Suspension thread Not an oil thread but it starts that way

[TCinNC_imp]

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.

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. Lets see if this copy and paste will work: (It doesn't)
So, here's the info from the CB1100 600 mile service schedule that I picked up from a local Honda dealer. Probably copied from the Shop Manual.

I'll tell you now, I noticed a difference, but the rear shock is still beating the crap out of me. And the front fork isn't right for my weight. Your friend may have the right idea re thinner fork oil (if it is in fact a damping issue.)

Triple Clamp Bolts Upper Torque: 17 FT/LB
Triple Clamp Bolts Lower Torque: 32 FT/LB
Front Axle Torque: 44 FT/LB
Front Axle Pinch Bolts: 19 FT/LB\

Please note ..... I didn't loosen the top fork pinch bolts. They're the ones that kept the forks from sliding up thru the triple trees.

I loosened ( a couple turns)
- lower pinch bolts
- axle bolt
- axle pinch bolts

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. Lets see if this copy and paste will work: (It doesn't)
So, here's the info from the CB1100 600 mile service schedule that I picked up from a local Honda dealer. Probably copied from the Shop Manual.

I'll tell you now, I noticed a difference, but the rear shock is still beating the crap out of me. And the front fork isn't right for my weight. Your friend may have the right idea re thinner fork oil (if it is in fact a damping issue.)

Triple Clamp Bolts Upper Torque: 17 FT/LB
Triple Clamp Bolts Lower Torque: 32 FT/LB
Front Axle Torque: 44 FT/LB
Front Axle Pinch Bolts: 19 FT/LB\

Please note ..... I didn't loosen the top fork pinch bolts. They're the ones that kept the forks from sliding up thru the triple trees.

I loosened ( a couple turns)
- lower pinch bolts
- axle bolt
- axle pinch bolts Thanks Bob, I'll give it a try and see what happens.