Air forks on the new bikes

[Dan Aitken]

Originally Posted by matt oatway

FOX AIR SHOCKS HAVE BEEN AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN THAT. The shocks on a four wheeler are nothing like Forks on a bike. The fork seals on a bike are not like a four wheeler shock. The two do no even come close to being comparable in all aspects. JMO

There is plenty of machinery with struts that have 3000psi running through them. The seals hold. I get that part. They ain't dirtbike forks either or even comparable.

Quad suspension? Attention? Really? LOL!

Are you saying your +1 for KYB air forks on dirt bikes? (2013 at $8,500.00), or would ya rather have all Showa?

Just remember the mag's will say one thing about the bike, then next year they talk about how flawed that bike really was. They do it every year. Gotta love marketing= LAB RAT

Being 10-15 miles away from your truck, in the Florida woods, with a blown air fork, will give "hating it" a whole new meaning.

Im talking about Floats, not the POS old style dirt bike shocks. The fork seals are separated from the air pressure. There are several chambers and the seals are not exposed to the pressure.
Am I for higher pricing? No way but the advancement of technology, Yes. The quad shocks and the 12-14 inch travel trophy trucks have proven air works! You will Never put the kind of stress on the forks that a 7000 lb trophy truck puts on their shocks.

[Randy Jackson]

Originally Posted by Dan Aitken

the 12-14 inch travel trophy trucks have proven air
works! You will Never put the kind of stress on the forks that a 7000 lb trophy truck puts on their shocks.

+1

[matt oatway]

I'm all for the advancement of dirtbike technology, and watching the cost for the consumer. KYB and their Engineers are bringing back old as dirt technology, that they hope won't fail this time. Funny how history repeats itself. I know that Honda has placed a lot of Engineering and massive frame changes to the 2013 Crf 450r. Too change your whole product based around KYB's Air Forks is wild to see happening again!!!! If it dropped the price $2,000.00, my mind would probably be more open too being a LAB RAT at my cost.

Monster Truck struts, Four Wheeler struts, the rear landing gear on a SH-60B helicopter, each have their place. Just not on the front of my new Honda!!!!!!

I guess in about 30 years or so, some mad mechanical scientist will invent a thing called a carburetor. The people will clap, and say how awesome that new technology is. It will cost pennies for those things called jets. No fancy computer needed, and it drops the price so low ya can afford to put Showa back on the bikes. That would be some killer technology, and I will applaud. Air forks ain't dropping the price of the bike one penny, and the new owner has too hope, at a high cost.

I will open my mind more too it, but as it stands now,


HONDA,

If your going to go for better, do what the pros did, go SHOWA non-air forks!!!!!!!! Make me cry less at the $8,500.00 price tag please. See ya in 2014.

[Randy Jackson]

The prices were there before the forks. And if it's a Showa vs. KYB thing that worries you, you still have a lot to learn. Even after 30 years. And, a little FYI, KYB's have been on Honda 450's since '09. And they've been used in years past off and on. Thanks have a great day.

[matt oatway]

I have had a lot of bikes with both. I still do. When Honda started putting the KYB's on their frames back then. THAT WAS THE EXACT TIME HONDA BECAME TOTALLY UNBALANCED. Great upgrade!!!!

For the price of a bike these days, using a set of KYB's on a Crf450 instead of Showa's, is like polishing a pebble and charging a Diamonds price. Keep polishing, it's still a pebble. Suzuki learned in 20O3. Kawi has been so confused, they resorted to one spring up front, and now air forks.

Come on Jacob whatcha got. lol

[Randy Jackson]

Hmmm , interesting. Having been inside many styles and models of forks and shocks, I believe the KYB SSS forks are superior to the Showa TC's. Not by much, but enough. Not trying to ruffle feathers here, but your posts seem very uninformed. There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with modern day KYB suspension or Showa components. Especially if a.) you're with in the ideal rider weight/skill range of OE components, or b.) you have the suspension tuned to your weight and skill if you're not with in that range. Granted, a current OE spring/valving combo might not work exactly with the chassis set up a bike is designed with. But that's the advantage of modern day components, you can change what ever you want to make it work correctly. But you're probably going to say that if you spend $8500 that you expect it to work. But you'd have to be the rider the OE's had in mind when the bike was designed. But saying a bike is crap because it comes with KYB stuff, is ignorant.

[Randy Jackson]

So many "buts" in that post.

[matt oatway]

I never said that the bikes are crap. I'm saying Honda has just plain lost their edge going to KYB. The KYB SSS aren't bad forks for the Yamaha. I still believe that Showa has them beat, But that's just me, and you have your likes and dislikes. Have you ridden a 2009-2011, CRF450r, with stock linkage with KYB? The suspension is mega Stink bugged. The 2012 is mostly fixed, still not Showa smooth. Now AIR FORKS?

Can somebody please tell me the plus in using the air forks, or at least rebut my list of "things that I see with these type forks", on my first post? Please I need to be informed, and not ignorant.

I am one of those that weigh's 175lb, and think in the year 2012, at the cost of $8,500.00. It should be a balanced bike. Not left undone for the new owner to deal with. Springs and valving, I don't mind doing, it's part of the game. Since Honda CRF450r has gone to KYB, no new owners have recieved balanced bikes. Like I said earlier, Showa is the choice of the pro's, on Honda's, no KYB, and that's every time.Why is that?

How are you going to feel when your SSS's get replaced with Air Forks on a whim?


They are here for Honda and Kawi, I guess we shall see.

[Randy Jackson]

I wouldn't mind the change in design. Stinkbug? That's such a magazine term, have you been reading too much MXA? I've ridden the 09+ Hondas, yes. I do feel some issues, as I do with all bikes until I get them to my liking. And you cannot compare $7500 A kit suspension that "all the pros" are running. The Showa works kit suspension components are among the best before true factory suspension, but lets compare apples to apples, not a gum wrappers to apples. How are air forks going to change the feel in smoothness? If you're not minding the valving and spring changes, then why can you not get a set of KYB's on a Honda to work. I think it's a great leap forward, and I believe most will believe too. One more thing a tinkerer can do to their own bike without the need of an outside source or cost is definitely a plus in my book.

[Dan Aitken]

Originally Posted by matt oatway

Can somebody please tell me the plus in using the air forks, or at least rebut my list of "things that I see with these type forks", on my first post? Please I need to be informed, and not ignorant.

Matt with the air, there is no more buying springs. The air pressure takes place of the spring and is adjustable So no more buying springs, making it cheaper in the long run. Also if they incorporate the "Evol" chamber that Fox Floats have, you can adjust the progression that the fork bottoms out at. Also, the forks are going to be lighter without the springs. 4-5 lbs off the front end has to be considerable.