When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I wouldn’t let grinding the O.D. down a little prevent me from installing these. (I’d chuck them up in a lathe and turn them, but that’s easy for me).
1. The bigger question in regards to the diameter being too large is this...were they machined originally to print dimensions and tolerances ?
2. Or were they machined incorrectly causing this issue?
3. I know the vendor has been having issues with his current machine shop and is looking for another source to supply his machined parts.
4. Problems arise from time to time in manufacturing ..this issue seems like a small nuisance to me in the grand picture of getting a better handling and more comfortable bike, we just have to identify and understand the root cause and institute a solution
$140 at the dealer? That doesn't sound that bad lol
It was going to take a half hour , I already had OEM rebuild kits & oil plus the forks were off the bike , $40 for half hour labor , thanks anyways but no.
I just dialed my 2-#2 from Howard yesterday with the zip tie method... Wow, plush, compliant ride... I am so satisfied...Howard was great, his emails were funny ...
To make a drop in type cartridge (like a FKC-102) one must have to contend with the check valve which is pressed into the fork tube and held on with a crimp that is pressed on. This is what holds the check valve in. The little silver cup is called an oil lock. Ohlinss solution is to have the shock body above the check valve and that very strong OEM top out spring between the shock body on top and the top of the check valve on the bottom. The shaft is bolted on the bottom inside of the slider and inside of the oil lock for assured fitment. Top out spring explained.
For those who have no problem working with power tools either go to my site where Amy explains how to clean and mount these types of cartridges by removing the check valve. The reason why the check valve must be removed is so the cartridge body can go through the fork tube and through where the check valve use to be. This means a longer shock body.
By using a longer shock body I have the flexibility to start and stop the stroke any place I want it. Just move the spacers to where I want them. In the picture on top of the cartridge seal are spacers that can either be added to or removed as required. The single black and red spacer is the distance for full top out on the stroke. Below that is a top out spring is as long and spring tension of my choosing. If I want a real long rebound I chose a long top out spring. On these build I use 6 ž but the bike can still sit as stock height. By using a weaker top out spring, when the front wheel falls into a hole the ride is not a noticeably change unlike the OEM front fork. Many say the front end disappears. A very cheap price (5 min.) to pay to get a superb ride using a longer shock body. These systems ride far different than any other cartridge systems out there.
With the OP’s pictures and the video with Amy...it looks like a pretty straight forward modification to install these. Looking forward to the ride review!!
Not a whole lot tonight but some important things to make sure of before assembly.
You want to make sure your putting the correct cartridge in the correct fork , left side is for compression and the right side is for rebound.
Make sure the correct fork cap is on the correct cartridge as they are labeled COMP and REB .
COMP = hole in the top , left slider
REB = hole in the bottom , right slider
Notice how beefy these look next to the 49mm fork tube , the fork caps are nicely done as well ,the top spring stops fit into the caps precisely , these are quality built pieces.
I also thank you and appreciate the continued updates. I'm sure I'll end up tackling this over the winter. I just got my #3-#3 mounted last night, and "mostly" set-up. Need to get better weather up here to do the test ride.
I never had a set of forks apart before I bought this bike . Got some chrome lowers and was debating whether to let the dealer put them on for me or give it a shot . . $140 the dealer wanted and that's bringing the forks in ! They told me I'd never be able to do it myself as I couldn't compress the spring , they need 2 guys to do it ! Well that's when I decided to do it myself, not that big a deal , sure the spring was stiff but I got it , they must have some wimpy techs I guess.
I don't know about the 2 guy thing, Howard has a video with 1 girl doing it, I didn't have any problem doing it myself, you can lower the fork tube in the lower triple tree and then tighten it to loosen and tighten the cap nut, also leave the cap nut on fork tube to remove the allen bolt in the bottom of the lower fork tube so it doesn't just spin, sometimes a impact may help removing the lower allen bolt as well, if your mechanically inclined, you should be able to do the install yourself, a shop manual and YouTube will also help you. $140.00 doesn't seem bad, sounds like maybe one and a half hour of labor charge, but if your interested in doing it yourself its not real hard.
I don't know about the 2 guy thing, Howard has a video with 1 girl doing it, I didn't have any problem doing it myself, you can lower the fork tube in the lower triple tree and then tighten it to loosen and tighten the cap nut, also leave the cap nut on fork tube to remove the allen bolt in the bottom of the lower fork tube so it doesn't just spin, sometimes a impact may help removing the lower allen bolt as well, if your mechanically inclined, you should be able to do the install yourself, a shop manual and YouTube will also help you. $140.00 doesn't seem bad, sounds like maybe one and a half hour of labor charge, but if your interested in doing it yourself its not real hard.
To be fair, at the time of the shoot, Amy worked behind the parts counter at Phil Peterson's HD in N. Miami. When the "Special" customers came in she would also install their parts unless the paid mechanics in the back complained. She does her own work on her own bikes(s) and does not accept any sort of help. She would read and go over the parts book to memorize the part numbers and note what parts will interchange as where they are located on her own time. This was the practice before computers, (before they invented) chrome consultants, haberdashery specialists, and when they actually stocked parts. Now they have fired Best-Buy stock boys for parts persons and group rides to Starbucks.
I remember when it was part of riding, working on your own bike. You know, when you had friends who would help getting the job done that builds Comradery. The thing HD did when they eliminate the local INDY
Last edited by FastHarley; Apr 5, 2018 at 11:01 AM.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
