New fork break in?

[Aquatic]

Does a new dual air fork have a break-in or bedding in period?Do the bushes and seals relate to this,is it something that just happens as you put mileage on?

[jagwil]

Just ride it!!

[Aquatic]

So i can work with setting up pressures in the + and - chambers from day 1?or ,ride it at a set pressure for a week then begin experimenting?

[Iwan Kemp]

Do a proper sag test. But to start off with run 10mm more sag than recommended. This will let the fork use it's full travel while it's still relatively stiff. After about a month the fork will all of a sudden feel VERY plush. Do another sag test then and set it to the recommended sag.

 

 

 

This will make a BIG difference in the fork's performance in the long run. With this technique I've always been able to get full travel from my forks. Even a Manitou and post 09 Fox.

[Aquatic]

Is sag at 25% fine?and when doing sag,what must the negative chamber be pumped at?the same as positive?Its a reba Sl

[LazyTrailRider]

Most forks do need a while for the bushings and stanchions to get used to each other. For me, it's usually around 10-15 rides or so. You'll feel a definite improvement in smoothness after this.

25% sag is a good rule-of-thumb, not sure though how the negative chamber works on a Reba (I currently ride a Recon Race). Good tip from Crow, it'll probably help speed things up.

[Iwan Kemp]

When doing set up, try to get it at 25%, measure the sag then reduce psi till it's 10mm less than what it was at 25%.

 

 

 

Set negative at 10psi less than positive at first.

[Aquatic]

Thanks,will do that recomendation,currently its set at 10% sag with both the chambers at the same pressure.I will play with settings after i put more kilos on

[Johan Bornman]

Suspension forks are not pre-1960 cars that needed running in.

 

The bushings are coated with teflon and the stanchions with hard anodising. There is nothing there to bed in. Further, the pistons are sealed with O-rings, which run against hard-anodised cyclinders. Nothing there to bed in either.

 

Just ride the thing. An inversion every now and again, whether by accident or on purpose, so that the oil can reach the upper seals, can do no harm, although good hard riding will splash enough oil around inside to keep it all running smoothly.

 

What most people do tend to overlook is routine fork servicing. They wait until the seals start to leak. Usually this is when dirt has already entered the top end and started to do damage. Service the fork regularly.

 

 

[Aquatic]

So the extra plushness after a month of riding is due to the oil being splashed around?

[Johan Bornman]

So the extra plushness after a month of riding is due to the oil being splashed around?

 

Dont put words in my mouth.

 

Plushness is a BS word that needs clarification.

 

In the absense of such a definition I'll venture out and state that there is nothing inside a fork that can bed in (i.e. polish to a smoother finish) to reduce stanchion/slider friction after a period of use.

 

If you think there is such a component, spell out which one you think it could be. 

 

 

 

[Aquatic]

 

Im not putting words in your mouth..Its a question that i asked,hence the question mark.So basically the fork does change feeling after some mileage,which cant be explained properly yet,and its important to service it regularly.

Bushmaster2010-01-02 15:55:47