commando forks topping out noise

Hi, I have had to strip one side of my forks down because when I tried to change the oil I couldn't drain out the old oil as it was blocked. Stripped em down & found that silicon had been used around the bottom of damper tube(looked like 1/2 a tube!). Anyway all cleaned out & wondered if there was a rubber buffer in the damper tube(couldn't see one in the diagram) or are they all like that?
Any advise on the rebuild appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Paul.

hayabusaman0 said:

Anyway all cleaned out & wondered if there was a rubber buffer in the damper tube(couldn't see one in the diagram) or are they all like that?
Any advise on the rebuild appreciated.

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No, there wouldn't normally be any rubber buffer in there, because the oil should act as the 'buffer'.

I am not sure I fully agree with LAB. The oil should indeed act as a damper, but does it?
I believe the design of the short roadholder forks was 'flawed' in this respect, and several mods are available.
You make reference in the title of topping noise, but don't mention it in your description.
Do they make a noise?
Mine did, there are various ways of stopping it happening.
RGM do a longer fork bush to ensure the holes in the stantionare blocked off progressivly giving a 'hydraulic damper'.
I used an old bush under the new one with the flange turned off and the bore eased. (locktite in place).
Stu.

bigstu said:

I am not sure I fully agree with LAB. The oil should indeed act as a damper, but does it?

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Well I think it does act as a damper- but only as a 'buffer stop' in a rather crude manner.

bigstu said:

I believe the design of the short roadholder forks was 'flawed' in this respect, and several mods are available.

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I agree, the fork damping does not appear to work as described in the factory diagrams, as the stanchion holes cannot provide a true hydraulic buffer 'stop' because the dampers/rods reduce the forks' extension travel by approximately 1.5 inches, so the oil holes never reach the upper bush!
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