Honda Air Forks- Need some help adjusting harsh feel.

Johndeere506
Edited Date/Time 9/19/2018 5:55am
I have a 16 CRF250. I had FC do the valving and respring the rear. Mostly feel really good, Im 195lbs, B rider. These forks are still not good for me. I was at a rough track yesterday, and the fork harshness was insane, mostly bad on braking bumps. I rode a buddys older CRF450 w suspsension done by Weisner in MI, and his fork felt literally a world better, but its a spring fork. He is a 185 lb A rider. Is a spring kit needed to get good feel? Anything else to try? I dont know if I should keep dumping money into this or just get a new bike.
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dmm698
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dmm698 9/17/2018 7:08am
9/17/2018 7:08am
Johndeere506 wrote:
I have a 16 CRF250. I had FC do the valving and respring the rear. Mostly feel really good, Im 195lbs, B rider. These forks are...
I have a 16 CRF250. I had FC do the valving and respring the rear. Mostly feel really good, Im 195lbs, B rider. These forks are still not good for me. I was at a rough track yesterday, and the fork harshness was insane, mostly bad on braking bumps. I rode a buddys older CRF450 w suspsension done by Weisner in MI, and his fork felt literally a world better, but its a spring fork. He is a 185 lb A rider. Is a spring kit needed to get good feel? Anything else to try? I dont know if I should keep dumping money into this or just get a new bike.
That is the characteristic of the air fork. I've heard plenty of people online say they've got them working well, but i've never ridden a set of air forks that did not have a mid valve harshness. I dont remember it being as bad ont he PSF1 forks I had on a 13 kx, but the SFF TAC on 16 kx was awful stock, and the friends bikes I rode with revalves from different companies.

Find a set of spring forks and be done with it. I've got an A kit i'm going to put for sale shortly thats spring, that I used to avoid running the SFF TAC forks any longer on my kx.
MBR
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MBR 9/17/2018 7:36am
9/17/2018 7:36am
The set up for SFF TAC was pretty easy for me, because with three cambers you can adjust specific parts of the stroke. Which part of the stroke you have the harshness?
- If it is the initial movement just add pressure to balance chamber (bottom of the fork, more pressure = softer initial movement).
- If it is in the middle stroke, drop the pressure in main chamber
- If it is the end of the stroke use the outer chamber (less pressure for softer, more pressure for harder).

The compression and rebound clickers work just like in spring unit.
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mxb2
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mxb2 9/17/2018 7:48am
9/17/2018 7:48am
Find a set of clean used fork springs.
FLmxer
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FLmxer 9/17/2018 8:08am
9/17/2018 8:08am
I put 2012 crf250 spring forks on mine.
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mxb2
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mxb2 9/17/2018 8:11am
9/17/2018 8:11am
FLmxer wrote:
I put 2012 crf250 spring forks on mine.
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Johndeere506 9/17/2018 11:34am
9/17/2018 11:34am
Does the spring conversion make the fork work as well as a 2012 standard fork with springs and revalve?
I already paid for the revalve, so adding the spring conversion may be my cheapest option. I will probably do the spring conversion, unless it still wont be as good as starting w a known good fork. Anyone know?
craigathan404 9/17/2018 11:39am
9/17/2018 11:39am
I have the exact same bike. Some days it’s amazing, other days it’s like riding a a dirt bike with a BMX front end.
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bvm111
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bvm111 9/17/2018 12:55pm
9/17/2018 12:55pm
After a year I gave up on my FC set up TAC forks and bought the PC Spring conversion and installed it the other evening. I had a really good base setting but corners for me never were very good or confidence inspiring. I don’t get to ride it until next Sunday so we will see what it’s like... can’t be worse than the air!
Johndeere506 9/17/2018 1:12pm
9/17/2018 1:12pm
bvm111 wrote:
After a year I gave up on my FC set up TAC forks and bought the PC Spring conversion and installed it the other evening. I...
After a year I gave up on my FC set up TAC forks and bought the PC Spring conversion and installed it the other evening. I had a really good base setting but corners for me never were very good or confidence inspiring. I don’t get to ride it until next Sunday so we will see what it’s like... can’t be worse than the air!
Please let me know what you think once you ride it. Im on the fence of spring conversion, vs sell the bike and get a newer 18 CRF250.
js451
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js451 9/17/2018 3:11pm
9/17/2018 3:11pm
Johndeere506 wrote:
Please let me know what you think once you ride it. Im on the fence of spring conversion, vs sell the bike and get a newer...
Please let me know what you think once you ride it. Im on the fence of spring conversion, vs sell the bike and get a newer 18 CRF250.
Take it to a shop and get the pressures dialed in. You need to check them before every ride. I have a 2016 crf450 and it has no harshness
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Jbulz
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Jbulz 9/17/2018 3:25pm
9/17/2018 3:25pm
You'll always have that harsh feel with the TAC fork. FC did my 16 KX forks and they felt good to me on really rutty, tacky dirt with bigger "low frequency" braking bumps, but I always struggled on harder surfaces with holes and choppy square edge stuff.
tempura
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tempura 9/17/2018 6:34pm
9/17/2018 6:34pm
The SKF Glide Kit helps... but, my advice is pick up a set of spring forks from the 2014 CRF250, they bolt right on and you won’t be chasing pressures every time you head out.
Johndeere506 9/18/2018 7:49am
9/18/2018 7:49am
Im looking for a set of spring forks, so maybe Ill find some. As for the settings, last night I tried changing pressure on my small practice track, mostly by adding to the balance chamber. I ran about 10psi higher in the balance, so for example 165 inner, 10 outer, and 175 balance. That helped with the initial harness, and then I went 5 clicks softer on the compression. They both helped, about equal change for each. Ill have to see how it feels after putting in a solid moto on a rough track. The only thing I noticed bad was blowing through some of the stroke faster on steep wall shaped SX style jumps. They are small jumps, that are steep and you hit them fast. It didnt feel bad, just noticed it was different.

Im 38 and dont have the energy I used to, so the lack of plush feel is really tiring my arms out.
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trav389
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trav389 9/18/2018 1:10pm
9/18/2018 1:10pm
I have a 2015 250. Spring forks and 22mm triple clamps and it’s my favourite bike I’ve ridden
MBR
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MBR 9/19/2018 5:54am
9/19/2018 5:54am Edited Date/Time 9/19/2018 5:55am
Johndeere506 wrote:
Im looking for a set of spring forks, so maybe Ill find some. As for the settings, last night I tried changing pressure on my small...
Im looking for a set of spring forks, so maybe Ill find some. As for the settings, last night I tried changing pressure on my small practice track, mostly by adding to the balance chamber. I ran about 10psi higher in the balance, so for example 165 inner, 10 outer, and 175 balance. That helped with the initial harness, and then I went 5 clicks softer on the compression. They both helped, about equal change for each. Ill have to see how it feels after putting in a solid moto on a rough track. The only thing I noticed bad was blowing through some of the stroke faster on steep wall shaped SX style jumps. They are small jumps, that are steep and you hit them fast. It didnt feel bad, just noticed it was different.

Im 38 and dont have the energy I used to, so the lack of plush feel is really tiring my arms out.
Sounds good. If it feels too soft, add some pressure on outer chamber and the "spring feel" will be more progressive. Playing with the pressures and clickers you should be able to work it really good. The option to play with balance chamber make them my favourite air forks (although I prefer spring forks for less hassle and better feel). Back in 2016 I raced 500 mile winter enduro race with the bike and I didn't do any revalving, just went 190 on balance chamber and it worked pretty good with spikes also.

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