05-09-2017, 08:37 AM
(05-03-2017, 06:08 AM)ohiorider_imp Wrote: I took the CB1100 out for a short ride to get the oil up to temp so I can do 'black beauty's' first oil change. As luck would have it, the Honda shop within a couple miles of my house had no GN4 10w30 in stock when I stopped by a week or so ago. So I bought GN4 10w40.
It probably would have caused no harm, but I thought 'every oil reference in the Honda documentation mentions only 10w30,' so after a phone call, I was off in the car on a 50 mile round trip for the recommended weight. The 10w40 will be returned.
Now to the front suspension. I thought, hmmm, before I start buying emulators and new springs, lets take the advice of a couple of forum members and loosen the lower triple clamps, the axle nut, and the axle pinch bolts, and really rock the suspension up and down while holding the front brake. And of course, re-torque everything per Honda specs.
Surprise! The fork action is noticeably softer and smoother than it has ever been. Now, instead of a harsh fork jolt followed by a harsh rear shock jolt, the front end seems to absorb bumps much better, making the shock action that much more noticeable.
So, I'll start off with new rear shocks with springing and valving set up for my weight.
Thanks, guys, for reminding me of this old trick.
Bob
Ok Bob, I will bite since I've been complaining about the harshness of the front suspension. So what is the torque value for the lower triple tree bolts? I'm willing to give this a shot before trying more drastic measures. A friend who is well versed in bike suspensions suggested going to ultra-light fork oil before replacing springs, etc.