forks still too soft on '92 CR250

[slo' mo]

was trying to stiffen up the forks on my CR yesterday.  They have always been very soft but I have not had problems with bottoming out.  Turned the compression clickers in 3 clicks and tested out on the mini track beside my house.  Seemed to have no effect.  I finally wound up turning the compression clickers all the way to the hardest setting with no noticable difference.

I added 5-7CC of oil per tube but was afraid to add more.  Now the questions:

1) is it possible to have a valving problem but the forks still operate with no bottoming?

2) Can you add more oil to try and stiffen the forks w/o damaging them?

look forward to input.

 

 

[KiwiBird]

Have you rebuilt them? Quite often they will get debris in the valve and will hold the shims open a bit, or sometimes the whole stack will get loose.

Put the bike upside down and remove the base valve and check for condition if you have replaced the oil lately.

 

[dirt bike dave]

As a general rule, as you get closer to all the way in (stiff) on the adjustment, each click should make a bigger difference.

What is your oil level now? How much preload on the springs? What about static sag (how much do the forks compress under the bike's weight)? Do you have the right springs for your weight?

In my experience, raising the oil level makes a dramatic difference in bottoming resistance but does not have a big impact on the first 1/2 of travel.

 

[slo' mo]

Originally posted by Kiwi Bird
Have you rebuilt them? Quite often they will get debris in the valve and will hold the shims open a bit, or sometimes the whole stack will get loose. 

yes, new seals and oil put in them right before DW02

Put the bike upside down and remove the base valve and check for condition if you have replaced the oil lately. [/B]

??? not sure I understand Kiwi

 

Originally posted by dirt bike dave
What is your oil level now? How much preload on the springs? What about static sag (how much do the forks compress under the bike's weight)? Do you have the right springs for your weight?

In my experience, raising the oil level makes a dramatic difference in bottoming resistance but does not have a big impact on the first 1/2 of travel. [/B]

I added the amount of oil spec'd in the manual (I don't have it with me).  I then added about 5cc later via the bleeder orifice.  I used Mobil 1 synthetic ATF after reading it in some of Jer's articles.

 

[marcusgunby]

Bottoming is controlled alot by the airgap so you can have a soft fork and yet it not bottom-i adgree with others-crud could be holding the base valve shims open.Kiwi means you can flip the bike upside down and remove the base valve only using a impact wrench-no need to strip the forks unless they need a oil change.

 

[Jeremy Wilkey]

Gentlmen,
Unbeknowest to most this bike actually had one of the first midvalves. These shims bent and destorted like crazy...

So that would be a prime suspect as well..

BR,
Jer