Is your front to soft?

[Guest Roger11]

Hey folks.

since some days, i'm in your forum, but the X11 i drive now many years and in the german forum there are other perfectionist like me.

Also the X11 is for me the all in one swiss army knife, another reason to stay together for a long time.

My individual porblems are two of them.

First: I have to feel correct what the street is saying. (never could drive a BMW because of the "Telelever")

Second: I'm not bold. ( I've got some bolls, but i fear to fall down with the bike)

So i was many Years searchin for the right lift fork. But i prefer the original lift fork, because of the CBS.

First i change very early to the "Würth". With the original (also soft) shock absorber in the back, not bad.

Then i change the behind from original to "Wilbers" (very good deal, but most of the time, they mak it a little bit to hard) and in the front fork i send to german company who only make front forks. Not cheap, but i thought, they make nothing else and they make it also for racing moto cross teams.

But the result dosn't make me really happy. Happy enough to becam quicker then bevor, but not perfect.

And i was searchin for the perfect match.

The front was still to soft.

No i don't want to say the name of the company, because they made a good job with the spring who exist.

Yes, the problems are the springs who exist.

But to find this solution, i first have to meet Michael.

We call him "The Docter" in imitation of Vale. Not so quick, but so perfect in thinking about technical solutions.

His problem was to brake.

No not a problem o braking to less, he is really strong on the brake and allways his spring does blockade because there was no more way to compress.

Understud my strange englisch?

So he begann to search stronger springs and you now what?

The strongest spring you can find was 9.5 N/mm. for racing bikes that weight less than 200kg.

So he begann to order new springs who they build in different force.

He also orders different oils, to work good together with the innards of the fork.

We from the german forum where his testdrivers and in the end there was a result.

Best choice between comfort and close-fittings are springs with 12.5 N/mm

(Sorry, no idea what it means in pound per inch, but it works)

Don't even Ohlins has so strong spring to sale. Perhapbs for Vale, but not for us.

The imazing thing is, that this spring with a very very low viscosity oil works perfect.

No build up. Super response from the street and enough comfort.

You have to understand, that he can not give you product liability like a american company.

So you have to sign, you make it at your own responsibility, but a lot of german driv it now many miles and with topspeed also.

You become a perfect instruction in english or german, which helps you to bring your own weight (gives more comfort additional) in the front fork.

And it is very easy to fit it by yourself.

At this point it seams like a sales event, but believe me:

I'll no money from him. I do this, because now, i'm so happy that i find a solution.

My rear tire has no chicken strip the first time in my life and all beecause i feel save in the corner.

I'll be shure, if the first of you boys has testid it, all other will also order one.

Just because there is no stronger spring on earth.

The spring with the instruction and the transport to your home in europ costs you 80 €.

The oil can you buy at qour home with the definite information or from him for 20 €.

Today i had now time to speak to him, he lives near Vienna, so we must first find a good way for you to connect him.

When we find this way, you can order.

Or not. We don't want to sell you something, we just wan't to participate the feeling of a strong spring.

In the meantime, i will answer any question you have, if i can.

Nice greetings

roger

[Mick 162]

Sounds good, would like to know what our "Eddy" thinks of this?

[Guest Roger11]

Sorry Mick,

but i don't understand your question.

And i don't know what is a "eddy". Then i don't think you talking about my vather called Eddy.

It was the same in the german forum. In the beginning skepticism (how can a little Ausrian men find out more, than all the japanese honda mens?) and then more and more ectasy.

But i told you before: Nobody won'ts to sale something or getting rich. Just share.

The person who want to talk to himself ( Michael) or order a spring, wrote him in german or english at:

forkspring@gmx.at

Greetings

roger

[Guest Roger11]

In my first tread, i wrote something a little bit grim.

There is no need to sign something.

I would have wrote, there is to know, thats on your responsibility.

The spring is made by good quality and well tested in strongness.

All other things you can fix via email direct with Michael.

roger

[Mick 162]

Hi Roger,

Eddy is the guy who runs this site and has extensive knowledge of the X11. His opinion is always respected.

Mick.

[Guest Roger11]

Hi Mick

Now i understand.

Yeah, let's wait was Eddy says.

Greetings

roger

[Guest fe5ta]

Hi Roger, Yes the Doktor knows his stuff. Was good to see you again, hope you have warmed up from the cold north.

[Guest Roger11]

@fe5ta: Yes, we arrived operating temperature again. hope to see you next time a little bit longer.

@Eddy: No idea if you reading this or not.

After the circumstance that the peoples here give a lot at your opinions,

michael make you the following offer:

You can have a set of springs for free, so you can test it really, without spending money in case your not satisfied.

The only condition is, that you really build in and make a long distance test with them.

You can write to himself by email.

nice greetings

roger

[fast_eddy 712]

I think the best solution is to just use thicker oil with the standard x11 forks.

The next stage is to replace the springs.... my own personal opinion is that it is pointless to go any further than that with that style of bike,

The biggest impact would be to choose the right tyres.

Thanks for your offer Roger... but I don't have a bike anymore so it'd be wasted on me.

[Guest Roger11]

Hy Eddy,

the case that you don't have a bike is in two ways pity.

First one ist, that you can't drive.

And second, that you can't find out, what a great difference the fork from Austria makes with the X11.

Thicker oil makes the fork just more inactive.

It's the same when you give the advice to a friend, who has to lift up heavy weight, eat more. This advice will not make him stronger, it makes him only more saggy, becaus his blood is needed more in the stomach. To lift up heavy weight more easy, he needs mor muscle, in the fork it means stronger spring.

But you only will believe it, when you have drive once a bike with the strong spring, what you can't without a bike.

The tyre is very importend for a bike, but only for adhesion between street and bike.

If the idea to make the fork stronger via tyre would really work, the ideal tyre is build of soid rubber.

A tyre can make a chassis in some cases softer, when you inflat it less. This case you see in many US Cars, but never make it stronger, when the spring is to soft.

The onyl thing you have right, is the speed. If you drive unhurried, the original spring is enough.

that is the reason why my questions was: Is your front to soft.

People who drive quick with the bike in the corners, will notice the softness.

We, in the german forum call Michael "the docter" because he is perfectionist.

He let confect many different springs (different in strongnes) and drive with all of them with different oil inside until he find the perfect match.

Then in the german forum was mistrust. Why a little one man show from austria should buid a better spring, than all the engineers in the great companies.

But the result if you drive ones the other spring, has open us the eyes.

I don't know, why you get legal only the 90Nm spring and nobody can tell you the reason, But our bike is more heavy then the rest, so we need simply a stronger spring with a thin oil,

and it works.

Sorry, because i said your wrong, but i drive the difference and its great now in the corner.

roger

[fast_eddy 712]

Well, if it works for you, that's a good thing

[Maintenanceman 206]

Hmm, i am now trying to find Öhlins or Hagon springs here in Finland, are they too soft, or not, maybe have to try these "super strong" springs.

True that the bike is heavy, BB even heavyer, i am also not any skeleton, weight is going down thou (now 113kg)

One thing that is also option is that i get Ö or H springs and also those preload adjusters on the top of the tubes.

[x11r 386]

I found a big improvement was to use 15w oil @ 500 ml per leg , this reduces the amount of Air in the fork so increases the amount of pressure needed to compress them.

Then I changed the Front end to Fireblade CBR1000 rr

[Guest Roger11]

@ Maintenanceman; Why you don't want to try the Austrian Springs?

[Maintenanceman 206]

@ Maintenanceman; Why you don't want to try the Austrian Springs?

Well, why not :laugh:

Now when you are offering them :laugh:

One point was (to try the others) that if i find Finish importer for those, i could order them to my work

and "pay" them with my overtime hours so that i dont need use real money for them.

Bacically i could measure my original front suspension (sag, when front is up in the air and how much it drops when the weight of the bike is on it, when i am on the bike and maybe how much it gets down when i am braking hard from the 100km/h speed) then i can make the same with those springs and write a feedback.

[x11r 386]

To check how much the forks compress whilst braking use a cable tie on the fork leg

Edited July 6, 2011 by x11r

[Maintenanceman 206]

To check how much the forks compress whilst braking use a cable tie on the fork leg

Yeah, i know that trick