Fauth and Progressive

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XTINCT

XTINCT

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Is the Fauth fork mod kit still available?
Also: Does any one know how to visually tell the difference between stock and progressive fork springs? I don't remember if I upgraded to progressives in a bike that I am now rebuilding.
 
Progressive springs have large coil gaps at one end and close gaps at the other, as the forks compress the close gaps disappear reducing the number of effective coils and increasing spring rate.
 
The vast majority if not all off the shelf Roadholder progressive springs provide weaker total spring rate than any of the 3 different colored factory one rate springs for very common complaint the progressive springs dive too easy much on brake and bumps. Greg's kit provides bottom and top soft hydraulic stops/reversals w/o a sense of clang via longer damper rods which leaves 2" slack space that is taken up by a valve spring - which is rather stiffer that factory springs so raises stance 2" - which I like off road range yet allows more lean angle before fouling on roads. If a weaker spacer spring used can restore factory stance/sag retaining the wonderful hydro stops but losing the extra suspension travel advantage. Kick stand end may have to have an extension bolt so Cdo don't lean so far over on it adding significantly more leverage load on it whimpy pivot or looking like a drunk about to fall over. One could make their own progressive rate spring to suit by stacking various lengths/rate springs. Greg's kit has closer clearances rod/damper cap so can benefit by thinner fork oils than otherwise. Put in JSM's green composite bushes for even sweeter forking. By lightly relieving/waisting the damper rod around loaded sag height ya can soften dampening in ~2" road texture range for uncanny extra isolation w/o giving up any handling or brake control. Its common to hear after Greg's kit installed instead of dodging pot hole edges or curbs ya aim at bigger and bigger ones just for the fun of not feeling them.
 
So the Fauth fork kit raises the front of the bike, is it recommended to also install lengthened and maybe softer rear shocks?
I would think installing the kit only without a corresponding adjustment to the rear shocks would induce a pogo effect.
Any real world advice?

Ray
 
Fualt's kit is just a refined hobot invention he didn't believe my claims to point of anger to try him self to publicly prove me wrong (on other forums) but ended up making it available to himself and others. There are no downsides to retaining factory shock height or dampening or springs but racers say they like lifted rears so I lifted new Mz Peel rear to match but embrassed higher powered moderns where it hurts most, handling on plain jane Hagons. Only downside is side stand leans over too far for comfort and stand leverage load. I put a 2" blot extension on Peel to find it helped boot hook to pull out. Could weld extension on like i did my SV650 with ridiculous lose pivot even new to get more reasonable park angle. I've tried various modern forks on and off road but non is as unnoticed as my 6" travel progress spring rate Roadholders. Greg has refined and diddled details better than me so Fualt forks fame is fine by me. Btw most Commando owners are not on forums and Greg sold so many the world wide supply of Ford 8n valve springs about dried up a few years ago so new springs found. I selected them by luck out from local tractor shop - happened to have cheap spares and seemed about right length dia and rate which Greg and others agree they are. If want to retain factory sag height just put in weaker spring than factory spring so it will collaspe coil bind when ya sit on it but still get soft stops and decent road lump take up. Must seal off damper holes, which Greg provides for but suggest creating new holes above the tapper rim to stagger new holes, ie: one biggest hole slightly above two smaller lower holes for more progressive stop dampening but retaining about same hole flow volume as 2 factory holes. I lucked out by guess/by golly placing top hole about 3/4" up, next ~1/2" up and bottom ~1/4" up. Let us and Greg know how ya like it or not.
 
What's your thoughts on best rear shock length and spring rate? NJB Shocks in England looks like they can configure a set of rears to different spring rates and lengths. I would think though at an extreme length added, say + 2", may cause some concern about bottoming on rear fender or chain on swing arm or?
If you take the off road Beemers as an example they seem to match suspension travel closely end for end. I assume that an ideal stance would be a fairly level frame when ridden.
Anyone that has ridden a chopper with extended forks realizes very quickly they prefer going in a straight line:(

Ray
 
Seems most if not all Commando engined racers both loose isolastic and Seleey rigids like to lift rear 1-2". I solved-created 2" taller/travel Roadholders mainly for extreme off road play to avoid hi centering on stumps/rocks and creek and cliff drop off edges so was extra pleased it improved twisty road holding too. With just fork extended does look sort of chopperish so bought 2" longer shocks for my special but ain't running to try yet. Factory side stand will be an issue on uncomfortable/unstable lean angle loads when parked so include plans for that too. Could carry block of wood in meantime if no handy rocks/lumber around. Btw choppers only turn limited if going slow in parking lots and tight 90' intersections but non issue at speed in decent twisties and can generally lean further to boot. Also extra long forks tend to diving board spring on lumpy surfaces so not good in that regard.
 
I've had the Fauth kit installed for maybe a decade. On the rear, 1" longer Konis. Helps with ground clearance; less likely to drag the headpipes. Downside is less engagement of fork tube and slider. If someone made a screw in extension - similar to the Hyde forkbrace - that improved the engagement, I'd buy a set.
 
Damnit assendrubber ya really know don't ya, cool. You are the first respectable risk taker I've heard from on Fauth's hobot 'chopper' Roadhandler kit. Yes factory forks at some point will twist up and spring back out of rhythm of time of need like rubber bands force delay then over spring back faster than human reflexes. Hyde type braces are so infamous for binding, long time discontinued. I suffered so much modifying discontined RGM brace I almost had to give up but finally discovered a few 1000th out of true stansions so had to buy new ones to get good travel w/o hang ups. The forks twist springs also onset un-tame isolastic hibby jibbies. You are so ripe for a tri-link set up as able to tolerate nay induce multiple road orgasms, which load forks to need a robust brace. Striking lumps/holes dead on is one thing but encountering them on powered leans can be show stopping if forks lets ya down. Someone should develop Roadholder brace that avoids the stansion bend/twist and un true-ness binding issues, such as a robust fender arch brace. hm.

BTW have I ever mentioned wonders of full tri-links, if not don't miss out before age cuts Commando sex life.
 
It may seem hobot blowing horn on simple fork mods but it took seasons of world wide historical data collectors and measures to see the geometry missed by 5+ decades of experts to solve. I 1st met Greg by his attacking me as full of shit, for 4 months back and forth, me sticking to my mods working, til finally Greg found a hang up fault in his forks and the rest is old history. After totally comprehending Commando and prior Road holders I came to conclusion that Norton could not get anyone else to supply springs w/o being paid much or at all, so restricted forks to use up what spring lengths they could still get. They did this by providing the infamous top out clank of too short a damper rod. They also forgot to move damper tube holes up after redesign that didn't cover the clever taper valve/cone hydro bottom stop. I got to meet Greg and his all Alu everything polished Commando.
 
Does the Fauth mod offer any advantage over the Madass Landsdowne?

Ed
 
Boy Hell Howdy is them fight'in words plus wife beating trick legal question entrapment set up to imply disrespect to a now late great life devoted technical expert's best ingenuity, can't match a non machinist hillbilly easy cheap Norton Roadholder mods. All's I can say I notice annoying fork unsettling effects on various moderns, HD or Jap Vtwins, inline4s, MX, endro, trials singles bikes dicing to the max extreme over hwy legal speeds off road and on famous broken frost heaved sections/holes missing paved Ozarks radical chicances switch backs decreaser radii w/o a hint of jarring, or chattering on panic harsh braking so have no further interest in improving my antique forks to take on the best there is in glee ease w/o any teeth gritting compensations. Search up review issues of Landsdowne annoyances tweaking issues for sense of comparison but do note they have for some years beat the snot out of anything in real completion so far. Can't go wrong/worse either way just cost efforts to find out what ya like better. No forks can fully compensate for the serious dangerous isolastic surprise hinging onset so w/o tri-links or 3 swash plates sudden out of control is always lurking out the blue. To me its almost stupidly dangerous to only upgrade a headsteady or just forks as does improve things to point all hell breaks loose at even faster harsher loads to recover in time. NOTE the above Trinities as only one or two also improves things to piont of no return if exploring Cdo capabilities. We are talking about maxing out safest secure wining pecking order predicable public or track orgasms not sane survival behavior ok which bone stock is famously called Unapproachable. Point being ya notice Fault kit at ordinary speeds/conditions but only the bravest thrill seekers, like xbackslider will dare to appreciate full benefit.
 
