showa sff air tac fork bottoms out to easily

duckonquack
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duckonquack
Edited Date/Time 8/20/2015 1:19pm
ok so im doing some testing on these forks to try and dial them in. despite the complicated design i have managed to figure out most of the fork and how to adjust them. i only have one problem, if i case to hard the fork bottoms out and makes a loud clunk sound like metal on metal. the manual says to add more oil to the left fork. but there is also a compression dampening slicker on the top of the fork. am i able to make the compression harder or do i have to take the fork off get all the special tools and add a tony bit more oil.
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.kyle
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.kyle 8/11/2015 11:32am
8/11/2015 11:32am Edited Date/Time 8/11/2015 11:32am
Showa have made an android/iphone app that you can download to help you set up the SFF TAC forks. I downloaded it today (just search 'showa sff' ) even though I don't have the forks - I was just being curious. Seems like a decent enough app and has an FAQ section to help you with your issue.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/11/2015 11:43am
8/11/2015 11:43am
.kyle wrote:
Showa have made an android/iphone app that you can download to help you set up the SFF TAC forks. I downloaded it today (just search 'showa...
Showa have made an android/iphone app that you can download to help you set up the SFF TAC forks. I downloaded it today (just search 'showa sff' ) even though I don't have the forks - I was just being curious. Seems like a decent enough app and has an FAQ section to help you with your issue.
thanks for letting me know i never would have found this!
Justin345
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Justin345 8/11/2015 3:06pm
8/11/2015 3:06pm
Add 10cc of oil to the left fork. All you need to do is add it to the bleed hole. I used a syringe and it takes 10 seconds.

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Bruce372
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Bruce372 8/12/2015 11:10am
8/12/2015 11:10am
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low?

You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the oil level.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/12/2015 11:40am
8/12/2015 11:40am
Bruce372 wrote:
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low? You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the...
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low?

You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the oil level.
inner chamber is at 125 if i go higher than it dosent want to corner very well it just wants to turn out of the rut. but thanks for the outeer chamber idea. manual says add oil so i think ill do that. the over all suspension set up right now is great i just dont want it to bottom out so easily.
look out below 8/12/2015 11:49am
8/12/2015 11:49am
Bruce372 wrote:
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low? You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the...
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low?

You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the oil level.
I fixed my bottoming by adding outer chamber pressure too.
Bruce372
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Bruce372 8/12/2015 12:02pm
8/12/2015 12:02pm
Bruce372 wrote:
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low? You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the...
Sounds like the inner chamber pressure is too low?

You can also reduce bottoming by increasing the outer chamber....it has the same effect as raising the oil level.
duckonquack wrote:
inner chamber is at 125 if i go higher than it dosent want to corner very well it just wants to turn out of the rut...
inner chamber is at 125 if i go higher than it dosent want to corner very well it just wants to turn out of the rut. but thanks for the outeer chamber idea. manual says add oil so i think ill do that. the over all suspension set up right now is great i just dont want it to bottom out so easily.
How heavy are you?? 125 psi seems a little low. You can increase the inner pressure to get your main spring rate, then you add pressure to the balance chamber....in theory, this should allow the front to settle more and aid cornerjng.
Justin345
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Justin345 8/12/2015 12:15pm
8/12/2015 12:15pm
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to help the fork get in motion, add more psi to the balance. There is a bunch of different ways to achieve the same end result so everyone is different. 125psi is definitely lower than I've heard of anyone running their pressure though.
walent215
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walent215 8/13/2015 5:06am
8/13/2015 5:06am
As others have said...little more oil and a few lbs. In the outer chamber will help
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 7:37am
8/13/2015 7:37am
thanks for all the feedback guys will definitely try these set ups out!
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 7:40am
8/13/2015 7:40am
Justin345 wrote:
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to...
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to help the fork get in motion, add more psi to the balance. There is a bunch of different ways to achieve the same end result so everyone is different. 125psi is definitely lower than I've heard of anyone running their pressure though.
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher but idk about that high, btwi i weigh about 180 pounds, how much do you weigh
Justin345
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Justin345 8/13/2015 7:58am
8/13/2015 7:58am
duckonquack wrote:
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher...
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher but idk about that high, btwi i weigh about 180 pounds, how much do you weigh
I weigh 175lb. My suspension was set up by pro circuit and those are the specs they recommended to use. Granted, that's after their revalve and not on a stock set up. But I have a few other friends with the TACs and no one runs pressure that low. Not saying it's wrong, just pointing out what everyone I know has been running.
ML512
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ML512 8/13/2015 8:18am
8/13/2015 8:18am
Justin345 wrote:
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to...
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to help the fork get in motion, add more psi to the balance. There is a bunch of different ways to achieve the same end result so everyone is different. 125psi is definitely lower than I've heard of anyone running their pressure though.
duckonquack wrote:
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher...
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher but idk about that high, btwi i weigh about 180 pounds, how much do you weigh
What's your current pressures in all three chambers?

