Hagon progressives were they fitted correctly/ handling nightmares

[tommyardin]

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.

[size=1em]My understanding is also as Robbo has said, the forks need to be collapsed [/size]

[size=1em]Ie: Stanchions/Legs right down into the Sliders/Fork Bottoms and the spring and all internals removed (With the exception of the Damper Rods of course) before taking the air gap measurement, you can not check the air gap with the forks extended and internals all in place. [/size]

[size=1em]Part of the air gap is the displacement of all the internals including springs, if you collapse the forks and do you air gap test with the internals in place your forks will be really short of oil when extended, resulting in bottoming out on larger bumps. [/size]

[size=1em]Alternatively if you do set your air gap with the forks extended, you will over fill them, and will end up suffering with a form of Hydro Lock, which will lock the forks up solid resulting in little or no suspension movement what-so-ever, or best case scenario really harsh action. [/size]

[size=1em]The oil needs a space to transfer to when your forks compress, the oil passes or is 'jetted' through the holes in the Damper Rods (emulators if you have them fitted) but needs somewhere to go, if the fork tubes are over filled there is no space for that jetted oil and forks lock up (oil does not compress like air)[/size]

[size=1em]it is important to get the air gap or fork oil capacity right, I even had to take into account the fact that I was placing cartridge emulators in my forks and reduce the oil capacity by a couple of millilitres each leg to take these into account.  I ended up with 475 millilitres of 17.5 weight oil in each fork leg on my FZS 600 with the emulators set at 3 full turns from initial emulator spring contact.[/size]

[size=1em]What amazed me more than anything about front forks is how they are impacted by the rear suspension. [/size]
[size=1em]If you have poor rear suspension the front will never be right, you will never get the best out of you forks.[/size]

[size=1em]Hit a bump whilst in a bend with a shot or soft back shocker the back of the bike dips harshly at the same time as the swinging arm rises., causing the front of the bike to rise and the tyre to run light on the road, the last thing you want mid bend.[/size]

[size=1em]Kebab19 is the man to look up in here, he has many posts with regard to front suspension and these posts have been so helpful to me and my modding of the front end. [/size]
[size=1em]Devilsyam is the man according to what I hear (Never spoken to the guy myself) but apparently what he doesn't know about the rear end of the Fazer is not worth knowing. [/size]
[size=1em]Sorry for such a long post but her-in-doors says I'm a old gas bag.  But this stuff is important if you are going to get the best from your bike, if the bike handle poorly you will not be inspired to ride it as much.  [/size]

[size=1em]Little update: [/size]

[size=1em]It's playtime[/size]
[size=1em]if you place one hand on top of the other put a little upward pressure on the lower hand and a little downward pressure on the upper hand (pressing them together) now raise your elbows do that they are horizontal or roughly level with your shoulders, now your right arm is you swing arm on your bike, your left arm is the front end of your bike, jerk your right elbow downwards, that's the action you get when the swing arm rapidly compresses your rear shocker and the swing arm lifts lifts up, the wheel rises and the back of the bike has to drop to keep contact with the road. when you do this rapid dropping action with your right elbow, see what happen to your left elbow, that is the front of your bike, you have now lost a lot of contact with the road, the front wheel is running light and the whole [/size][size=1em]geometry[/size][size=1em] of the bike has changed. The back end really does effect the front. [/size]
[size=1em]Compression, Rebound and Sag all need to be right, at both ends of the bike.[/size]

[size=1em]Now shut the f--k up tommy and go out and ride the bike in the sunshine.[/size]
[size=1em]Gone          [/size]