Fork Cartridge Kits

[rugbymook]

Julio Caliente;95268 wrote: This may be true, but I am with Blume on this one. If you are ready to run with guys like Batey, Jesen, West, Caylor, Wood, etc.... You need top shelf equipment because they have it and the skill to use it.

If you are running with Batey, Jensen, West, Wood......etc..... YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TOO!

1. The top guys have working deals with suspension suppliers/tuners and will get the top "legal for class" equipment. Everyone I know at the top expert level have working arrangements with suspension guru's.

2. You can buy most of the same top stuff, but if your skill set is not at the top level, you will not notice much.

I have run Penske shocks for 5 years. Mike has been great to work with the last few years he's been with Penske. I have talked to him about the fork work too, but my AK-20's have been working pretty damn good. It stuns me a bit to see people think that the top dollar stuff will be sooooo much better than a good tune (valving, springs, and oil) than what they have. (if they are B, I, or slower A riders)

 

[Dave561]

Anything can work together but you got to twist the adjusters to get everything working right. Unfortnately suspension is not a bolt on and go product like a pipe or rear sets. $600/$1000/$10,000 worth of suspension won't do you any good unless you take the time to set sag and get a good baseline. From there you need to tweak it to fit your riding style preferences and for tire wear. I use the 20mm valving in the forks and a double adj Penske rear. Works well and is a bit cheaper. One of these days I would like to try a set of the gas charged forks, but for now my wallet is not having it.

 

[sternsi]

If you feel like you HAVE to change out the stock stuff, then go with the Penske 20mm kit, or the Ak-20 cartridge. I ran all of last year, and 1/2 of this year on the penske 20mm kit and had no problems on them at all. The stock stuff is really good on it's own. I have seen some pretty fast guys run the stock setup. ( larsen, Derek, Fedderson ) I liked the Penske 20 mm kit. It worked very well for me.

In the 2nd half of this season, I was stepped up to the gas kit, and it is the bomb. But even for me, I do not take the time to set it up for each track, and actually utillize them the way they are ment to be used. Hopefully I can get faster each time I use them, otherwise they are not worth having over the 20mm kit.

 

[Drewbie]

I love my 20mil valves and Penske triple. Worked great for me all year. Save the coin and go with the Penske valving.

 

[dc aka lowside]

Anyone know in details about cartridges? This is the last piece I need to know before dropping my bike off with Mike @ Penske and letting him do his magic. I need what the difference is, between the AK20 and the stock cartridge? Sorry if some of my questions seem newb, I am a newb to suspension, I had my stock setup for me and I don't like the extreme dive the forks do when I brake hard coming into the corner so for next season I am doing an upgrade, cheap but functional for my skill level.

 

[AC1108]

Here is what I found on Traxxions site about the AK-20's

Traxxion Dynamics is proud to introduce the next revolution in motorcycle suspension! The AK-20 Axxion Cartridge Kit. The AK-20 Axxion Cartridge Kit is a complete bolt-in upgrade that replaces the stock ill-performing springs and cartridges with a pair of extremely high-tolerance CNC-machined cartridges, and top quality springs to youre your needs, weight, and intended use. Our 20mm cartridge tubes are bored and honed to .0005. The 12.5mm cartridge rods are centerless ground to .0005. No other suspension unit is held to these exacting standards. Our unique bearing design helps seal the cartridge to improve low speed damping and increase damping response time, and virtually eliminates stiction. The components are then hard-coat anodized to prevent oxidation and wear contamination of the fork fluid. All of this leads to a cartridge that performs beyond any customers expectation. As an added bonus, the kit is completely modular in construction, and can be retrofitted to future bikes you may buy.

 

[AC1108]

This is what is on the Penske site:

The 20mm piston and shim kits offer more adjustability and tuning ability through shims and our specially designed piston. Velocity Dependent Piston technology separates the high and low speed shim stacks for virtually unlimited valving combinations; from Velocity Square damping to Linear to Digressive all with one piston. A rebound piston featuring controlled flow design and a low friction Teflon® piston band are added to complete the kit. All pistons are anodized for long service life and reduced oil contamination.

