For the past few weeks I have been getting great information from you all on this board about jetting, forks, etc. I plan on riding 50% woods and 50% light MX with my '05 200. I began the fork shim mod the usual way by using a borrowed 1/2" impact gun. Long story short the gun was junk and only spun the valve body 1/4 turn. :bang:
At this point, I realized that the valve body had been loosened up but as I continued to turn it with the 14mm allen socket by hand, the cartridge was turning as well. I thought I was going to have to pack up the forks and take them to the local stealership to have them break the cartridge loose. :yikes:
I jumped on the board and found throught Canadian Dave's site that the cartridge holder hex is 27mm. I was on my way ou the door to the local hardware store to get a piece of square tubing and a 1 1/16" nut, then have someone weld it together for me. As I was passing the bike, I realized that the REAR AXLE nut was 27mm, and that the axle was HOLLOW, and it already had a 22mm size head on the other end.
I pulled off the axle and threaded the 27mm bolt all the way on and tightened it against where the threads stopped. The axle slid perfectly over the damping rod and locked perfectly into the cartridge! :aj: I used a 22mm socket to hold the cartridge "tool" and the 14mm allen to unscrew the valve body from the cartridge. The axle is just long enough to remain even with the fork tube.
THIS ROCKED!! I just saved a trip to the store and/or a $65.00 tool. If you don't have an air gun, or if you manage to not break the valve body fully loose on the first try, then use the rear axle! It worked great :laugh:
What I did:
Removed the first two shims in the compression stack
Used Eibach 996 series springs at .43kg/mm 507mm long
Bel ray oil 7.5w. at 130mm from the top springs out fork collapsed
Stock preload spacer cut 37mm off. Gave same preload as stock
Forks even with top of triple clamps
Ride report:
Works great! initial travel is nice and plush, bike still corners good but now doesn't bottom over small jumps and such. Haven't measured the fork sag, but it's way less than with the stock springs
Bike is much "steadier" and doesn't wander and wallow around.
I weigh 180 lbs. without gear
Hope this gave some good info to those who want to try this at home. :blah:
At this point, I realized that the valve body had been loosened up but as I continued to turn it with the 14mm allen socket by hand, the cartridge was turning as well. I thought I was going to have to pack up the forks and take them to the local stealership to have them break the cartridge loose. :yikes:
I jumped on the board and found throught Canadian Dave's site that the cartridge holder hex is 27mm. I was on my way ou the door to the local hardware store to get a piece of square tubing and a 1 1/16" nut, then have someone weld it together for me. As I was passing the bike, I realized that the REAR AXLE nut was 27mm, and that the axle was HOLLOW, and it already had a 22mm size head on the other end.
I pulled off the axle and threaded the 27mm bolt all the way on and tightened it against where the threads stopped. The axle slid perfectly over the damping rod and locked perfectly into the cartridge! :aj: I used a 22mm socket to hold the cartridge "tool" and the 14mm allen to unscrew the valve body from the cartridge. The axle is just long enough to remain even with the fork tube.
THIS ROCKED!! I just saved a trip to the store and/or a $65.00 tool. If you don't have an air gun, or if you manage to not break the valve body fully loose on the first try, then use the rear axle! It worked great :laugh:
What I did:
Removed the first two shims in the compression stack
Used Eibach 996 series springs at .43kg/mm 507mm long
Bel ray oil 7.5w. at 130mm from the top springs out fork collapsed
Stock preload spacer cut 37mm off. Gave same preload as stock
Forks even with top of triple clamps
Ride report:
Works great! initial travel is nice and plush, bike still corners good but now doesn't bottom over small jumps and such. Haven't measured the fork sag, but it's way less than with the stock springs
Bike is much "steadier" and doesn't wander and wallow around.
I weigh 180 lbs. without gear
Hope this gave some good info to those who want to try this at home. :blah: