Motorcycle suspension servicing & setup | Be an expert

[@pollepost]

Finally a real technician. What a nice and clean workshop.. Not the average garage "expert"

[@nicofonce]

Me: 51min on forks? Too long! Me 51 min later: wait what, finished? Well done mate

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Ha - excellent... thank you! Cheers, John

[@HaggisPower]

Superb - best suspension servicing demonstration ever. Every motorcyclist should watch this. Great questions and excellent production. Thanks to K-Tech and Bennetts.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@geneahart5607]

​@@bennettsbikesocialgreat video!

[@stuipooey1]

Great video, one of the best I have seen and I really learned a lot from this. A real pro who comes across well

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Fantastic, thank you! All the best, John

[@dattathreyapandu7836]

Yes great video

[@shoelesstrucker4414]

This is the best most comprehensive tear down and rebuild I have found! Thank you so much, this removes some of the mystery from the internals of these magical, mystical devices and don't seem as terrifying to tackle. Funny how most guys think that just draining and refilling is adequate service. (I was one of them)

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@johnmalone5608]

Great video ... Didn't know so much went into a proper service ... turns out good value for money. I've had a few forks serviced with new oil over the years ... Probably a waste of time 😉. Big thanks to the k teck guy also for explaining it so well.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! Cheers, John

[@damienpeckham2834]

This video definitely deserved the 51 minutes that was uploaded. Just fascinating watching it all being done. And, oh my word, he makes it look so easy! 😳 thanks for the great insight to this. I'll be contacting K-Tech very soon to see about the Blackbird's forks being serviced 👍

[@chriswilliams33]

Great questions, great answers and one of the best tutorials I've seen on youtube. There was I telling my mates how quick and easy to service your own forks! (Changed the oil)

[@1airways]

How wonderful to see an expert at work

[@TrulyUniqueOne]

I was told that the shock on my bike couldn't be upgraded or reworked by several people (gsxr 1000 k6) Darren at mct suspension revalved it and it is epic on the road. A complete magician with suspension

[@jeffestrada6857]

Incredible, very very professional in both the presentation and in the skill of workmanship! A real credit to both parties 👍👍👍 Very educational-thankyou 😃

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! All the best, John

[@greyanaroth]

Absolutely amazing! Love these super long bennets videos

[@1crazypj]

Quick history lesson for you. Suzuki were the first manufacturer to fit cartridge forks to a production bike. 1994 RM250. Springs don't 'wear out' but they do get shorter over time and use. The oil viscosity was mentioned but the Viscosity Index is actually more important. The V I is how much the oil 'thins out' when hot and better quality oils have a higher V I . Using a thinner oil means it thins less but then re-valving will be needed if designed for a 'thicker' oil. I'm glad he mentioned that thicker oil is generally a bad idea just slowing everything down, it was a problem with customers in the early 80's and I guess just as bad 40 years on?

[@Duff025]

Excellent watch, really interesting and reiterates the need to maintain your forks regularly and highlights one aspect of how much work goes on behind the door of a professional riders garage!

[@omicfusion]

4:25, springs removed with tight coils at bottom - as specified on page 13-24 of the Honda workshop manual. 48:40, springs replaced with tight coils at the top?

[@skywalker7517]

I just wish we had a k tech facility like this and a professional guy like him to do a full service on forks, and I'll be glad to pay 300 for it, but that is just a dream,this is the first time that I knew what's inside the forks and its kind of complicated to tear it down, clean it properly, then reassemble it, it's a hard job, and I doubt anyone in my country can do what he did with the forks, for sure they can do the fork seals and change the oil but what he did is just magic, luckily I've been riding my bike for 4 years and haven't done any service to the forks, I hope the forks are still in good shape, I really enjoyed this one it was informative like every other video on your channel, keep it up.

[@916chidori]

You guys put out such unique, but quality stuff. Love it.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thank you! All the best, John

[@motorbikesandhacks]

Great video, well done on the questions and great work. Long but not noticeable since it's end to end engaging.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Fantastic - that's great to hear, thanks VERY much! All the best, John

[@sil3nt302]

Amazing work. Clean and smooth. This guy is amazing on this.

[@paulcummings1566]

Just had all new k tech suspension on my xsr900. Mega video as always, love watching them. Please keep them coming.👍

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! I had a K-Tech shock on the custom XSR700 I built a few years back and rode down to Biarritz - was a lovely bit of kit. Cheers, John

[@ronr6605]

One of the best fork-jobs uhm workshop I've seen on yt, ty 😊

[@popeye77ish]

Thanks so much to Michael and John. That was an amazing, informative, professional and methodical insight into a fork service. Very timely as I have to service my FJR forks. I'm way across the ocean in Canada else I would have brought my forks in after seeing this. Cheers and thanks again great job.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! All the best, John

[@baricho4771]

So happy to find this video. Thankyou to the Lads for this superb demo and explanations.