 

[AC1108]

Traxxion is a complete cartridge and Penske is valving from what I gather.

 

[Sklossmonster]

All of the drop in cartridges are good, provided they're spec'd, installed, and set up properly.

At Turn One Racing, we work with GP, Ohlins, Penske, Traxxion, etc. and they're all good provided it's done right and then set up by someone who really does know what they're doing.

For my money, the GP Suspension 25mm drop in cartridges are the way to go, in fact I have a set on the way right now for my new bike and I can't wait to have Joe install them, mmmmmm, GP 25mm cartridges. Makes me all giddy just thinking about it. But I've ridden just about every manufacturer's components and if they're done right they're all good.

Again, it's really a win/win situation, provided you have the right people doing the right work. Properly set up and installed, all these suspension options are better than most riders will ever be.

My advice is to build a good relationship with an honest, reliable, and competent suspension provider. Whatever you decide to go with, the key to getting the most for your money out of your suspension upgrages will be in the relationship you have with the people who provide them for you.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, a well sorted aftermarket suspension is a beautiful thing.

 

[Motomoon]

Save the coin and rock the Penske 20mm kit and send your 300.00 shock in with it to have it serviced.

Once you get everything back together tack all the cash you saved and put it into trackdays. That WILL make you faster.

I rock stock front suspension on my R6.

 

[Landshark]

Dave aka Slowhonda and I had this disscussion last weekend. We both agree that having a well set up bike isn't about the top of the line gear its about making it work for you.
I posted the penske year end link and I'm glad to see that your headed toward a solution that not only works for you in dollars but makes sense.
Since it appears your going the penske route it would be very helpful for you to take the seminar they are giving at NJMP. This does two things. You'll get the bike set to a base line with the new gear on it. Two you'll now walk away able to understand what needs to be adjusted and able to do that yourself at the track.

 

[NickMcCoy]

dc aka lowside;95259 wrote: The best deal I have found on the Ohlins package is $1985 but then I will have to pay for labor which could be another $200 or so. At my skill level I cannot justify spending over $2000 for a suspension upgrade

Again, you can get these for $1,300 shipped. I'm not sure how much more for installation if you send your forks in, but I would consider calling and asking. I agree with others that these are far beyond what you need, but you have to consider the price too especially considering how much you can get if you have to sell them.

Last year I raced on forks that had stock everything except I had my suspension guy put in springs and rebuild the shim stacks in the stock valving. I honestly didn't see all that much difference between those and the 20mm I have now. So there are cheap alternatives if you want to save money. I'm cheap so if I were in your shoes I would look for a complete set of used forks with the work already done but that's just me.

 

[dc aka lowside]

I have talked to Mike on the phone and he has convinced me to go with the 20mm valve kit because they work just fine. I can use the extra $400 for at least a trackday and possibly some tires. Then when I get to where I outride this valve kit, I might look into something nice like the Ohlins but I think that will be a while.......Thanks guys for the great advice and information about how your shocks have performed for you..

 

[rugbymook]

Good decision.

You probably won't "outride" the valve kit and proper setup.

 

[crewnutz]

rugbymook;95330 wrote: Good decision.

You probably won't "outride" the valve kit and proper setup.

Crazy talk Scott, everyone eventually outrides their setup
I think I need some MotoGP Ohlins forks since I am outriding my current WSBK Ohlins fork setup

 

[rugbymook]

crewnutz;95521 wrote: Crazy talk Scott, everyone eventually outrides their setup
I think I need some MotoGP Ohlins forks since I am outriding my current WSBK Ohlins fork setup

I was talking about normal riders...........not superhuman guru two-wheeled riders.

(Damn, I thought the simple Ohlins FGR800's would work for you)

 

[NoBull]

They worked for him alright. They worked him right into the armco barrier.

 

[crewnutz]

NoBull;95527 wrote: They worked for him alright. They worked him right into the armco barrier.

snap!