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[Chief]

When I hit 20,000 on my e-glide Classic, I did the whole front-end removal to check the bearings, and while I had it all apart, installed a set of Race Tech's Gold Valve Emulators. I had read about them a couple of times and was convinced they would be an improvement. They helped a lot.

The valves got rid of the front-end dive on braking, and also eliminated the bone-jarring hit you take on big square bumps like bridge abuttments. In short, it eliminates two of the major compromises that occur with the crude damper rod forks HD uses in our bikes.

I thought the 07 would be better, but after looking at the parts book, I'm not too happy.

I think I'll probably be ordering a set of emulators for the new bike too.

Here's a couple links about the Emulators.

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_9502_tech/
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/race_tech_cartridge_emulator/

Chief

[Twolanerider]

Any discussion of how these parts might feel on the buddy's bike won't happen this weekend.  Ice storm moving through.  Already got a coat on everything.  Supposed to still be messy on Sunday so we bailed.  Still interested in seeing how they feel though.  Will advise when it happens.

[Midnight Rider]

Any discussion of how these parts might feel on the buddy's bike won't happen this weekend.  Ice storm moving through.  Already got a coat on everything.  Supposed to still be messy on Sunday so we bailed.  Still interested in seeing how they feel though.  Will advise when it happens.

Noticed this morning on the Weather Channel that you were in for some ice...hope the power stays on for you!  Am very interested in the new forks and how they feel, so will look forward to your report.

[Twolanerider]

Two lane,
Are you using the HD SE fork oil? racing or performance? John

Oto, I'm am using the 20w.  Like the firmer feel.  If I remember correctly (it's been almost two years now!) it was not the bottle labled "racing."

[Twolanerider]

Noticed this morning on the Weather Channel that you were in for some ice...hope the power stays on for you!  Am very interested in the new forks and how they feel, so will look forward to your report.

Yeap, no joy on that task today.  Really nasty here.  He'd dropped the legs by earlier in the week.  Now they're just setting out in garage on the bench very close to my bike.  That was a dangerous place to leave them.....

[HWYMAN1]

Oto, I'm am using the 20w.  Like the firmer feel.  If I remember correctly (it's been almost two years now!) it was not the bottle labled "racing."

2lane,
the "racing" is labeled as Extra HEAVY DUTY, while performance is HEAVY DUTY ( no specific weight is listed, the racing is double race flagged!). I guess I will wait to get when more info comes in on improved fork oil vs emulators vs the "real deal" cartridge upgrade. Thanks to Terry I got in on the group buy for legend rear suspension and has made front performance and little more noticeable.  thanks, john

[Twolanerider]

2lane,
the "racing" is labeled as Extra HEAVY DUTY, while performance is HEAVY DUTY ( no specific weight is listed, the racing is double race flagged!). I guess I will wait to get when more info comes in on improved fork oil vs emulators vs the "real deal" cartridge upgrade. Thanks to Terry I got in on the group buy for legend rear suspension and has made front performance and little more noticeable.  thanks, john

John, like I said it's been a couple of years.  But I have some recollection of being told that the "racing" extra heavy duty was also not a formulation intended for extended service intervals.  Was intended for use in systems apart far more frequently than what I am EVER going to do (I hate changing fork oil).  

Since I wanted firm, but not rock hard, and since I didn't want shortened service intervals I used the stuff I did.  Have used PJ1 and BelRay in times past too.  Good fork oils aren't hard to come by.

[SPIDERMAN]

You guys had to wait till Beags and I had LD all back together again and the tops of the fork tubes covered before you started this stuff about fork oil didn't you. Yes, it is all about me, every word, every post everything It's about me ME ME ME  [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif]

B B

[Twolanerider]

You guys had to wait till Beags and I had LD all back together again and the tops of the fork tubes covered before you started this stuff about fork oil didn't you. Yes, it is all about me, every word, every post everything It's about me ME ME ME  [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif] [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif]

B B

Damn straight Brian.  You should have seen all the PMs buzzing back and forth.  "What's he finishing up?"  "If wait just another day we'll REALLY be screwing with him!"  Stuff like that all over the place waiting for the perfect moment to launch the new thread.  None of us really have any interest at all in this stuff.  It's just done to screw with you   [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] !

[Twolanerider]

No joy on installing these again this weekend.  More poor weather.  All roads but primaries still bad from the last go-round and another 3-5" snow expected on top of it today.  Sorry.

[Midnight Rider]

No joy on installing these again this weekend.  More poor weather.  All roads but primaries still bad from the last go-round and another 3-5" snow expected on top of it today.  Sorry.

Don,  anxious to hear about this system.  I gave them a call today and had a chat about what one could expect from making this change, and was impressed with their knowledge and customer service.  Very friendly and helpful.  If a person was so inclined, he could ride his bike to their place and they will do the changes in a day.  They will waive the normal assembly charge, and only charge $100 bucks to take the forks off and install them after they make the changes.  That's their total package, the AK-20, installed with chrome fork caps that are adjustable.

