Klassic Konas

[Adam_S]

Re: Re:

Nice bike and a good journey!
Should post it here

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19592&start=940

Kyle

It's not quite done yet but I will do when it's finished.

 

[SEANSTEPHENS]

BTW, does anybody know where I can find a service manual for the forks? They're actually not EVO whatevers - I checked. They're RC36 Pro Class 2's. I'm pretty sure I can muddle my way through a service anyway but I'm buggered if I can remember whether it's 5wt or 10wt damper fluid I'm supposed to use.

Also, I've discovered they work much better when the damper is connected up

5wt https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzmF6A ... ef=2&pli=1

 

[Adam_S]

BTW, does anybody know where I can find a service manual for the forks? They're actually not EVO whatevers - I checked. They're RC36 Pro Class 2's. I'm pretty sure I can muddle my way through a service anyway but I'm buggered if I can remember whether it's 5wt or 10wt damper fluid I'm supposed to use.

Also, I've discovered they work much better when the damper is connected up

5wt https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzmF6A ... ef=2&pli=1

You Sir are a scholar and a gentleman.

Now the beasties in question look like these. That's the RC36 Pro Class 2, isn't it? If that's the case and I'm reading the chart correctly it should be 100ml of 10wt?

 

[Adam_S]

While I'm at it, can anybody remember how to set these up right? ISTR that is possible to vary the spring rate a bit by taking some oil out of the damper because the air in the top of the cartridge acts a bit like an extra air spring. Does that sound even remotely plausible?

 

[SEANSTEPHENS]

Re:

Proclass 2? Sorry I mustve missread, the chart says 10wt for that one (in case you havent spotted that already )

Id like to know the answer to the above question as well, my old 36's were very soft with a medium spring. Hard springs were really hard to find, or so i heard. I think they use eibach springs

 

[Adam_S]

Would those be the 1997 ones like this?

You could try putting some heavier oil in to ramp up the compression damping a bit if they're bottoming out on big whacks. They are supposed to be soft on small to medium hits though. If they are the forks in the picture then they have a progressively wound spring in each leg. The medium one is red but there is a soft one which is yellow and a hard one which is blue IIRC. You can mix and match too. I love forks which are really soft on small to medium stuff so when I had a pair of these I swapped one of the red springs out for a yellow one to make it a bit softer.

If you don't mind me asking, how heavy are you?

 

[Adam_S]

Also, be very careful about putting extra oil in the damper. I had those forks on the old Kona for a while and managed to cause the damper to literally explode because I pretty much filled it to the top with oil. You need to leave some air in there so that there's some space for the piston to move into when the fork compresses.

I did take a little bit of oil out of the old RC36's in the end and it seemed to make the fork softer on small hits but I have no idea if that was an approved mod or not.

 

[SEANSTEPHENS]

Re:

Yeah those would be the ones, except mine were the ones with the titanium nitrate coated sanctions. I didnt know about filling the dampner with oil but like stated above it sounds plausible that it could be damaging to the fork if your not careful. Mine had a medium spring but was still stupidly soft, i couldnt see anybody over 8 stone getting on with that fork, which is what led me to sale it in the end. Shame because it looked so nice... Do you find your rc36 to be as soft? Id like another pair really but if theyre all the same i wouldnt get on with them

 

[lankshear1976]

Great looking bikes , smyou should change the tyres on the kiss us bike it just doesn't look right on skinny's

 

[Adam_S]

Re: Re:

Yeah those would be the ones, except mine were the ones with the titanium nitrate coated sanctions. I didnt know about filling the dampner with oil but like stated above it sounds plausible that it could be damaging to the fork if your not careful. Mine had a medium spring but was still stupidly soft, i couldnt see anybody over 8 stone getting on with that fork, which is what led me to sale it in the end. Shame because it looked so nice... Do you find your rc36 to be as soft? Id like another pair really but if theyre all the same i wouldnt get on with them

I think it's down to personal preference TBH. I'd have been 11 or 12 stone when I had the fork set up that way and I was always was trying to get it to be softer and more responsive. Like I say, I think they're just designed that way.

What you could do is get a later model one with adjustable preload and compression damping and you should be able to get them set up more to your liking.