hobot said:
Boy Hell Howdy is them fight'in words plus wife beating trick legal question entrapment set up to imply disrespect to a now late great life devoted technical expert's best ingenuity, can't match a non machinist hillbilly easy cheap Norton Roadholder mods. All's I can say I notice annoying fork unsettling effects on various moderns, HD or Jap Vtwins, inline4s, MX, endro, trials singles bikes dicing to the max extreme over hwy legal speeds off road and on famous broken frost heaved sections/holes missing paved Ozarks radical chicances switch backs decreaser radii w/o a hint of jarring, or chattering on panic harsh braking so have no further interest in improving my antique forks to take on the best there is in glee ease w/o any teeth gritting compensations. Search up review issues of Landsdowne annoyances tweaking issues for sense of comparison but do note they have for some years beat the snot out of anything in real completion so far. Can't go wrong/worse either way just cost efforts to find out what ya like better. No forks can fully compensate for the serious dangerous isolastic surprise hinging onset so w/o tri-links or 3 swash plates sudden out of control is always lurking out the blue. To me its almost stupidly dangerous to only upgrade a headsteady or just forks as does improve things to point all hell breaks loose at even faster harsher loads to recover in time. NOTE the above Trinities as only one or two also improves things to piont of no return if exploring Cdo capabilities. We are talking about maxing out safest secure wining pecking order predicable public or track orgasms not sane survival behavior ok which bone stock is famously called Unapproachable. Point being ya notice Fault kit at ordinary speeds/conditions but only the bravest thrill seekers, like xbackslider will dare to appreciate full benefit.
Click to expand...


I'll take that as an "I don't know" or "I'm not saying"
 
The advantages of the Landsdowne over the Fauth are 2 fold but they are essentially both variations on fixed orifice damping.

1. The Landsdowne splits the rebound and compression into dedicated fork legs, this removes the dead spot in the OEM valve where the first 1/4" of opposite movement is used to change the valve from rebound to compression and visa versa. The dead spot means over a flat road there is little if any damping when you actually need more damping.

2. The Landsdowne has the damping adjusters on the fork cap so if you have the adjuster tool you can modify the damping on the road, you can also adjust the rebound and compression independently. On the Fauth you adjust by either changing the viscosity of the oil or by changing the clearances, this will change the damping rates but only in the workshop and means both damping rates are changed in the same direction (excepting that the clearances can do this but lots of experimentation needed)

Where both fall down is the fixed orifice damping is always going to be a compromise, which is why the ultimate upgrade is digressive damping achieved by fitting Showa damper tubes with shim stacks.
 
Well there ya go, one is obsolete cheap Norton Roadholders the others are not. Would be fun interesting to compare some way rather than just listing features but who or how still up in the air. Ultimate upgrades by giving up Norton issued components not is solving Roadholders issues. Ya can't compare Fault Kit with normal Roadholders jarring on rough roads and chattering skips on hard braking so might not do too bad against the modern replacements. I liked embrassing elite moderns handling in Ozarks both on fresh new hi grade pavement to wagon trails chicanes over broke patched pavement - my own modern included with all its upgrades developed by its world wide devotees. After one test ride of this SV650 across my pasture I never did it again while I loved the off road handling on moded Roadholders that stock ones couldn't handle. I found no faults on my set up testing to the max but may like better with fancy adjustable dampers though not sure how I could tell.
 
From Kommando: "...digressive damping achieved by fitting Showa damper tubes with shim stacks."

Want to elaborate on this? Have you done it or seen it done? I'm certainly interested to know what's involved in such a modification.
Thanks--
 
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