[@macmorgan6685]

By the way, don’t overlook the steering head bearings. On my 98 VFR I thought they were shot but the grease had solidified and made them feel a bit notchy. After cleaning with races with scotch-brite and re-greasing the balls plus torquing per the Honda shop manual, the forks feel great. Don’t overlook the rear brake. Mine starting locking up. I pretty much took everything apart- the rear caliper has 3 pistons and there was a bit of moisture in all the bores. With all the plumbing, it can be a bitch to bleed but it’s worth doing.

[@johnharvey5338]

Really interesting and a proper insight to what is involved.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Great to hear - thank you! Cheers, John

[@AndrewWilsonOz]

Thanks for this. I need to service the forks on my CBR250RA, that I got used, recently. This video has been a great help, in pointing me in the right direction, of what I have to do.

[@samh3145]

Excellent viewing, so clear and concise

[@moto_ronto]

This is excellent. I like that I can go as in-depth or "real" as I want!

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@bobmcgrath1272]

Enjoyed this 😊 Brings back memories of the many years working in the Pneudraulic (pneumatic & hydraulic contraction) bay for fighter aircraft. So I’ve done similar to this job but on undercarriage. Lots of similarities except higher pressures and worse smell…OMG the stink when you open an Oleo (like a shock) is beyond belief. Even 16 years since doing it I can still smell it! One major difference between aircraft and cars/bike type work is we ALWAYS replace the seals regardless. Also inspection often included Non destructive testing and measuring bores/bushes etc with micrometers. I could strip, clean, inspect, rebuild and test a main undercarriage in about 3 working days. Great fun really

[@bobmcgrath1272]

One thing I learnt is that the fescalised (shiny chrome like bit) portion is metal sprayed during manufacture which means it’s ever so slightly porous (microscopically) Which is, just as this chap states, another reason to clean them often.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

@@bobmcgrath1272 This is awesome info - thanks Bob!

[@cam_3d]

More in-depth than i thought it would be! Cracking!

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Brilliant - glad you liked it. Cheers, John

[@ianhoyle8459]

I really enjoy these Bennett’s informative video’s, thank you.

[@hawkslayers1]

ktec guy knows his stuff top man

[@BBjjellkkoo]

What a pleasure to watch. Thank you.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! Cheers, John

[@maikk.7446]

Thank you for the upload! This was very interesting :) And I love how clean he works.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! Cheers, John

[@terrysmith4671]

Great video thanks. Have done a few of these myself but never with the proper tools or the operating theatre level of cleanliness! Those forks have clearly seen some love recently, with nice paint and seals that aren't rusted in place. Would be good to see how KTech deal with a proper set of crusty forks, especially the bottom bolt and getting the oil seals out.

[@Grahamvfr]

As previous comments, really good educational and enjoyable feature, without any superlatives or hyperbole.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Fantastic - thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@patsonabike]

I should have watched this before replacing the oil seals on the 500. It went well enough but this is a treat for the observant.

[@Begonhehe]

I'd love to think that the mechanics in my region are this competent. Shhh! Let me dream.

[@macmorgan6685]

Lastly, this is a great video and goes into depth on doing a thorough servicing on the forks. OOD Job!

[@paulocarreiro5855]

Thanks John, this one was great! K Tech tech (didn't get his name) was awesome, too.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Cheers! It was Michael Hancock. All the best, John

[@stefanjinga8170]

I don't even own a bike at the moment but loved watching this video.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Excellent! Cheers, John

[@chem599]

Nice informative video with some useful tips on maintenance of suspension. Another great video!

[@bennettsbikesocial]

That's great, thanks! All the best, John

[@NigelR8]

Wow, learned SO much about Forks 👍 no wonder MX top teams have dedicated mechanic just for suspension ! Another for engine and another to be overall mechanic for whole bike.

[@mirose5553]

Fifty-four minute long video … felt like 5 - truly fascinating. And now I know what is actually going on with my shocks. So, simply pouring out the oil is not adequate. The question, hence, is where can I get this done - properly and professionally. I guess I could do this myself, taking care to remove the end nut correctly. However, worth the money to have a tech with experience and integrity to do the job correctly. Great video. Not click-bait. 😅

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@juanjosegrafico]

Thank you so very much for this awesome/amazing video! greetings from Costa Rica.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! Cheers, John

[@diegocella6791]

This is motorcycle maintenance ASMR! Love how clean the workshop is! Funny thing, i've got my GS suspention beeing serviced as i watch this...