As a note, in SX... Showa techs were running over 200. Laughing
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 8:55am
8/13/2015 8:55am
duckonquack wrote:
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher...
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher but idk about that high, btwi i weigh about 180 pounds, how much do you weigh
Justin345 wrote:
I weigh 175lb. My suspension was set up by pro circuit and those are the specs they recommended to use. Granted, that's after their revalve and...
I weigh 175lb. My suspension was set up by pro circuit and those are the specs they recommended to use. Granted, that's after their revalve and not on a stock set up. But I have a few other friends with the TACs and no one runs pressure that low. Not saying it's wrong, just pointing out what everyone I know has been running.
im not trying to say your wrong either by no means am i an expert on suspension, hell i dont know much at all. ill try that setup to.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 8:59am
8/13/2015 8:59am
Justin345 wrote:
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to...
125 seems very low. I ran 174 inner, 174 balance, 4 outer. If you want it a little softer at the top of the stroke to help the fork get in motion, add more psi to the balance. There is a bunch of different ways to achieve the same end result so everyone is different. 125psi is definitely lower than I've heard of anyone running their pressure though.
duckonquack wrote:
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher...
according to the manual the adjustable range is 87 to 188.5 psi for the inner chamber. so 174 seems a bit high. ill definitely go higher but idk about that high, btwi i weigh about 180 pounds, how much do you weigh
ML512 wrote:
What's your current pressures in all three chambers?

As a note, in SX... Showa techs were running over 200. Laughing
shit haha 200 is a lot my current set up now is 125 inner 6 in the outer and balance is 122. ive never had suspension set up for me except for the sag so i dont really know what it should feel like. im a top c low b rider and as long as the bike isnt unbearable im able to ride it fine. ill do some testing and see what feels best but as of right now it appears that i am way off

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Bruce372
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Bruce372 8/13/2015 9:18am
8/13/2015 9:18am
yeah, just to repeat, 125PSI seems way too low. go up to somewhere 150-170 and then dial ride height with the balance chamber to make it corner.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 9:30am
8/13/2015 9:30am
what should i have the outer chamber at? and i would assume just add oil to the left fork if i bottom out still?
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/13/2015 9:36am
8/13/2015 9:36am
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like one you would see on a traditional suspension. Does this affect the over all stiff ness or just the last 4 inches of travel? my manual dosent seem to acknowledge that its even there and dosent mention it
look out below 8/13/2015 4:47pm
8/13/2015 4:47pm
duckonquack wrote:
what should i have the outer chamber at? and i would assume just add oil to the left fork if i bottom out still?
I may have missed it but do you have a KX or an RM? they run different air pressures. I run my rmz at 10.5 on the outer chamber.
CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 8/13/2015 6:18pm
8/13/2015 6:18pm
duckonquack wrote:
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like...
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like one you would see on a traditional suspension. Does this affect the over all stiff ness or just the last 4 inches of travel? my manual dosent seem to acknowledge that its even there and dosent mention it
The clicker on the should be your compression dial. Turning it clockwise will make the overall fork stiffer and help with bottoming.

