Playing with forks again

Don’t guess Vince, or google. Contact the maker, they’ll know more than anyone.

And I’m sure they will appreciate being able to answer your questions sensibly before you get the wrong idea from the internet or guesswork.
 
Just did and got 2 quick sensible answers. The spring rates are very similar to what other makers supply for my weight. You also get 2 tiny plastic grub screws in the package with a serious warning about damage occurring if Bla Bla. They're not mentioned in the shock manual so I asked about them. The threaded spring preload has only one nut and you use these grub screws into one of the pin spanner holes to lock it instead of another big nut. Simple if you know and worth a mention in the manual instead of on its tiny plastic bag. Really happy to see them and they look brilliant in their box.
 
These are Nitrons. I wanted both high and low-speed compression adjustability and these and Wilbour's are the only ones with both. I was talking to someone who recently bought full spec Wilboures and that price was gobsmacking even compared to what I paid.
 
Fitted the shocks today, the usual arm wrestle. As with just about every high-tech shocks, it needed spacing off the chain guard 10mm top and bottom shock mounts to fit. By luck, I had the right-sized washers for spacers and 10mm longer bolts for the right side shock. With some jiggling and packing up the rear wheel, I didn't even need to pull the mufflers. I need to do some adjusting on the left muffler as it sticks out further at its end than the right. The issue to getting it to clear the rear drum brake light switch and even up with the other muffler. Where is that big hammer?
 
I did a seat bounce after fitting the shocks and bearly got any movement, so today I had a play. They had a sag of 5mm with me on the bike so way too much preload thankfully explaining this lack of movement. It took 3 full turns off to get a more reasonable 25mm of sag. I checked where the clickers were set as they send you a note where there set from the builder. I thought I might break a finger doing this, almost vice-grip material. I set them in the middle of their range and now it's firm but with plenty of movement. I have pushed the bump stop down and will check travel and firm up the compression to just avoid bottoming. Standing next to the bike and weighing a peg has both ends moving nice and together. I didn't try the Hi-Speed compression clicker yet, I will set it in its hard range and ease it off to soften hits till hopefully, they go away. I might even ride it soon.
 
Vince said:
Fitted the shocks today, the usual arm wrestle. As with just about every high-tech shocks, it needed spacing off the chain guard 10mm top and bottom shock mounts to fit. By luck, I had the right-sized washers for spacers and 10mm longer bolts for the right side shock. With some jiggling and packing up the rear wheel, I didn't even need to pull the mufflers. I need to do some adjusting on the left muffler as it sticks out further at its end than the right. The issue to getting it to clear the rear drum brake light switch and even up with the other muffler. Where is that big hammer?
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Well except Racetech as they are made with offset mounts to avoid this and provide a proper customer built unit …..wow 10mm that is a lot hmm..

Come on VInce where are the photos as we have been hearing about these for a good while now so spill the beans put up some photos … just imagine if you had an IPhone the photo’s would be as easy as to upload here… we are all waiting with baited breath….9A12B134-1381-42FE-839A-BCD532D7B0A7.png
 
Vince said:
I did a seat bounce after fitting the shocks and bearly got any movement, so today I had a play. They had a sag of 5mm with me on the bike so way too much preload thankfully explaining this lack of movement. It took 3 full turns off to get a more reasonable 25mm of sag. I checked where the clickers were set as they send you a note where there set from the builder. I thought I might break a finger doing this, almost vice-grip material. I set them in the middle of their range and now it's firm but with plenty of movement. I have pushed the bump stop down and will check travel and firm up the compression to just avoid bottoming. Standing next to the bike and weighing a peg has both ends moving nice and together. I didn't try the Hi-Speed compression clicker yet, I will set it in its hard range and ease it off to soften hits till hopefully, they go away. I might even ride it soon.
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Hi Vince, I was advised by two specialists that less damping is better than more, especially when setting up. I certainly found that to be true, and found that I needed very little damping for the best ride. So I suggest you start at the softer settings and work up, not the other way round. Just my 2cents, and only based on my bike on our roads with me riding 👍
 
Haggis said:
are those lovely shockers on upside down?
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Nope they are Racetech’s my boy… so it dont matter on iota which way they are run plus got no clearance issues either way they are run………. I just choose to run them that way as it looks more period correct in fact only one bloke noticed them on the last run……..
Oh and on a Laverda really are we that worried about unstrung weight ….oh and we are all still waiting for the photos Vince by the by..
 
I took another pic of the mount spaced with 4 washers top and bottom but it was somehow linked to the pic above and I couldn't delink it. So that's 3 pics I have posted in total here. What a milestone in my life. BTW that's Bafflo grass is so thick I cannot push the bike through it, only under power will that happen now. The croc slide is dry for a change but crossing it wet at that angle, it's a good 100mm deep and getting over that concrete gutter, it drags hard on the collector is far from easy, going the other way with a tight U-turn through in is way harder still.
 
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Well, that area used to be a 150-car space parking area that never got used out that gate. The powers that be resumed it and built 35 Housing Commission units for those that couldn't afford rent around here. Great idea, except it got 10 car parking spots for the minimum 35 residents as poor people apparently don't own cars. What was left was a 2 car-wide lane that I parked in for 10 years only to come home one day to find NO PARKING SIGNS in that lane. Hence my parking on the grass. The joy of inner city living.
 
Wait till they build the western harbour tunnel and beaches link Vince, then you will need a electronic locator to find your bike, let alone the back gate.
Unfiltered spew from two tunnels will do wonders for the residents of North Sydney LGA. All being sucked out right near you.

Bring that 3c to the country Vince (and your Husky).
Wonderful roads at your doorstep/driveway exit, dirt roads in abundance.

As for Brett's ascertain re the Racetechs, not so with my custom units for the 880TT. They are offset, but still need spacing out on the rhs so as to not hit the standard chain guard. 3mm is still 3mm, not sure what that is as an imperial dim, but B will know down to ??/64ths or maybe 1000ths...
 
For a Northern Beaches tunnel that doesn't have funding there sure digging a bloody big hole in Cammeray Golf Course. Just another TOLE road surrounding me.
 
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