RC's AirFork observation

Flatliner
Profile picture for user Flatliner
Posts
4084
Joined
11/3/2009
Location
CA
Flatliner 1/14/2013 12:21pm
1/14/2013 12:21pm
Frank wrote:
90% rider. 10% bike. Don't blame the bike. It's the riders.
I disagree. Never seen a really good rider fight his setup ? It's more rider than bike but at the top level you need to have your setup pretty darn perfect.

These guys can be looking for tenths of a second in Sx.
Lightning78
Profile picture for user Lightning78
Posts
6353
Joined
12/12/2007
Location
Huntington Beach, CA US
Lightning78 1/14/2013 1:17pm
1/14/2013 1:17pm
makita124 wrote:
The MB1 Suzuki team is using the old style 49mm spring kits... maybe that will tell us something...
I think a lot of riders are struggling with the air fork personally from what I'm seeing. maybe they're not working very well for every rider and I saw Matthes write that they have a PDS type affect on the fork ...... Davi is using the standard A Kit forks (springs & oil) he seems to be doing really well with his setup. Maybe the action of the fork is ever so slightly different causing riders to have to readjust their riding style to compensate for the air fork effect and some just haven't realized it yet since we've only had 2 real race environments for them to be tested. They probably work very well at the test tracks but nothing can stimulate REAL RACING. I'm sure the teams and riders will figure it out no later than mid season .... As with ANY new technology that is vastly different than what it replaced there is an adjustment period. Some riders will probably switch back and its pretty obvious that Reed is struggling with them ....... Davi STILL has the red plate....whoo!
MC752
Profile picture for user MC752
Posts
75
Joined
8/25/2008
Location
Las Cruces, NM US
MC752 1/14/2013 1:42pm
1/14/2013 1:42pm
Didn't he tuck the front end last year at Seattle on his conventional forks???
cmx152
Profile picture for user cmx152
Posts
120
Joined
3/20/2011
Location
GB
cmx152 1/14/2013 2:00pm
1/14/2013 2:00pm
bvm111 wrote:
hell his own team has those weird bright yellow air forks... no? I was a little confused about how all of a sudden RC is an...
hell his own team has those weird bright yellow air forks... no? I was a little confused about how all of a sudden RC is an expert in bike set up, remember his weird Honda low rider set up where he had like 4 inches of sag in the rear?
You are confused about how Ricky Carmichael is an expert on bike setup? Is there another Ricky Carmichael that didn't win 10 championships in a row? Wink

The Shop

See All »
Grizz
Profile picture for user Grizz
Posts
3105
Joined
7/2/2012
Location
Los Angeles, CA US
Grizz 1/14/2013 3:44pm
1/14/2013 3:44pm
Call me crazy but maybe, just maybe, it's the rider and not the bike...
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24438
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
newmann 1/14/2013 3:53pm
1/14/2013 3:53pm
newmann wrote:
SSF, SFF, KYB, Showa......Like the old air shocks, what I question is that the forks start out with 30-35 pounds of pressure, that's 30-35 lbs. of...
SSF, SFF, KYB, Showa......Like the old air shocks, what I question is that the forks start out with 30-35 pounds of pressure, that's 30-35 lbs. of preload, correct? Spring forks basically have little to no preload, correct? What effect does this have on entering those corners and also the valving required to reduce or eliminate topping out?

An old set of air shocks required a certain amount of force to start them into the stroke and quite often would top out quite forcefully when the wheel left the ground. Spring shocks can have the preload set at zero pressure requiring little to no effort to start the shock into motion and topping out is basically eliminated due to lack of preload.
Derpin' DJ wrote:
Not totally correct I think. As the outside pressure of the chamber is 33 lbs, the resultant force is 0 if the fork pressure is 33...
Not totally correct I think. As the outside pressure of the chamber is 33 lbs, the resultant force is 0 if the fork pressure is 33 lb. I think that any additional pressure would add a preload effect, along with a higher spring rate.
You have an exploded view of that fork?
patrickadizzle 1/14/2013 3:54pm
1/14/2013 3:54pm Edited Date/Time 1/14/2013 3:59pm
In my opinion, he and his bike setup looked the best at 2011 MEC, on KYB spring forks. To say he was 'dialed' that night would be an understatement.

This year to me, it almost seems like RV has taken his cornering to another level thanks to the comfort of the air forks, but obviously is still working out the kinks / finding out just how hard he can push them. Considering Villopoto rides the rear wheel so heavy, you would think making his front end lighter would just make it easier for him.

Only #1 knows.

I await the next round eagerly.
jtiger12
Profile picture for user jtiger12
Posts
1723
Joined
8/2/2006
Location
Forest H Ill, MD US
jtiger12 1/14/2013 4:08pm
1/14/2013 4:08pm Edited Date/Time 1/14/2013 4:09pm
I know another thing about those stock air forks. And that is Honda has one less 13 hitting the sales sheet.. I may buy a slightly used 12, or a leftover out I can find one decent
jtomasik
Profile picture for user jtomasik
Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO US
jtomasik 1/15/2013 8:28am
1/15/2013 8:28am
Frank wrote:
90% rider. 10% bike. Don't blame the bike. It's the riders.
Weird how the guys running those forks, who were the fastest guys last year, are either on the ground or struggling to podium this year, isn't it?
mx317
Profile picture for user mx317
Posts
5296
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
TN US
mx317 1/15/2013 9:04am
1/15/2013 9:04am
I'm sure they have a choice and like them or they would not run them.
jtomasik
Profile picture for user jtomasik
Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO US
jtomasik 1/15/2013 9:11am
1/15/2013 9:11am
mx317 wrote:
I'm sure they have a choice and like them or they would not run them.
Not so sure. Thought I saw in the Matthes article below that someone went back to springs, but it sounds like at least RV is struggling to get the air fork dialed in:

Matthes article on SX and comments about the air fork

Pit Row

See All »

Post a reply to: RC's AirFork observation