Front suspension maintenance?

[kittyslasher]

I have a question about my suspension. My buddy says I need to have the suspension worked on because it's super lose. Hitting a speed bump causes it to bottom I guess. You here a clunk when hitting a bump. My manual says to inspect the suspension at 15000 miles how do I know if it's time to work on them? I can't find a this how you know it's time to do your ssuspension guide haha.

[alex.s]

push it all the way down then let it bounce up. does it come up smoothely? or does it shoot back up like an undampened spring?

[kittyslasher]

Originally Posted by alex.s

push it all the way down then let it bounce up. does it come up smoothely? or does it shoot back up like an undampened spring?

So it should be a slow smooth raise? not quick?

[psych0hans]

Your bikes suspension setup will generally depend on how much you weigh and your riding style. Your forks bottoming out might just be because of that. Get stiffer fork springs and fresh oil and you should be good to go.

As far as suspension Maintenence is concerned, some people on this site change their oil at least once every year... Seals wouldn't need replacing unless they are leaking, but considering the bike is 6 years old, you might as well do that as well for peace of mind. Good luck!

[alex.s]

smooth yes. slow no. it shouldn't bounce back down at the top

[kittyslasher]

Originally Posted by alex.s

smooth yes. slow no. it shouldn't bounce back down at the top

Nope it bounces down when pushed down slides up and stays

[DaBlue1]

A couple of things to consider also.
How fast was your buddy going when he hit the speed bump?
How much does he weigh?
Do the forks bottom out on you?

I thought I had my forks bottom out on me once. I hit a nice bump where they were doing construction on the road. The pavement was uneven and i hit it kind of fast, and heard a clunk. Later i found out it wasn't the forks bottoming out, but my Fiamm Horn (which is bigger than stock) hit the top of the fender.
I knew that by the scratch it left. I still couldn't get it to bottom out after that regardless of how I checked it.

The one thing you need to do is check what the inspection and adjustment standards are, then do them.

[kittyslasher]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

A couple of things to consider also.
How fast was your buddy going when he hit the speed bump?
How much does he weigh?
Do the forks bottom out on you?

I thought I had my forks bottom out on me once. I hit a nice bump where they were doing construction on the road. The pavement was uneven and i hit it kind of fast, and heard a clunk. Later i found out it wasn't the forks bottoming out, but my Fiamm Horn (which is bigger than stock) hit the top of the fender.
I knew that by the scratch it left. I still couldn't get it to bottom out after that regardless of how I checked it.

The one thing you need to do is check what the inspection and adjustment standards are, then do them.

I do hear a clunk when riding if I hit potholes or if I hit a bump fast