Just a note on your front end 'clunking'. It's worth noting that most bikes with telescopic forks need to be tweaked up correctly when the forks have been removed and refitted.The way I do it, is to put all front end back on then (maybe do a few miles to settle all the variables) then slacken off the lower clamping bolts (leave the top tight) and carefully compress and decompress the forks a few times. Then with the forks compress nip the bottom clamps back up. This always cures clunking for me and is to do with the fact that the headstock bearings are tapered and need be squared-up (probably a few seconds of angle into a trapezoid, viewed side on).
Regarding checking the airgap,you can only do this with a collapsed fork leg with the spring removed.One thing I struggled wirh a few months ago,and posted the problem on here, was that I found it impossible to maintain the stated airgap as well as having anything like the correct amount of fork oil.In the end I rang a main dealer whose mechanic said they would only concentrate on the correct volume of oil and not bother achieving he correct airgap.I can't remember the actual figures but would have had to remove something like 35cc of oil to get the correct gap.Pity you're not a bit nearer or I'd come and give you a hand.
i need some handling help badly I fitted Luke's R6 shock .... all good handling improved but thought it could be better so I ended up getting a garage to fit hagon progressives, I weighed up linear but as I'm going to be doing a fair bit of touring I went for progressives as a compromise. On getting it back coming on M25 it felt twitchy at high speeds and on getting home tyre pressures were 44front 48 rear (garage said they were low and did them ) so I put back to 36/42 and it was like running on flats and weaved so I upped them a bit to 40/44 and it improved, today I went out to see if it was suspension settings causing it so put back to 36/42 ( with my own new gauge ) and slowly bit by bit went through every combination of suspension settings but the front preload will not go to its softest setting it goes to 4 and a little bit then stops.In all settings the front is like a pogo stick and On some settings it judders over even tiny bumps so hard my hands come off the bars, it was never like this standard so have the hagons been fitted wrongly ? What else could they have done to cause this, it gives no confidence in slower corners and feels like I'm tucking the front, it also feels like it's pulling to the right ( all settings even ) and in medium speed corners it feels like the front is under steering.I had hel lines fitted at same time and now when pulling brake lever I get clunking( checked steering head bearing play and felt ok ) which I never had before and throw in the carburation problems I may or may not be having ( went to start after going in a shop and it backfired and every time it starts now there's very strong smell of fuel and difficult to start without handful of throttle ) and I'm about ready to throw in the towel with this bike and I'm wishing I got an FZ1 instead.If anyone has any ideas please let me know
Also Aftermarket springs are not always the exact same length as the original springs, if they are longer than the originals then the tube spacers needs to be cut down accordingly, if they are shorter you need to add 35 MM Penny washers to the top of the spring to make up that shortfall, remembering to place the solid disk washer type spacer at the top for pre-load contact.Below is a link for the correct sized Penny Washers. 35 mm washers with a 12 mm hole http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181741976153?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=480688381162&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
air gap and oil