I believe you just use the air pressures to set up your "spring rate" then dial it in with the clickers for comfort...
BikeBefok 8/19/2015 11:48am
8/19/2015 11:48am
duckonquack wrote:
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like...
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like one you would see on a traditional suspension. Does this affect the over all stiff ness or just the last 4 inches of travel? my manual dosent seem to acknowledge that its even there and dosent mention it
Not to be rude, but you need to spend some time researching your bikes suspension. Along with the air chambers and the oil levels, the forks still have compression and rebound clickers, as well as an air bleeding screw. I find it hard to believe that you could be competitive running the forks with the settings that you provided. I believe you are not using your suspension to its full potential. I too have the 2015 kx450f (since november 2014), and i'm still struggling with the forks, but so far I run standard oil heights, my clickers are way off stock suggested settings (cant recall the settings off hand), and my pressures hover around 6 psi outer, 168 psi inner and 168 psi outer. Im 175 lbs. Other than the high stiction ('solved' by spraying a bit of Bel Ray 6 in 1 lube into the dust seal before each ride) and slightly more complicated system, I am loving the forks.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/19/2015 3:58pm
8/19/2015 3:58pm
duckonquack wrote:
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like...
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like one you would see on a traditional suspension. Does this affect the over all stiff ness or just the last 4 inches of travel? my manual dosent seem to acknowledge that its even there and dosent mention it
BikeBefok wrote:
Not to be rude, but you need to spend some time researching your bikes suspension. Along with the air chambers and the oil levels, the forks...
Not to be rude, but you need to spend some time researching your bikes suspension. Along with the air chambers and the oil levels, the forks still have compression and rebound clickers, as well as an air bleeding screw. I find it hard to believe that you could be competitive running the forks with the settings that you provided. I believe you are not using your suspension to its full potential. I too have the 2015 kx450f (since november 2014), and i'm still struggling with the forks, but so far I run standard oil heights, my clickers are way off stock suggested settings (cant recall the settings off hand), and my pressures hover around 6 psi outer, 168 psi inner and 168 psi outer. Im 175 lbs. Other than the high stiction ('solved' by spraying a bit of Bel Ray 6 in 1 lube into the dust seal before each ride) and slightly more complicated system, I am loving the forks.
researching these forks is what im trying to do. i appreciate your opinion but i dont have the money or knowledge to have these professionally set up or set up completely by myself. its great that you know exactly what settings you run your suspension at have no problems. but for the last three years i have been racing a 2000 honda 250 and had never touched the suspension so your right i am not using the bike to its full potential. like i said its great your suspension is perfect and you dont need help but not everyone is like that. i dont know everything and im glad you've given me your preferences. but you dont have to try to belittle me for my lack of knowledge.
BikeBefok 8/20/2015 1:49am
8/20/2015 1:49am
duckonquack wrote:
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like...
and forgive me for asking such a stupid question but on the left fork there is a clicker that you can click softer or harder like one you would see on a traditional suspension. Does this affect the over all stiff ness or just the last 4 inches of travel? my manual dosent seem to acknowledge that its even there and dosent mention it
BikeBefok wrote:
Not to be rude, but you need to spend some time researching your bikes suspension. Along with the air chambers and the oil levels, the forks...
Not to be rude, but you need to spend some time researching your bikes suspension. Along with the air chambers and the oil levels, the forks still have compression and rebound clickers, as well as an air bleeding screw. I find it hard to believe that you could be competitive running the forks with the settings that you provided. I believe you are not using your suspension to its full potential. I too have the 2015 kx450f (since november 2014), and i'm still struggling with the forks, but so far I run standard oil heights, my clickers are way off stock suggested settings (cant recall the settings off hand), and my pressures hover around 6 psi outer, 168 psi inner and 168 psi outer. Im 175 lbs. Other than the high stiction ('solved' by spraying a bit of Bel Ray 6 in 1 lube into the dust seal before each ride) and slightly more complicated system, I am loving the forks.
duckonquack wrote:
researching these forks is what im trying to do. i appreciate your opinion but i dont have the money or knowledge to have these professionally set...
researching these forks is what im trying to do. i appreciate your opinion but i dont have the money or knowledge to have these professionally set up or set up completely by myself. its great that you know exactly what settings you run your suspension at have no problems. but for the last three years i have been racing a 2000 honda 250 and had never touched the suspension so your right i am not using the bike to its full potential. like i said its great your suspension is perfect and you dont need help but not everyone is like that. i dont know everything and im glad you've given me your preferences. but you dont have to try to belittle me for my lack of knowledge.
Apologies for coming across the way I did. My intention was not to belittle you, but rather to point out that your problems with the forks can be helped with a bit of time on the internet and some testing. I did not say you should spend money on the forks, I just said that you can improve your knowledge on the inner workings of the forks fairly simply. Good luck.
duckonquack
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duckonquack 8/20/2015 1:19pm
8/20/2015 1:19pm
no problem, you never know how people are trying to come across over text. ill be doin some more testing tomorrow before this weekend. hopefully i can see the difference!

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