New fangled air forks on sx race bikes ...

[ray_ray]

RV2 has these new air forks on his racer according to RC3 calling the SX race last week in Phoenix ... RV2 has also become the new front-end wash-0ut crash-master, replacing js7 ... Anyone on the inside know who else has these spring-less forks on their bikes?

 

[Motosportz]

I would think if they sucked and caused him to crash they would be running last years forks and just telling everyone they are air forks.

 

[LandofMotards]

I think Kawasaki, Honda, and one of the suzukis have the air forks. Interesting concept. Even if it doesn't work out its cool to see them try something out.

 

[ray_ray]

I would think if they sucked and caused him to crash they would be running last years forks and just telling everyone they are air forks.

I hear ya ... If they were not able to dial them in shortly, just toss them...

Weimer is on the same team so what is he running? .. RV2 KAW is factory? And the other teams are satellite? What are they running? ahah

Sort of interesting in a few ways .

What about the rule book here? Can they just swap any model forks or parts on and off the bike?

Doesn't hondo make an air fork also? I read one article way back there on their bike I think and they writer said that the air forks were made different between the 2 brands ...

I was curious if the other brands had them out there ...

---

And RC3 just busted that out of the blue .. He said he had been watching his forks and thought his front end sucked ... RV2 said he could not pinpoint what was the problem after the race ...

 

[Rick]

RV2 was washing out the front end last year a few times as well....fork problem? Riding style? Pushing to hard? all of the above? Anyones guess! The tubes are aluminum about 2 pounds (rumor) lighter than OEM? Or Works Showa w/ springs?

 

[ray_ray]

RV2 was washing out the front end last year a few times as well....fork problem? Riding style? Pushing to hard? all of the above? Anyones guess! The tubes are aluminum about 2 pounds (rumor) lighter than OEM? Or Works Showa w/ springs?

Yep.. could be any or all of that ... He's a crasher also but usually not every race as in js7 style ... It's just that when RC3 pointed that out...well, air has not worked so well in forks or shocks without springs in the front at least ...

Thats why I was curious about who is running what out there as forks ... Those guys run nothing stock except the brand names on the bikes apparently ...

 

[Motosportz]

I think Kawasaki, Honda, and one of the suzukis have the air forks. Interesting concept. Even if it doesn't work out its cool to see them try something out.

Been tried and scrapped many times. I had a half year 1976 YZ125 that had all air fork. It sucked and half your in they went back to springs. Been tried int he MTB industry many times too. There it might make more sense. The issue is consistancy (hot air expands) and for seals. the up side is weight.

 

[Motosportz]

I hear ya ... If they were not able to dial them in shortly, just toss them...

Weimer is on the same team so what is he running? .. RV2 KAW is factory? And the other teams are satellite? What are they running? ahah

Sort of interesting in a few ways .

What about the rule book here? Can they just swap any model forks or parts on and off the bike?

Doesn't hondo make an air fork also? I read one article way back there on their bike I think and they writer said that the air forks were made different between the 2 brands ...

I was curious if the other brands had them out there ...

---

And RC3 just busted that out of the blue .. He said he had been watching his forks and thought his front end sucked ... RV2 said he could not pinpoint what was the problem after the race ...

Teams often run what they like and have sorted and act like they are running the factory stuff. Heck i think Ty was swapping out KYB for Zokes as they had them sorted. Happens all the time.

 

[Motosportz]

RV2 was washing out the front end last year a few times as well....fork problem? Riding style? Pushing to hard? all of the above? Anyones guess! The tubes are aluminum about 2 pounds (rumor) lighter than OEM? Or Works Showa w/ springs?

Setup and ride style. Also there are some really fast new faces that are pushing the established players. Fun to watch.

 

[ray_ray]

Been tried and scrapped many times. I had a half year 1976 YZ125 that had all air fork. It sucked and half your in they went back to springs. Been tried int he MTB industry many times too. There it might make more sense. The issue is consistancy (hot air expands) and for seals. the up side is weight.

Yep ... I see your point on the heat ...

What about a blown seal or leak? Do they just go bang and collapse instead of leaking oil as we deal with today?

 

[Motosportz]

Yep ... I see your point on the heat ...

What about a blown seal or leak? Do they just go bang and collapse instead of leaking oil as we deal with today?

Yes, no spring means if you blow a seal there is nothing supporting it.

 

[Motosportz]

This is not my bike but just like it, note the goofy canisters on the forks. This was 1976, no springs just air. They sucked as bad as the rear. Thats OK though as I sucked to and was just thrashing local farmers fields on it.

 

[ray_ray]

Setup and ride style. Also there are some really fast new faces that are pushing the established players. Fun to watch.

