Posts
5
Joined
8/10/2014
Location
Morgan Hill, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/6/2016 2:18pm
I just bought the new zook and I can't find any information on how best to setup the air chambers - im not interested in std stiff/soft settings. Manual is non-descript and useless. I did see a few YT vids but they don't provide recommendations or help setting them up - they are mostly generic marketing stuff. Specifically I'm curious if anyone has tested the inner and balance chamber settings. I'm a 260lbs rider so I used 185/185 in both chambers, but I see the balance goes up to 199. What is increasing or decreasing this chamber going to do for bump absorbsion? I'm running 0 psi in the outer chamber.
I also have an issue with my foxshox pump (300psi digital model), whenever I remove the pump it bleeds air, when I hook the pump back up it shows 5PSI less than what I set initially. This seems to mean the pump is bleeding air everytime I disconnect, this makes accuracy impossible. Anyone have this problem or a solution?
I was thinking of calling Showa but I don't speak Japanese. WS is only other company that has any experience with these but I'm not sure they will want to help.
Is there an SFFAIR specialist out there? Thanks in advance!
I also have an issue with my foxshox pump (300psi digital model), whenever I remove the pump it bleeds air, when I hook the pump back up it shows 5PSI less than what I set initially. This seems to mean the pump is bleeding air everytime I disconnect, this makes accuracy impossible. Anyone have this problem or a solution?
I was thinking of calling Showa but I don't speak Japanese. WS is only other company that has any experience with these but I'm not sure they will want to help.
Is there an SFFAIR specialist out there? Thanks in advance!
Also thought this video was informative and helpful. Good stuff from foster:
http://motocross.transworld.net/1000164731/news/first-impression-2015-s…
Besides, you don't know if the gauge is 100% accurate so you're already using it for reference number.
Suzuki sells an air gauge for exactly this purpose. It will burp a small amount of air at the very highest pressures, but it is pretty consistent down at lower (operating) pressures. The gauge agrees with a high-quality dial gauge down to about 7 psi and will measure up to 300 psi. The part number is 990A0-300PS. It should be available at your local dealer this month.
The official recommendation from SMAI as I understand it is to run 0 psi in the balance chamber; it is supposed to oppose the other two chambers. The main (inner) chamber is the "spring" that sets your basic ride height and stiffness, the secondary (outer) chamber is the one that ramps up the spring rate as the fork travels (think of it as "linkage" on your forks, or a way to reduce bottoming) and the balance chamber at the bottom will actually soften the other two if you add air to it (a quick way to adjust firmness without upsetting the balance between the two main chambers.)
Keep in mind that I've never ridden one yet myself, so I might be way out in left field on all this...
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0 PSI in the balance chamber is not correct. The outer chamber is set at 0PSI, the balance chamber counteracts the Inner at high pressue up to 199. You mixed the outer and balance. The outer being set so low means that when a seal blows you don't loose pressure like the PSF on the honda/kawi.
The gauge may very well be that accurate but the pressure loss seems to be coming from the air that escapes when disconnecting.
If the loss was consistent with every disconnect then I wouldn't worry about it, but since that doesn't seem to be the case you may have to see if there is some sort of zero-loss coupler available like the ones used for gassing shocks. Or, if not, perhaps fab one yourself and sell it at a greatly inflated price like everyone else in the off-road world!
I suspect the greater loss for the BC may be due to a smaller volume in that chamber compared to the IC. Just a guess - I know nothing about these forks in specific, just deducing this based on the numbers you provided.
I also suspect the the small relative volume of these chambers is what causes the variation in pressures after disconnecting. The slightest variation in the amount of air that is allowed to escape can cause a measurable difference in pressure.
Looks like some teething pains with the new stuff.
The trick is to try to be consistent with how you disconnect it. Been dealing with this for years on mountain bikes (which have a much smaller volume and therefore higher % loss). I try to unthread it as fast as I can to minimize loss and do it the same each time.
You're also correct that most air pumps are made by the same company. I am not familiar with the Fox one, but don't be so sure it's correct down to 0.5 psi, even if it will read in .5 increments.
You can also add some air to the outer chamber if you want a harder, stiffer feel overall. Don't add much, as this chamber is designed for 0 psi. It can be used in a pinch to give your fork a firmer feel, up to about 20 psi. The results will be felt more in the later portions of the stroke.
The takeaway is this: A little extra air in the balance chamber and the outer chamber will give you a softer initial feel and a more progressive spring as the fork travels. Less air in in both those will give you a firmer initial bite and more linear progression as the fork moves through its stroke.
Also, don't forget that the left fork leg has compression and rebound adjustments just like a regular fork. Our test guy goes one click firmer (clockwise) than stock on the compression and one click slower (also clockwise) on the rebound.
As for the KX-F version of the forks, I don't really know if it's exactly the same fork. I do know that you should adjust the air chambers in order, as they are all inter-related. You will achieve your final psi readings much more quickly if you do them in the proper order.
Thanks Falcon, that's good to know. I didn't understand the reason for the outer chamber and what adjusting that does to the overal feel. I will test it this Saturday to see what more I can learn about the fork. I will update everyone then. Thanks for all the feedback and ideas, it's helped a bunch!!!!
This may help speed the process.
Thanks!
Pit Row
6.1kg/mm spring
fork
inner 174psi
balance 180psi
outer 10psi
Does any one else feel a 'top out' when going thru whoops? I have pretty much left the air pressures alone and adjusted the clickers so far. I have only ridden it once...damn winter.
Any updates on what pressures people are running???
For action is pretty good for the most part, but its the smaller stuff where they seem to deflect instead of use the early part of the stroke....Last nights track was hard packed from winter and just dug up so it was really lumpy and all the riders were having issues with busy handlebars at speed, but mine was especially eye opening!!! I don't think its the damping causing this.
As much as I hate to say it, I remember the MXA review alluding to this and I think they were able to dial it out.
ALso, I think getting the shock setup is key on this bike 105mm sag and enough compression damping on the back end to make the front end work.
post back if you figure it out.
I haven't seen the RMZ forks only the KXF, but typically in the past the RMZ was set up with stiffer valving
On face value, the KXF TAC forks run a heck of a lot of shims and I wondered if that's why they are running lower air pressures, but the KXF also uses a smaller clamp shim so the net effect might be nil? I am sure someone with a program could calculate the difference.
The 2015 rmz uses much fewer shims than the kxf, and also a much bigger clamp shim- it doesn't run anything behind the clamp either, but I don't know how that relates to whether they have enough room to bend or not.
Ive tried slightly softer valving, but at different tracks so its hard to tell with only 6 hours and 5 rides on the bike.
the fork action feels good,,its just the deflection in the smaller stutter bumps.
maybe these forks need a while longer to break in? there are a few people struggling, and many more that love them. I think its just a matter of time to get them dialed, and hopefully they don't need $$$ throwing at them unlike other stuff out there.
Thanks!
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