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Michael said his own garage is pretty much the same! Cheers, John

[@regtheripper9789]

best suspension servicing demonstration ever

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks so much! Cheers, John

[@B52Dutch]

Best video if ever seen on the subject. So detailed! Never knew about the real internals to the piston and shims. Just saw one thing, he placed the springs back the other way around. Is there a reason for that? Thanks in advance and again thanks for the immensely detailed video!

[@BorisKarloff66]

Excellent video. I will be getting mine done properly in the future

[@twowheels90]

Really enjoyed this video! Subscribed! Like the details about this stuff. Feel bad for your shoulder with that massive camera haha

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks! And yeah... it's my own rig I made up with eBay parts and my 80D... I'm starting to think it's a bit over the top. The shoulder's fine... it's the arms that ache. Needs some balance. Cheers, John

[@wolfganghahn350]

Very good, certainly worth watching and worth using KTech in future.👍

[@allenglishknives6823]

Great video, learnt a bunch. Especially that my forks need servicing!!! 👍🏻

[@P6_7R_Nick]

I didn't know the VFR came with progressive springs as standard 🤔. I have to comment, he did put the spring back in the opposite way round to how it came out. I know it won't affect the operation of what it has to do but the tighter coils should be at the bottom as that is the heavier end of the spring. It keeps the weight lower in the fork, marginally so, but it does. I enjoyed watching that, thanks. Must have been a PITA having to film it with that huge camera on your shoulder though.

[@donnyvedder3260]

I noticed that too

[@tonywilliamson4512]

Found this video very interesting, well made,will be looking into getting mine looked at. Thanks

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@grahamgraham4263]

Great vid! Good decision not to edit much out. 😊

[@richardbristow1500]

Good video, I like the technical content. What abrasive did he use to polish the stanchion?

[@skybluetenere]

🙏🏻 absolutely informative and time flies 💙💛🏁🤛🏼

[@mickeymouse4897]

One a sightly different note: One issue I found this summer is K-tech bushes are obviously manufactured wrong, others have had the exact same experience, so K-tech need to check this out ... Bought a full service kit (Seals/bushes/oil) I serviced my 2003 FZS1000 forks, full strip & clean, no way in hell would the top bushes knock into the lower fork, I had to do some detailed measuring & discovered the bush was physically too large a diameter even with the gap compressed, bush was a good 0.75mm too big, I had to file a good 0.5mm from the gaps to get the bush within 0.25mm so it still had an interference fit, I'll not be using K-tech bushes again based upon my experience, Genuine Yamaha next time ... I also own a 5th VFR80Fi, so it's interesting to see how others do a fork strip/rebuild, 1 issue I noticed on rebuild is he installed the spring the wrong way according to a Honda shop manual ...Honda stipulate tight coils go to the bottom, personally can't see it make a jot of difference, how the feck would a spring know which up it is, all it does is compress & rebound ... Nice to know shim stacks are serviceable, I'll be pulling my shim stacks for a well deserved clean in spring 2023.

[@Trumpets4me]

You really do do some top notch video's. Thanks 🏍️👍🏍️👍

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thank you! Cheers, John

[@AlunChurcher]

Very good video. Well informative. Just one question. Were your springs the wrong way around to start? I ask because he put them back in the other way around… Please let me know as I’m a little confused by this.

[@nick4506]

follow up, does it matter what orientation the spring goes in?

[@AlunChurcher]

I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♂️. This is exactly my question. The coils on spring were more compressed at the bottom when removed. So if the person who had previously been in the forks had put it all back correctly except for the washer. Why did he then put it back with the coils less compressed first ?

[@nick4506]

@@AlunChurcher now that i think of it may be its because the top is held by the triple clamp so you get less unsprung mass. the hevey end of the spring doesn't have to move as much. just an unintuitive little trick for more performance. that's just my guess. also, coil springs don't care which end you push them by.

[@rstmg60]

Was going to make the same comment. Have just put new seals on my VFR, factory manual shows tight coils to the bottom in the exploded diagram though there’s no specific mention of orientation in the text which generally does point things like that out eg; the oil seal washer must be installed flat side up. Interestingly I replaced fork springs for a friend on a CB750FA last year with Hagon ones and they had a note stating expressly to install with the tight coils to the top. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Just spoken to Michael - the spring does indeed work the same regardless of what direction it's fitted, but the tighter coils generally go to the top simply because the washer sits better on there! Cheers, John

[@paulbragg7618]

That was an absolute treat👍

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@carlosjesus5918]

NICE WORK AND PRO EXPLANATIONS....How To Service a GSXR K4 Rear Shock??? Not much explanations for the service on road bikes --- thanks

[@ray8328]

Excellent, very informative.