Probably setup as he seemed to adjust and then ... And then it was RV2 passing everyone on the track but one guy after he washed out ... He was the only guy that passed numerous riders ... And once he passed them, they just let him go and were glad he was not chewing on them any more... He used the same move over and over out there to cut to the bottom of any corner and get a new line on the guy in his sights ...

Did you see the classic, text-book block pass move he put on cr22? If you slow the video down enough, RV2 actually flicked a bugger on cr22 when he pinned him ... cr22 was OK with it and glad RV2 went on and left him alone so he could slow down ...

Stew...stew .. steewwwwoooo ... I'll be so glad when he is healed up and speeds up till he becomes his old self one more time before a dirt sample is taken ... It's gotta be killing him inside to ride so normal ... He just let RV2 go also when he passed him ... Its like a sad stew impersonator is riding the #7

 

[ray_ray]

This is not my bike but just like it, note the goofy canisters on the forks. This was 1976, no springs just air. They sucked as bad as the rear. Thats OK though as I sucked to and was just thrashing local farmers fields on it.

Goofy? That's not trick and factory combined? ..

I thought these mono-shock bikes were hard-tails when I first saw them ...

Me was doing the same thing out on the turn-rows ... Good dirt everywhere back then ....

EDIT: And that racer has a kick-stand ... ... They knew what was the real deal was ... There's enough foam in that seat for 2 dozen modern day Huskies ...

 

[oregonsage]

I have a Mercedes with the same suspension :-) It sucks when an air spring goes flat.

 

[Motosportz]

I have a Mercedes with the same suspension :-) It sucks when an air spring goes flat.

Na, just looks coolerer

 

[robertaccio]

keepin it real- the AMA MX/SX production rule........those type of forks are oem model equipment on all the bikes that are using them, the Japanese MXers come with those type of forks (KaYaBa and Showa are playing in that same sandbox).
I'm sure they are using inert/noble (N or other maybe even He, no joke) gas to fill them, study it- there are many reasons to "try" it. N weighs a lot less than Ti or Steel, instant preload changes, progressive as it's compressed, reaction times to opposing movement are fast due to zero mechanical reactive resistive forces , remember they are still porting oil through orifaces for dampening so that is still the usual tech, F1 and others use "air" for valve springs since the 80s .I mention the valve train thing because everyone brings up the air leak and losing your "spring" issue- hi tech has resolved this if they can keep "air" in a "container" that is bouncing around at high pressure at valve opening and closing speeds in 20000+ rpm hot engine then forks or a shock are an easy proposition with current tech . And as stated above this is a recycled tech which may or may not work out with all the newer tech.
Also remember our shocks are head pressured with high pressure N behind a piston or bladder and they tend to hold really well as they are now.

 

[Motosportz]

keepin it real- the AMA MX/SX production rule........those type of forks are oem model equipment on all the bikes that are using them, the Japanese MXers come with those type of forks (KaYaBa and Showa are playing in that same sandbox).
I'm sure they are using inert/noble (N or other maybe even He, no joke) gas to fill them, study it- there are many reasons to "try" it. N weighs a lot less than Ti or Steel, instant preload changes, progressive as it's compressed, reaction times to opposing movement are fast due to zero mechanical reactive resistive forces , remember they are still porting oil through orifaces for dampening so that is still the usual tech, F1 and others use "air" for valve springs since the 80s .I mention the valve train thing because everyone brings up the air leak and losing your "spring" issue- hi tech has resolved this if they can keep "air" in a "container" that is bouncing around at high pressure at valve opening and closing speeds in 20000+ rpm hot engine then forks or a shock are an easy proposition with current tech . And as stated above this is a recycled tech which may or may not work out with all the newer tech.
Also remember our shocks are head pressured with high pressure N behind a piston or bladder and they tend to hold really well as they are now.

All good points. F1 car suspension and shocks have FAR less travel to deal with and the shock is protected and has one small shaft to seal. You hardly ever hear of blown shock seals because of this but for seals are super common to failing. I interface with several very good suspension techs and they all groaned when they saw the "new" air forks coming and said, oh, boy, here we go again.

 

[Motosportz]

I for one look forward to the day of non telescopic forks.

I miss the "works" days. Check out the twin expansion chambers. Man they tried a bunch of stuff back then. Bikes have been largely stagnant the last 10 years. Refinement is fine but love to see out of the box thinking.

Decoster said in the day noting could touch his Ribi forks.

 

[robertaccio]

Note also BMW tele lever is oem late model equipment kind of a combo set up.
http://www.dinamoto.it/dinamoto/8_on-line_papers/Telelever or forks/Telelever.html