Guys, just got the whole front end put back together on my 1k after the race tech install. Double checked all the different adjusters to make sure they are where they need to be. The left rebound adjuster has 19 clicks from full stiff to soft. The left, has no full stiff stop, but from what I can tell, it seems to have 18 clicks...if I am correct about where the first click starts from where full stiff used to be.

When reassembling forks, what determines where the stop is at full stiff in the cap? Can I fix it at home without a lot of hassle? I really don't think I want to take it back to the mechanic that did the work the first time around. I don't feel comfortable anymore at this point.

Can someone here help me out? Track guys...I know you know this one....

I just went through my 600 forks, and you set the rebound adjuster 1/16" over the preload adjuster when re-assembling. Your 1K forks are quite different, but the service manual should tell you what the stock measurement should be.

Man, that guy sounds like an ass clown and had no idea what he was doing. Do not under any circumstance let them touch your forks without supervision.

As you already may have guessed, they need to come back apart and provided you have the necessary tools, you can attempt to correct the problem. You will need a spring compressor at a minimum, or someone who will help you to do it. However, you may have some other serious problems that you need to look for.

First, your stop occurs when the rebound needle seats against the the rebound orifice and the total number of clicks is determined by the height of the fork cap on the rebound holder. It has a somewhat delicate point and you dont want to put any force on it to seat it. If it never seats, that means that guy may not have put the inner rod, needle , or needle spring back in your fork. Also, if you continue to spin the rebound adjuster beyond a certain point its check ball and retainer that holds it together fall out (they are damn small). But if its still clicking you may be OK. Hard to say, but its pretty sure that side has a problem and you need to know what to look for.

To properly set the caps, the measurement is 11mm from the top of the rebound holder. That normally equats to 12 or 13 clicks on the ones I have done. In this case, it was set at a lesser value so the adjuster has raised up and has more turns to go. The best way to set them is not by that measurement though.

The best way is to wind it out fully to let the adjuster come up till it stops, then turn it in the number of clicks you want or need. Dont go over 14. That way they are perfectly even too. Then you carefully screw the cap back on until it just kisses the inner rebound rod. You will know if you have gone to far as you fill feel the rebound need spring resistance. Then hold the adjuster cap with the appropriate tool and tight the locknut.

Man, I wish you the best of luck. I honestly would recomment letting someone take those apart and make sure its all right.

erixgix said:

To properly set the caps, the measurement is 11mm from the top of the rebound holder. That normally equats to 12 or 13 clicks on the ones I have done. In this case, it was set at a lesser value so the adjuster has raised up and has more turns to go. The best way to set them is not by that measurement though.

The best way is to wind it out fully to let the adjuster come up till it stops, then turn it in the number of clicks you want or need. Dont go over 14. That way they are perfectly even too. Then you carefully screw the cap back on until it just kisses the inner rebound rod. You will know if you have gone to far as you fill feel the rebound need spring resistance. Then hold the adjuster cap with the appropriate tool and tight the locknut.

Man, I wish you the best of luck. I honestly would recomment letting someone take those apart and make sure its all right.



The mechanic said he never messed with any internals on the cap, only taking it off and putting it back on. On the dissassembly, would he have to remove anything from the cap like the spring or anything else? He says you just screw it back on the rod with the correct measurement, and you're done, after going to full soft on the adjusters of course. IF the retainer in the cap came out, is it still in the cap most likely or do I have to go swimming for it in the fork?

Now as far as setting it goes, If I understand you correctly...Im going to take the caps completely off. I'm going to turn out the adjusters to full soft, or out as you put it. Then turn it in to full stiff until I reach 14 clicks max (race tech says 15, but I dont care as long as they have the same thing on both sides) . Place the cap onto the holder rod screwing it on until the adjuster needle just barely touches the rod, and then tighten the locknut. Sound about right?

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the caps off without mangling the metal. I think he used an impact wrech on the caps because I know for damn sure they're not at the specified 16 ft lbs of torque.

Thanks for the help......I really, really appreciate it.

Gixxervan1000 said:

The mechanic said he never messed with any internals on the cap, only taking it off and putting it back on. On the dissassembly, would he have to remove anything from the cap like the spring or anything else? He says you just screw it back on the rod with the correct measurement, and you're done, after going to full soft on the adjusters of course. IF the retainer in the cap came out, is it still in the cap most likely or do I have to go swimming for it in the fork?




