Motorcycle Forks & Cartridges - Explained

[@danielg2754]

Finally someone who took the time to explain suspension….THANK YOU. Great video!!

[@Blucru90]

this guy have the best channel on the panet. i can feels his passion about racing and hes genuine interest. i love this channel

[@grahamgraham4263]

Thanks a lot for going where others fear to tread, shining a light on a very complex subject.

[@RubberChickenMan007]

What an amazing video! Ill be watching this a few times over.

[@superduked33]

I am really happy you got something out of this. I wonder sometimes if these technical videos get communicated well enough.

[@RubberChickenMan007]

Would you mind reminding me who you have service your bike in the East Bay? My 1290 is freaking out and won't start...period. I tried different batteries since I'm getting P1698 (electrical fault) and a ton of other codes showing low voltage. Dealership won't try to even help me over the phone to troubleshoot. Can your guy also help with unlocking the tech pack feature for quick shifter? I'm thinking it's a software issue or blown sensor. MotoCafe in San Jose doesn't inspire me with confidence that they'll do a good job. I've dealt with them before and even called them about this issue. The experience felt like one long sales pitch after another.

[@superduked33]

@@RubberChickenMan007 Alex Hernandez, at CalMoto in Livermore. Much respect. And yes he can do the tech pack. Alex does all of my work.

[@RubberChickenMan007]

@@superduked33 super helpful. I'll set an appointment with him. Thank you very much my friend.

[@davidkirkland4364]

This content is SO valuable. More please.

[@RobertKehl]

Nice job guys. As far as the basics you covered it all. I particularly liked the discussion on the top out spring.

[@carlodubois4102]

This is an amazing video about something so important but its way of functioning is overlooked!

[@stevenrapa4014]

I recently taught myself suspension over winter to figure out issues with my own race bike.... Wish I'd found this video when I'd started 😂🤦🏽 I got there in the end, but this would have been an excellent introduction into the elements involved. Great job guys. Love from the UK.

[@dieseleddie3945]

Thank you Gavin and Eric for another get vid and wealth of info. As always from a fellow Duke rider you guys are appreciated !

[@RikkyTang]

Fork me that was a worthwhile watch, thanks for this great video!

[@MonoMoto]

Gavin ! Great to see you after Aragon at Laguna this year again :) I didn't know you had a KZbin channel and the content is amazing ! Hope to see you next year on track again and maybe we create some content together :D

[@Raymaciver]

Great video, could watch interesting stuff like that on the SDR all day long, keep up the excellent work! 👌👌

[@AntaresSQ01]

0:35 That right there is the truest fact spoken by anyone ever. It is my philosophy when teaching people to ride the bikes, I don't teach them "let the clutch out to set off" I teach them WHY letting the clutch out makes them move off, and anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together now has an intuitive understanding on how to properly use the clutch for a variety of situations, same with brakes, throttle, and then many of the more mundane parts of the bike. It doesn't help to know how to do something, if the moment the environment/situation changes, what you applied is no longer correct.

[@superduked33]

Very well said my friend. I agree completely. I annoy people sometimes when my answers begin at the real beginning, which of course is when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but WTF the beginning is the beginning.

[@snikwadRR]

Wooooooww.. only halfway thru and loving the things you've explained.

[@bryansuperduke1290r]

Yay, another lesson!😁 Nice to finally see the brains of the outfit!

[@superduked33]

🤣

[@auniquephysique3184]

😂

[@zuki1000k5]

Great great great videos!!!Keep up the good work!!!Greetings from Greece!! 🇬🇷

[@superduked33]

Thank you very much!

[@daveo9844]

Fantastic info boys 😎🍻

[@ericmagnusson1990]

Thanks guys. I learned a lot.

[@SG-kn2jl]

We Race together We Ride together and We FORK together

[@k2t210]

Awesome video! Thanks Gogo!

[@custlerify]

Ever thought about doing more vlog type videos of you racing and behind the scenes stuff? I think that would be pretty cool to see.

[@superduked33]

I've thought about it, a lot actually. It's difficult though, for me at least, because you get sooooo focused on racing it's hard to do anything else. But I need to try harder. Thanks for the push

[@custlerify]

@@superduked33 nice. Good to know that you are considering it. Either way, these educational videos are priceless

[@ktkace]

might wanna look into supercross A-kits, WP cone valves (circa 2021?) and KYB SSS forks (circa 2006! )

[@williamzeller294]

Even for an old-timer road rider with no track aspirations, that was still fascinating. So you're saying the forks on our late-model Ninja 1000LT are actually superior in function to the ones on the '67 BSA twin I started out life on? Huh.

[@javasoldier5926]

ohlins on the rear) twin tube rules!

[@jacobjp5799]

ahhh doubt with the fork's how does the additional ride height help? with more fork travel or the GP suspension providing 10mm of adjustability to increase fork height help with ease of flicking the motorcycle form one side to another VS OEM fork height.

[@superduked33]

This is the very point that broke me with GP Cartridges. They refused to make their SDR cartridges the OEM length. Always 20mm longer. The absolute last f’ing thing any SDR needs is MORE trail. Gavin modified both of our GP cartridges to match OEM plus just 5mm and they are much better. The bike responds like I was born on it - chassis attitude wise. But I’m hoping the Ohlins carts will give me better feel and control

[@jacobjp5799]

@@superduked33 GP Cartridges gave you with 20mm more fork travel = going back to OEM issue that was sorted with Ride height from rear shock (from SDR gen 2 part 2 video). Mr. Gavin added internal spacer to reduce Fork travel and with his CNC skill made the fork cap with 5mm ride height! i got right ...

[@bttrfngrz]

I have to say i'm really disappointed in this. this is factually incorrect. the last set i built for you guys was the same length that Gavin had modified the original kit to. honestly guys. i'm at a loss of words for all the time spent with you guys, giving you free cartridge kits, valving and re valving and helping you with your race program. this is distasteful. @@superduked33

[@huntersmark917]

Now what about the new gas and hybrids?

[@colinrhodes1838]

I still have a ton of questions. Exactly what type of forks are on the SDR R and Evo and RR? What are the upgrade options/benefits? You mentioned that the SDR R does not really have top out springs and pointed to the potential problem of too much pre-load - does that mean that for the SDR it would be better to reduce the front pre-load and lift the triple tree a bit to keep the trail right? Or is the lack of top out springs a good reason to upgrade to better cartridges? So many questions.

[@superduked33]

SDR forks are pretty basic. Fine for average street riding at average pace like most other motorcycles. But also like most other motorcycles, when you push the bike harder you will find you need more control. Transitioning side to side hard, braking really hard, you will find the forks blow through their stroke. You get to the bottom of your travel pretty early pretty quickly. More advanced cartridges offer more support. Have more valving, giving you the ability to change how stiff or loose they feel. OEM carts only feel loose. I used GP Cartridges in the video, and I’ve raced on them for years. Currently I am working on a way for us to be able to use Ohlins cartridges I plan to race on Ohlins next season. More advanced cartridges have longer and softer top-out springs. KTM’s top-out spring for the Gen3 are very short and very hard. More of a bump-stop than a true top-out spring. Life your bike up on a front stand, with the front wheel off the ground, and try to pull your wheel down or push it up. Not so easy. But more advanced cartridges would let you do that easily. And that characteristic helps the front tire track along the pavement, maintain contact with the pavement, when you accelerate very hard. The OEM carts do not, so the bike is less stable. Personally I do not believe the Gen3 instability comes from too much or too little trail. I have run race pace at several tracks with no steering damper mounted just to prove this. I believe our instability comes from the rear. The swingarm is very flat, which causes the rear to squat on acceleration, which puts the front tire in the air early, which dances around creating instability. That’s why I sell Sportlinks and Superlinks. You can read about them on Superduked.com, and you can learn about them on my channel. Lots of helpful information here my friend. I hope this helps you

[@colinrhodes1838]

Thanks - I’m already a customer and have the +10mm on the rear with the sport link. Would be great if you could do another version of this video that drills down into the details of the forks on the various versions of the SDR and maybe talk a bit about some of the upgrade options and what their benefits might be over the stock forks. Thanks for the detailed reply - appreciate the content. All the best

[@robertomorerio1594]

Hi Eric, for track use, which cartridge do you recommend? Andreani or WP Apex Pro? And what about rear shock? WP Apex pro, Ohlins, Hyper pro or YSS? Wp apex pro and hyperpro have both low/high speed adjustment while ohlins only low speed adjustment.

[@superduked33]

I haven’t seen or ridden on the Apex Pro cartridges. Their shock was not up to my needs. Blew a seal the first weekend, got it repaired, blew through the stroke the next weekend. Needs different valving than it comes with. Too soft on compression side, too stiff on rebound side. The Maxton was valved well. Gavin had it dyno’d alongside my Ohlins TTX. Very similar chart. I love my TTX but it’s not for the SDR. It’s for the S1000, I had to relocate my regulator in order to fit it - but it’s the length range that I want. 360-370. The Andreani TTX is much shorter and las less adjustment range. No idea how they valve it, it’s made from Ohlins parts from other shocks. I’ve raced with GP Suspension cartridges for years but I’m switching to Ohlins now. Just have to design a cap for us to use that fits our KTM forks.

[@robertomorerio1594]

@@superduked33 thank you very much, very useful information. As an amateur track day rider I'm starting to feel the limits of oem suspensions and I definitely need an upgrade. And for sure I will try your superlink 😉

[@paulhutchison]

Hi guys, I've owned Gen 1, Gen 2, and currenly have 2021 Gen 3. I wonder if you could (if you havn't already) explain the SLIP setting. There seems to be a few differing opinions in forums as to whether for acceleration or engine braking!

[@kezzy5152]

Gavin seems that he knows what he’s talking about. Eric just waffles some nonsense and Gavin gives him a look now and again like what the hell are you on about.

[@superduked33]

Yea you should go on a bike ride with us. It's way worse. If I wasn't faster he probably wouldn't talk to me at all..

[@alvarosolis7837]

What about the diameter of the forks? 43 vs 45 vs 48, what is the difference?

[@coreymeisenheimer1724]

Man I wish the guy on the right would do a video explaining fork suspension, components, and best practices without the someone interrupting him endlessly without adding to the conversation.

[@superduked33]

Good luck with that