I picked up a few bottles of 10w fork oil, filled it up with the perscribed amount and took it out for a test ride. What better way to test it than some riding down the center of the railroad tracks and a trip to Wharton state forest over in Jersey.
It was tuff to tell if it had improved much on the street, the higher CG made kept me feeling like a first timer on the bike, I did hit as many potholes and bumps as I could and found myself bracing my body for a shot that never came.
In the dirt is where this setup really shined. If you have never been to Wharton, its in the NJ pinebarrens. Place is all ankle deep sugar sand whoops covered with pine needles, cranberry bogs and mud holes that never dry out. With the dampening dialed all the way back the bike performed flawlessly in all conditions I encountered. I cant tell you it this is better than stock, (never owned it that way) but it was light years better than the progressive springs I had in there before.
The ruts are like this most of the way
one of the many cranberry bogs in the middle of the woods
Where the bogs get all there water from….
The water holes along the road range from knee to ankle deep, not exactly the way to stray dry! On the way back when it was getting dark I went through one and must of hit a stump that sent the bike over and under water breaking the clutch lever in the process. After I picked my pride back up out of the mud and no replacement on hand, I tied the cable to the lever and and rerouted it in a way to use the frame and lever to pull on it like a lawnmower pull-start. If you have ever ridden home without a clutch you know what I mean.
Nice lever!
Total miles today was 110 with 40 of that on the trails. Well worth the cost of the fork oil!
Thanks for the update. It’s always good to know how different projects work out.
Looks like you had fun : )
kickass! Dan, did you know btw that it’s possible to ride totaly without the clutch? (kill it at lights and use the starter to get yourself rolling, it sucks but can limp you home)
Btw, I’ve been in wharton a few times when I owned a truck, and some of those holes are occasionally neck deep and you can’t tell until you’re in them 🙂 nothing like swimming through a swamp to hook a tow line while the cab has two feet of standing water in it
Those holes are deceiving! Had it almost to the carbs in a few. I did ride home without the clutch, only hit a few stoplights that when I used the pull, expressway most of the way back, the only hairy part was the 2 miles out of the woods with no clutch 😉 By the way I have your book in my toolbox at the shop. I took it to 2wt a few weeks back but dident see you. Ill be at my shop on tues night this week
yeah, work has gotten a bit nuts lately for me so I can’t make tuesdays anymore. I’ll try to make it down next week 🙂