What I'm noticing on my bike is becoming more pronounced since getting the Legends, putting a few miles (10K) on the front fork oil, and pushing the bike a little harder in the turns since it feels more sure footed in the rear.  Getting a definite "wallowing" feel from the front forks...not a wobble.  It's for sure the front forks...not scarey or anything, just mushy.

When the weather gets a little warmer, I might just have to take a scoot over to North of Hot'Lanta and see what's up...

[Twolanerider]

What I'm noticing on my bike is becoming more pronounced since getting the Legends, putting a few miles (10K) on the front fork oil, and pushing the bike a little harder in the turns since it feels more sure footed in the rear.  Getting a definite "wallowing" feel from the front forks...not a wobble.  It's for sure the front forks...not scarey or anything, just mushy.

When the weather gets a little warmer, I might just have to take a scoot over to North of Hot'Lanta and see what's up...

TC, what you're describing is what I felt in the red bike from day one.  It was even more pronounced though.  Not so much a wallow but a WALLOW.  It would even bottom out under what was really only moderate breaking too.  

Going to the heavy SE fork oil made a significant difference.  The bottoming out was gone and the WALLOW was toned down to a very manageable wallow.

It's only supposed to be reach a high in the mid 20s here this weekend but if the roads clear between now and then the current plan is to do the deed on that Road King and take the bike out a bit.  A washboard stretch of road I'm very interested in driving it over is 20 miles or so away so we might even wimp out and trailer the bike to the area I've got in mind just to see what it feels like before and after.  Pray for no more snow between now and Sunday and hopefully will be able to share some reaction to what it felt like on the bike.

[Midnight Rider]

TC, what you're describing is what I felt in the red bike from day one.  It was even more pronounced though.  Not so much a wallow but a WALLOW.  It would even bottom out under what was really only moderate breaking too.  

Going to the heavy SE fork oil made a significant difference.  The bottoming out was gone and the WALLOW was toned down to a very manageable wallow.

It's only supposed to be reach a high in the mid 20s here this weekend but if the roads clear between now and then the current plan is to do the deed on that Road King and take the bike out a bit.  A washboard stretch of road I'm very interested in driving it over is 20 miles or so away so we might even wimp out and trailer the bike to the area I've got in mind just to see what it feels like before and after.  Pray for no more snow between now and Sunday and hopefully will be able to share some reaction to what it felt like on the bike.

Kewl, Don...it would be nice to hear a first hand report on the differences on a road you know well.  The place that makes this system is only about a 2.5 hour ride for me, and for 100 bucks and a little gas, I would gladly allow someone else to perform that task for me after looking at the manual and seeing what a PITA it is to take it all apart on our bikes.

[Twolanerider]

Kewl, Don...it would be nice to hear a first hand report on the differences on a road you know well.  The place that makes this system is only about a 2.5 hour ride for me, and for 100 bucks and a little gas, I would gladly allow someone else to perform that task for me after looking at the manual and seeing what a PITA it is to take it all apart on our bikes.

That sounds like a definite no brainer Terry.  Paying a hundred bucks for a nice ride across the Alabama and Georgia countryside, the privilege of seeing a cool shop and not having to take the nose of the bike all apart is short money for great return.  Hell, I'd almost ride there from here some weekend for that labor rate.

Hmmm, wonder if some nice spring three day weekend I could go from here to B-ham on a Friday and they could two bikes on a Saturday  [smiley=nixweiss.gif] ?  Mine could even be worked on a little bit ahead of time as I could send them the flamed forks that will be the ones to eventually go on the bike.

[Midnight Rider]

That sounds like a definite no brainer Terry.  Paying a hundred bucks for a nice ride across the Alabama and Georgia countryside, the privilege of seeing a cool shop and not having to take the nose of the bike all apart is short money for great return.  Hell, I'd almost ride there from here some weekend for that labor rate.

Hmmm, wonder if some nice spring three day weekend I could go from here to B-ham on a Friday and they could two bikes on a Saturday  [smiley=nixweiss.gif] ?  Mine could even be worked on a little bit ahead of time as I could send them the flamed forks that will be the ones to eventually go on the bike.

In my conversation with them, I asked them about the Saturday thing...he said they are sometimes "there" but don't do any work of this type...must just do the desk work.  But, if a person were going over to Myrtle Beach, or coming to B'ham for the AMA Superbike Races in late April, that person could zip over or through without too much out of the way time.  With your situation, the time needed there would probably be less.  He told me that on my bike, if I got it there at 9:00AM, it would probably take until about 3 to get it all done.  So, it's pretty much an all day thing.  Normally, they charge $150 for a disassembly/assembly of the fork itself, but he said if I bought the whole thing, he would waive that, so it would be the 1 bill for them taking the front of the bike off.  The guy said I would be "amazed" at the difference in the way the bike felt in every circumstance, and would particularly notice a huge difference when pushing the bike on twisty roads.  The diving and twisting feeling is not comforting when pushing the bike through a turn, and when the suspension settles into the turn, it's compressed a good bit on the front end, causing a bit of material removal on the bottom of the board supports.  It's not really scarey or anything, just doesn't feel solid enough to suit my tastes.

With all our pals here from the Hot'Lanta area, I'll bet we could get something worked out....