[@carwynthomas4033]

Enjoyed every minute

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! Cheers, John

[@takeonetheater]

Great video Thank you!!

[@macmorgan6685]

I was thinking that K Tech might have an adjustable valving kit available. DMr Performance Suspension here in the states make a kit for the 800s that works quite well. I use a Penske shock for the rear but have recently installed a K Tech rear damper on a Z900rs with good results. Great video by the way.

[@trooper64428]

Look at what your book says about your own bikes forks say about compression/travel, place a cable tie at the base of your pipes or top depending if you have reversed forks, push really hard on the handlebars and check for bounce and measure travel if the bike bounces more than once or twice say 3 to 4 bounces your forks need servicing if your forks go beyond recommended travel your forks need servicing or if you have adjustable forks adjust the forks to decrease the bounce if your adjustable forks are at full adjustment and the forks still bounce all over the place after you push down on the handlebars you need a fork service, same for the shocks at the rear, push down on the rear of the motorcycle and check for bounce again if it bounces more than twice you need service, adjustment or replacement. Having the right compression/travel in the forks and shocks will give your bike better and safer handling, especially when it comes to heavy braking or emergency braking. But more than anything else your handling will be better.

[@trooper64428]

Basically your forks and shocks/springs want to return to position after being pushed down just once. If they bounce around they need sorting out.

[@BlackThor15]

Another great video, with great and useful information. Watching a skilled person it makes such a big difference and 50 minutes look like 15 only. Well done and thank you for sharing it!! 👍👍 PS. Is it possible to share the "secret" liquid he was using to clean the parts manually?

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! All the best, John

[@deanmsimpson]

At 40.39 he states he sprays them with brake cleaner 👍

[@1964mjc]

@48:42 - upside down ??

[@jarlevikshaland2015]

What cleaner are you using in the spray can ? Great video - thanks.

[@HaggisPower]

Brake & parts cleaner

[@nickthequick]

This guy obviously has no clue about forks and how they work ... 😛😁 Great video! Always a delight watching a pro at work.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Ha! Yeah - he's not only brilliant at what he does, he's a genuinely nice bloke. Cheers, John

[@sanketjain9320]

Quick questions - 1. I've my rear shock leaking and got to know I can get it rebuilt. Is it recommended, given it's going to be about 50-60% of the cost of a new shock? 2. I feel front ABS gets activated a little too quickly, especially on uneven surfaces. Could the problem be with the front suspension? I don't find anything wrong with it otherwise though.

[@leslieaustin151]

Very instructive, thank you. Les

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Glad you liked it! Cheers, John

[@eerr-m1k]

Hello, very nice, informative and interesting video. Is it possible to know what type of abrasive pad and what coarse number does he use for polishing chrome tubes ? Video: 31:07

[@Ryanhwelton]

Awesome 👏🏻

[@kroee]

Fork maintenance ASMR.

[@richardpearson4248]

Great video 🇬🇧👍

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks - hope you found it interesting. I was worried about how long it ended up. Cheers, John

[@richardpearson4248]

@@bennettsbikesocial thanks John found it very interesting 🇬🇧👍

[@bennettsbikesocial]

@@richardpearson4248 Brilliant - thank you!

[@kamudankemter]

Thanks

[@weijingburr2392]

You can tell a lot about a man by the way he does his work, you sir are a surgeon! I've seen less clean hospitals.

[@N269]

Hitting the dust seal with a driver?.... @0:50... No wonder Guy never won a TT!

[@tobymcnicol922]

Enjoyed that! Will you report back on any improvement? Cheers

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Definitely - you can follow the bike at bikesocial.co.uk as it progresses. Cheers, John

[@johnfretz1938]

Really interesting. Thanks.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks for watching! Cheers, John

[@mnap89]

Good video but why did he installed springs other way around?

[@johnnyblue4799]

My bike's shop manual also shows the tighter coil step at the top. He did install it the opposite of how it was before, but I think that's the right way. Anyway, I don't think it matters that much unless the ends have different diameters. The spring works the same; it is compressed equally from both sided. Also, if the tighter end is in the oil, it displaces more oil.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Just spoken to Michael - the spring does indeed work the same regardless of what direction it's fitted, but the tighter coils generally go to the top simply because the washer sits better on there! Cheers, John

[@johnnyblue4799]

@@bennettsbikesocial Thank you for clarifying. One other question I wish you had asked Michael is how do we know if the spring rate is too high? I have a bike (Yamaha WR250R) which I bought second hand and the forks felt very harsh. I serviced them and put in the fork oil Yamaha recommends, which is very thin. The compression damping is much better, but the rebound is not that good. The free sag is almost non-existent and there's no preload adjustment on the fork. Is there a way of knowing what springs I have, before spending money on a new set? Will progressive springs help? Thank you!

