how I learned to build shocks and forks

In 1985 ktm watercooled their 500. I went to ride for kingsport and Mike eads a great man,he died in the 90,s hit a dumptruck withno lights.

Ktm recalled the shock shaft and mike was gonna replace it.

I still have it,was cracked almost in 2,happened to magoo,same year ,in euro.

Sam gammons ,owns muddy creek,worked there then.He was putting it together.

I watched,pissed him off and he left.I looked thru the book and saw the whitepower forks were like a shock,

Had a piston with shims and the shock was white power,hehe,white power!!

I knew it was the future,it wasnt a fork without air in the oil chamber like today but it was the best design.

After sam got air in the shock I ordered tools and shims.

When the shock was apart i saw how impossible it was to put together with the rebound setup it had.

The rebound shim stack had a cup washer that was preloaded to a nut with thread spring and turn counts.

Impossible,so I crossed reference the oil I was using to one I boughta 50 gal barrell of.

I put 5 gallon in a clean bucket and assembled the shock totally under the surfacen

No air bubbles,and had nitrogen to charge it.

Started valving ,would take it off 5 times a day and change it,same with forks.

My dad would come in and say i ws wearin the bolts out,I did,seriously.

But got it figured out,I won the 500ex on that bike at muddy creek long before it went ama.

It was a free for all,I recall the 1st,being to worried to look back I ran like the devil was chasing me.

I then went to Charlotte and won a state champ race on a bitching track next to a subdivision

Got arrested coming home for speeding,lol.

But,I learned how a shock falls off at 15 minutes or so and it you got stamina you setup stiff to start,

Then blow by them the last laps as the bike comes in.

That bike taught me so much, God the power it made.,they s pent the next 3 yrs detuning it for the masses.

Good tims,I still have the tools and seals for that bike,lol