Superbrace fork brace

[sbinplano]

I have an '82 with a Superbrace fork brace, but it still feels like a Schwinn going around undulating curves. I had an old Moto Guzzi cafe racer and it was rock solid in the twisties. Any suggestions for the CBX?

[NobleHops]

I have an '82 with a Superbrace fork brace, but it still feels like a Schwinn going around undulating curves. I had an old Moto Guzzi cafe racer and it was rock solid in the twisties. Any suggestions for the CBX?

Change the fork oil, and set the sag in the fork, changing the springs if needed. Step two is cartridge emulators, I have them in my '80 and it's not bad at all, including a fork brace. Call RaceTech and get them to set you up with the whole deal, springs, emulators, and redo the fork seals just for fun.

Don't neglect the role the rear suspension has in making a bike wallow. Loose or worn swingarm bearings, and old stock shocks will trash your handling as fast as a bouncy fork. What's your weight? Too little rear spring and too much weight will lower the rear and slow down the steering. Preload can do a bit to help this, at the expense of travel and small-bump compliance.

Look at both ends is my suggestion.

N.

[oilheadron]

A well-worn rear tire can also make a bike feel like it's got a hinge in the middle.

[Rick Pope]

Try overfilling the fork to within 7" from the top w/ springs out and fork collapsed. Old dirt bike trick. I've done it for 25 years and haven't blown a seal so far.

Also, I've heard that inflating the rear shock to something like 80 psi helps.

[daves79x]

All the above suggestions are good. The best any of my Pro-Links handled was with new tires (huge improvement if yours are older or worn), set at least to 38 and 40 PSI. Then, as has been suggested, put 5 or 10 wt fork oil in to 6 inches from the top of the tube, measured with the tube collapsed and the spring out. Then add about 10lb of air and the front will be good enough, except for one other thing. Make sure your steering bearings don't have a detent in them straight ahead. If the bike has more than 15,000 miles on it and they have never been serviced, then they will need replaced. There is a very specific procedure for tightening the new ones also - ask if you get there.

If you have the stock shock, do as Rick said and air it up to at least 75 lbs. Just make sure it still has oil in it and it is not just a spring. Oil drips out the little aluminum tube attached to the left dog bone if the shock seal leaks. But all the oil will leak out the tube, then stop leaking, so you think it still has oil. Look for evidence of past leakage. Best single thing you can do is get a Progressive rear replacement shock.

Taking care of all the above and religiously checking air pressures, etc, will give you a pretty decent-handling CBX.

Dave

[EMS]

If you have the stock shock, do as Rick said and air it up to at least 75 lbs.
Dave

Wow The service manual spec says 28-57 PSI and I never run mine over 60 because I am afraid of blowing seals. And that's with 2-up riding and I have yet to feel that the chassis is tanking.

[Norton1]

I'm like sbinplano I guess. I'm used to rock solid handling at speed in the twisties. I guess I'll do the forks like you all suggest and leave the rears in place with the addition of air to them. Maybe I should ride it first to see if there are handling problems with this one. My Brother did a lot of work to it and said it really hauls butt. He didn't say about how it handled - course I neglected to ask as he and I are both a bit on the speedy side when by ourselves or with others like us -

[NobleHops]

I'm like sbinplano I guess. I'm used to rock solid handling at speed in the twisties. I guess I'll do the forks like you all suggest and leave the rears in place with the addition of air to them. Maybe I should ride it first to see if there are handling problems with this one. My Brother did a lot of work to it and said it really hauls butt. He didn't say about how it handled - course I neglected to ask as he and I are both a bit on the speedy side when by ourselves or with others like us -

Start with the easy stuff, are the tires squared off? Got play in the swingarm or steering head? Even changing the fork oil on an old bike can make a big improvement. If you're not 'all in' on the bike, do the easy cheap stuff first. Greasing and PROPERLY torquing the steering head is an underappreciated factor, do it wrong and you''ll see what a huge effect it has on handling and 'tracking' through a curve.

N.

[Norton1]

I agree Nils - I'm probably, heck most likely, suffering from "I want to ride it" and it's snowing here. So I think you are correct about the easy stuff. I talked with my brother last night and he said it is a rock solid bike. Over 100 it gets "snakey" were his words for it. I just need to ride it. The weather is supposed to be in the high 50s here this weekend with no rain so I will get it out and about for a little test go.

The tires look near new, and the fluid levels are all good, so I think it's just getting some seat time now. The little I did ride it in Phoenix, 2 miles at low speeds, it really felt nice. Very good handling and comfortable. So now it's just battling my impatience!! LOL - I'm worse than a kid with a new toy that's still in the package -