[@bennettsbikesocial]

@@johnnyblue4799 That really is best with a call to Michael to be honest. Suspension can be dynoed, but he'll also be able to tell you what you should have, based on the bike, riding style, your weight etc. Sorry I can't help more but it is worth a call there to see what K-Tech reckons for your specific needs. Cheers, John

[@johnnyblue4799]

@@bennettsbikesocial Thank you!

[@bikeclips6321]

I don't know if I missed this being asked, but what does he think about fork gaiters?

[@dogrange]

Wow, awesome!

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Thanks very much! All the best, John

[@johnpollock4257]

Top man there.

[@sergeantsodom6969]

Guess who! I'd love to do this as a job, wonder how I can train up

[@PMitchell106]

I would love to find a shop who would be willing to be this thorough with a fork service for a customer, but I have no faith that any shop would do more than a dump & run.

[@jbean530]

How to find good form service?

[@ABeTorAiTiTo]

What’s that liquid he using for cleaning the internal parts?

[@Max-jj1nc]

Great video but I'm pretty sure he put the springs back in upside down...

[@daveprior2829]

I wouldn't be aloud to work there as my nickname is Mr Messy. But wow how little wear on a 100k vfr 😮

[@chr11sf]

Hi John, Did Michael say he can service/repair a BMW ESA fork, eg off a R1250R?

[@bennettsbikesocial]

Hi there... yes - pretty much any fork can be serviced, but I just called Michael to check and he said yes, he sees no reason why not. Cheers, John

[@chr11sf]

@@bennettsbikesocial Cheers John, I appreciate you following up with that 👍

[@mattsmallshot]

How in the world does he manage to take that bottom bolt out using a ratchet wrench?? The damping tube in the fork always spins in the ones that i perform services on..

[@bennettsbikesocial]

It's a magic wrench! Yeah, often need to use an impact driver to do it. Cheers, John

[@mattsmallshot]

@@bennettsbikesocial exactly that, I've had to use impact wrench to get the bolt out. And experience isn't a factor here I would say because a bolt is a bolt. He's got the magic touch and wrench, kudos to him

[@GPR111]

Seen so many bodges by enthusiastic amateurs, damaged tubes, wrongly fitted seals etc .... surely its better to pay a professional every 3 or 4 years to do the job right, its relatively cheap ! Suspension is generally taken for granted by most road riders as long as the bike bounces up and down all is fine..... Really good suspension is a revelation !! And then theres the safety aspect.... 😉

[@HawkEyeMonkey]

Do you know if the tracer 9 gt suspension is serviceable? The manual says its nitrogen pressurized :s

[@bennettsbikesocial]

The forks will be, but the shock probably not. Cheers, John

[@HawkEyeMonkey]

@@bennettsbikesocial outchh :(

[@HawkEyeMonkey]

@@bennettsbikesocial on the long term that might be a problem

[@bennettsbikesocial]

@@HawkEyeMonkey It's the same with a lot of bikes. Fortunately a decent alternative doesn't have to be silly money.

[@1966babysnakes]

Anyone else notice he put the springs back in upside down?

[@1966babysnakes]

... than the way they came out.

[@unemployedducatista9997]

Yeah surprised the video editor did not. Mechanically it does not make a difference if the spring is not tapered.

[@omicfusion]

@@unemployedducatista9997 Workshop manual says they are 😬

[@macmorgan6685]

Oops, Good Job!

[@Surpriseify]

If my livelyhood was made by people comming in and having me tear apart their entire fork to clean it completely, i'd also say that "changing the oil is a waste". :) Imagine if you had to strip your ENTIRE engine down everytime you had to change oil. lol My purely subjective experience is that changing oil is fine inbetween propper teardowns. But tearing apart your entire fork every 10.000 km's would be a completely waste. Changing the oil every 10.000km's would probably be wise however.

[@bennettsbikesocial]

You could argue that a fork's internals are moving a lot all the time, yet with no filter for that oil to separate the crap out like there is in an engine

[@Surpriseify]

@@bennettsbikesocial i guess But hardly the same stress as an engine. To each his own ofc, i have never and will never pay that much money every 10k km.

[@A_Pt_9298]

Sheeeeet, this is just about the front fork suspension, i want to know how to service a rear 😕