PDoz

The plot thickens. Mystery part looks like it's from a kyb fork compression stack, as seen here. http://www.motoobsession.com/MO_Tech/suspension/forks-revalve/forks-revalve.aspx So it appears I just need the dimensions of the tube that sits below the spring ( or a repacement) , as seen on page 109 of the 03 manual ( it took a while, but I almost found what I was after!!) http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/mg_manuals/workshop_manual_v11_update_en_de_ne.pdf Thanks for your help everyone!

Andy, thanks for the 02 forks diagram. Unfortunately mine are completely different. You did help explain mystery part no 2, which is what looks like a set of gold valves but seem unsuitable for the 03 forks. I suspect Greg had ordered them before realizing the 03 dampening is all in a sealed cartridge, and I now have a surplus set of 02 gold valves ("b" in the last image you sent) Thanks

Chamberlain, re your forks. You have the same set up as me, both legs are rebound only adjstment, the nut adjusts spring preload, there is no compression adjustment. Is there any chance you could ask your fork guys if they recognise the " mystery part" in my " help with 43 mm marzochis" thread???

Thanks andy, I thought I already had pm'd me email but I'll do it again. The mystery is, the hole in the end is too small for the damepening rod the fit through, and the whole thing is too narrow for the dampening cartridge to fit inside, so I can't imagine how it fits .

Hopefully this time I can post a picture of the mystery part

Mine are the post 03 marzochis, which is why I'm struggling to find a picture online. The 22 mm nut in the cap is spring preload and the central screw is rebound adjustment, both legs are identical. I'm negotiating with my new computer over posting a picture of the mystery part....... Peter roper....now that's a good idea! I'm not sure I'd trust australia post to get the forks to him this time of year, but I'll keep that option up my sleeve for if local connections don't work. Andy, thanks for the offer but if I was intending to post a set of forks from the us I'd be searching ebay for ohlins.

Ok, I'm starting to suspect some of the bits returned to me are not from my forks, and not everything was returned.... There are 2 white plastic tubes with bushes on either end, and one end has what looks like a primitive valve . The whole thing is about 7 cm long and 38 mm diameter. For the life of me I can't work out how it fits. I've got a picture from an 03 workshop manual , and nothing in the exploded view matches this mystery part. Also, does anyone have dimensions for the spacer that sits below the springs? They seem to have been lost, and I susect it'd be easer to make up new ones than try to track down the originals. ( the workshop is 250 km away and he was a one man operation)

It's a long shot, but does anyone have any photos / manuals for reassembling a set of 43 mm marzochis ? My lemans forks were halfway through a service when the mechanic got sick and , sadly, he eventually passed away. I'd like to try reassembling them myself, but failing that I'd like to be sure they go back together in the right order when I accept defeat.

Grrrr...I'd asked for an angel gt front, but the shop fitted an st !!! NOT happy, but it's not worth another hours driving to get the gt ordered / fitted . I'm hoping you guys will tell me there really isn't much difference ( feel free to lie). The last tyre was an st, at 4000 km the edges were shredded but the centre was nearly new. Is the EDGE wear really that different between the gt / st ( centre wear is irrelevant where I ride).

In oz, the wilburs 640 is about $760 oz and the 641 about $1k. They are basically the same shock but the 641 has high / low speed compression adjustment. Oz prices for everything are higher compared with the us, for example the equivalent ohlins are $1400 / $1800. You guys can get oz built products sold in the us cheaper than we can buy them at the factory! ( eg pivot pegs) Then again, we get to live in australa, so I really shouldn't complain.

Wilburs are German, from everything I've heard / read they are at least as good as ohlins / white power but cheaper. Each unit is custom built to suit your preference including weight / riding style and you can even specify different ride height etc. My seat of pantsometer says they are better than ohlins pre yamaha , back in the good old days when ohlins were customised. I might have just been lucky, but I'm VERY impressed.

I replaced the standard shock with a wilburs last year. I went for the fully adjustable model but to be honest, I could have gone for the cheaper model. This is the first shock in 30 years of riding that I havent felt the need to adjust ( and my other bikes have had white power / ohlins etc)

Sorry, 43 .

I thought they were 45's, but I will check when I get home!!! I can tell you that they are leaking all over my garage floor! That's probably the worst thing wrong with the bike, and my area of highest concern right now (not knowing who to go to, or to try fixing them myself, I heard they are pretty tricky on these bikes). They will be 45's, my late 02 lm has the 45's. If it's any help I'm having mine rebuilt by our local wilburs guy at the moment so should be able to tell you what springs are suitable , at least for a 95 kg rider.

Does it bother you that your bike was built by italians who were still hung over from new years cellebrations?

Close, it was someone elses bike ( he was struggling in the deep sand so we put him on our bikes and were taking it in turns riding the bm) My heart sank when I saw the v11 had the same type of connectors.

So it's a hp2 without the fun stuff? Why bother? Background... the last bmw I rode realized it couldn't spit me off so it resorted to squirting petrol over my nice new mx boots...we agreed to disagree and I ran away....never to ride a bmw again. Ok....so I might have jumped her off a sand dune after that....and I possibly might have tried to diss prove looneys belief that you can't wheelstand a bmw....but that was the last day I'll ever ride a bmw.

I'm going to be very interested to hear how you enjoy the v7 . I came from a v50 background and was looking for a v7 when I stumbled across my v11 ..... To be honest a v7 converted to a scrambler is what I really lust after. One day.

Is it feasible to make a c shaped spacer ? BTW, let me know how you go....it's on my to do list.

No Pete, THEY live in. Touch wood....

Great link, thanks. We even get to choose the color of the forks! Much to think about before deciding if I respring / revalve my 03 lm. GM, you've posted often about front suspension stuff, I wonder if there is a role for a " sticky" with your accumulated suspension knowledge?

Is it really such an issue getting matched tyres on the v11 ? My thinking is the rear weight bias and relatively mild power contributes to different demands on the tyres than a "Normal " bike ( say a 600 sports bike) . I'm currently running an angel on the front and a diablo back, ironically the back still slides just before the front, and the front s wearing much quicker. Perhaps it's my riding style ?( or lack of)

Is this what you mean by an angel st! http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/motorcycle/sheet/angel_st.html If so, I'm not excited by it on my lemans. With about 3000 km on it the tyre is starting to contribute to a slight headshake when accelerating with the pegs just about touching. It seems more v shaped than a diablo corser and this v has been exacerbated as it wears. Admittedly almost all of those k's have been on tight corners and my bike could do with stiffer fork springs, but I'm all ears for a better choice.

Before spending $650 on the original sachs shock with the potential to crack the eye, have a very serous think about wilburs. The base model unit with rebound only adjustment is $768 ( oz) it'll come with the correct spring for you and a dampening stack designed for you. It's about $1100 to go for the one with high / low speed adjustment. I spent the extra $400 and haven't touched the adjusters, and given how good the roads near you are I doubt you'd need to. If you want to try before you buy I'm happy to fly mine over, fit it and go for a short test ride " just to make sure it's right"..because I'm a nice guy...say a couple of laps of the south island.... In all seriousness, the wilburs is at least as good as an ohlins . http://www.asr.com.au/easytable/4-high-end-shock-price-list.html

What do you pay for wilburs in the us? I recently fitted a 641 into the back of my 03 , absolutely fantastic. The only dissapointment is I haven't needed to adjust anything so I could have gone for the much cheaper 640 model. Even the spring preload was correct straight out of the box! Now about those forks......