True you do not need to mess with the cap. But if you keep turning the screw in to seat it as you where trying to do it could have come apart. The recess the checkball rides in will go beyond it retainer at 20 some clicks if I remember right. If its still clicking though, you have no worries as the ball is still there.

Yes, that is how you install the cap. If it had the correct measurement (11mm) then you would have less clicks that you have. And that of course if not the reason you have an issue with the other side unless its way off or the issues I listed.




Now as far as setting it goes, If I understand you correctly...Im going to take the caps completely off. I'm going to turn out the adjusters to full soft, or out as you put it. Then turn it in to full stiff until I reach 14 clicks max (race tech says 15, but I dont care as long as they have the same thing on both sides) . Place the cap onto the holder rod screwing it on until the adjuster needle just barely touches the rod, and then tighten the locknut. Sound about right?




You understood it perfectly. And I need to add, that before you tight it down, you want to back out the rebound adjuster a few lcikcks (you dont need to go fully out) to prevent the needle from being damaged.

Technicallly dont have to fully remove them unless you are gonig to measure the locknut placement. If you go by the number of clicks (the better way) then you just have to loosen it and set the adjuster. In your case, you want to remove them so you can make sure the rebound needle, spring, and rod are all good. Especially the side that is having the problem.

When you get the cap off, you will see the end of a small rod sticking out of the rebound holder (maybe not on the bad side depending on what happened). That rod extends the full length of the rebound holder down to the needle at the bottom. You can apply light pressure to feel the spring and then move it up and down just a little to make sure the needle isnt jammed up. Yuo can lighly hold pressure on it and move the holder up to make sure you feel rebound resistance, when you let off it should move up easier. That's a quick check for the tip of the needle. If its all good then take install cap as described and your're good.

You wont know untill you there what's gong on with the other side though. I hope all the parts of there.

You can go 15 clicks (I like even numbers myself), like you said, as long as they are even. This method avoid that situation that when you are full in, one has a half click different to the other due to using the measurement method.



Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the caps off without mangling the metal. I think he used an impact wrech on the caps because I know for damn sure they're not at the specified 16 ft lbs of torque.

Thanks for the help......I really, really appreciate it.



Not a problem. You will need a spring compressor too since you need to pull down the spacer to get to the locknut.

If you changed springs, I would recommend measuring your spacer length to verify they are the correct and the same length (you have to cut them with racetech springs).

Allright, I think I've got some good news. I took the forks back to the shop today. Gave him the fuked up one, and told him that there was no full in stop and that the other one had about 4 too many clicks on it. I told him to make both forks set at 15 and make sure all the parts are in the "bad" fork.

He comes back not too long later and gives me the original "bad" fork that didnt have the stop, and fuggin-A, it was exactly 15 from stop to stop. I was just glad it had a stop again. SO then I tell him to match the other fork to that one. (note: the fork cap at this point is ragged and silver on all the edges...because he did use an impact wrench on it) So he comes back saying the fork is at 15. I check it, its at 17. At least it wasnt 19...so I give it back and tell him to do it again. This goes on for about another 3 times. Him coming back and saying it's set right....me counting the clicks and saying it's still off by a couple of clicks. Finally, I go out there on what I decided was his last try. I get out there while he is fiddling with the spring compressor. We didnt take the cap all the way off...just readjusted the nut, and checked the clicks....it took about 4 tries of him adjusting the nut to get 15. Finally got it, but only because I was there to make sure it was at 15 before he put the crap back together. Now the forks are here at home and Im about to put them back on...again.

The caps look about as good as a french whore at 5 in the morning. They're not so pretty, but can still function well enough, the full stiff stop is about a fraction past the first click on one...and right at the first click on the other. That should suffice I would think considering. They both only have 15 clicks available from stop to stop, I hope it wont make much difference how much space is between the stop to the first click. I wouldnt think it would be noticeable anyway.

Thanks again for the input. Ive learned a great deal about my forks over the past few weeks. Most importantly it's best to take it to someone experienced in suspension work. Just because a mechanic is good at some things....doesn't mean he is good at all things. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif