Well, I went and picked up my first bike last weekend, and during transport, I had the front forks nearly fully compressed, and didnt know this was bad until Monday, when I unloaded the bike. It also sat with the forks fully compressed from Saturday evening till Monday morning on top of the transporting.

I've never ridden before, so I dont really know how the suspension should feel. I rode the bike maybe 300 feet around the parking lot when I unloaded it, going maybe 5mph with my feet dragging I didnt have the feel for the brakes, and when I initially grabbed them the first time, it felt like the front just dove to fully compressed ( I think, like I said, I dont know) and when the brake was released it came right back up. It just seemed odd to me that there would be that much dive in the front at such a low speed. Any ideas you guys could give me if this is normal, or if I should go have it looked at would be appreciated! Thanks!

Its a 95 Yamaha FZR600 btw.

 

Its gonna be hard to tell from your description. Best bet is to take it to someone that can check it out. I could see how a new rider might think the front end dives a lot, especially on an older bike. It could just be you or it might be your forks. If the forks are bottoming out from braking then that definately is a bad sign. Try sitting on the bike and pushing down on the clipons. It should spring back at you pretty firmly and not bottom out.

 

Given the age of the motorcycle, it's not uncommon for the seals to have busted (check for leaks). Changing the seals and fork oil would help a lot.

 

You should be ok if you just have the fork seals and oil replaced.That should be first on your "to-do" list anyway when you purchase a used motorcycle.Good luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Rhino-RR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You should be ok if you just have the fork seals and oil replaced.That should be first on your "to-do" list anyway when you purchase a used motorcycle.Good luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

for this idea

for smoking your hush puppies

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

for this idea

for smoking your hush puppies</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sounds good, I'll probably get a check-up/tune-up scheduled for it then at the local dealer, just have them go over it.

And hey, I didnt want to tip over! I havent even ridden a bicycle in 5-6 years, no less the fact I've NEVER ridden a motorcycle. I didnt want to be fumbling around with my feet on the pegs had I started to tip a little too far to one side....

 

well, we're hard on some because we want those newbies to get it... it is a jungle out there, and if your not comfortable enough to do things with instinct, then perhaps those riders should reconsider riding. it's not an elitist attitude, its like a father being hard on a son because he want him to be disciplined and have a good work ethic. Good habits will bread a good long lived rider, eventually. those that fly off the handle ***** nilly are doomed to failure... perhaps even loosing there lives

 

Well, I look at it this way. I can start with baby steps, or just start off by putting it in gear, twisting the grip all the way back and looping it. I'll start with the baby steps. I'm not even taking it anywhere near a road until I take my MSF.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jlacoy82 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well, I look at it this way. I can start with baby steps, or just start off by putting it in gear, twisting the grip all the way back and looping it. I'll start with the baby steps. I'm not even taking it anywhere near a road until I take my MSF.</TD></TR></TABLE>


wise choice


PS... don't worry about the flipping part... thats not going to happen to you anytime soon

 

Ok, thread summary.

-Have fork seals and oil replaced/checked
-Dont die

Thread = done.

 

hahaha... nice!

 

while you have your forks apart for seals, check the springs to see if they are in tolerance. if they are too short, they have sagged too much and its a good idea to replace them as well if you want to fix front end dive. new fork oil will also help alot with front end dive, and depending on how heavy you are you may consider a heavier oil.

i just got done with oil/seals on my bike, and wow what a difference it makes. used fork oil is also about one of the nastiest things in the world, its amazing what evil lurks inside forks.