap!

 

[doc187]

Looks like I got the last expedition shock! Shipped today!!! The price was too good to pass up, actually 100 cheaper than the explorer HP. Crazy, I don't know why they priced it like that.