Fork rebuild - Phoenix

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Hello, I recently bought a 72 Commando 750, nice bike overall. The suspension feels soft.

Can anyone recommend a good shop to rebuild the front forks? Any trusted Brit bike shops
in the Phoenix area that anyone has had work done, or has experience with. thanks
 
The front end on the Nortons are so easy to rebuild, but the best thing I ever done to get the front end to work better is to install the Lansdown front end kit to bring the Commandos front end to moden standards and able to adjust the compresstion and rebound to your riding style, but if you don't want to go that way you can just put in better springs (Progressives or Race Tec springs) which will stiffen the front end up, do you change your fork oil as part of routine maintenance, a lot of owners do their own maintenance but neglect their front ends till something goes wrong, anything with oil in it needs to be replace on a regular maintenance routine time.

Ashley
 
Thanks Ashley. This bike is in "serviceable condition" and is very original.
Not interested in conversions or spring replacement kits, the front forks are
mush (no hydraulic pressure). need service (fork seals, bushes, damper rod)

Just asking for a trusted shop phoenix reference. cheers
 
At base factory Roadholders are pretty well deserving of the name. Toughest thing is getting stuff out the way, then the top nuts can need heat and impact to ease and damper tube can spin on its bottom mount bolt. LAB tells us sometime leaving spring compression on top stops it. Getting the beat on damper cap that's source of top out clank can be hard as threads kind of blacksmited fussed and dang insides of stanchions can be crusted up to get em slick again. Not much to replace but maybe the damper tube bottom washer or bushes ya can better check wear once apart. Beyond that there's a list of escalations of comnom simple mods to full replacement.
 
If conversion is not your bag...fill the forks with 80 gear oil..thats what Duncan Fitchett did..this is the cheapest way to stiffen up the rebound. Problem is you are no using the bike on a smooth race track..so some harshness may be felt on the road.
 
John is being unreasonably kind on the stock forks!

Putting thicker oil in Norton forks does not make them work better, it just hides the symptoms!

I played with several 'cheap botches' when racing. Eventually I realised it was all a waste of time and simply had Maxton custom build all my racing forks.

However, the Landsdowne kit is every bit as good as Maxton for road use IMHO, whilst being a fraction of the cost and available off the shelf. I've never raced with Landsdowne forks, so can't comment on their race performance.

As another poster said... Norton forks are SO easy to work on. All parts are easily and cheaply available. And the Landsowne kit drops straight in with no fuss whatsoever.
 
Never raced with the dampers! If you follow the Youtube spike Edwards Lansdowne Blog you will see the dampers being put to the extream ,Now fitted to 6 race bikes in the lansdowe racers ..and almost 400 road bikes!!
Started off to cure just the top out clonk...then give some tuning using 10 weight oil...Duncan Fitchett's GB Access team as all three bikes fitted,J. Mc Williams will be racing a 52 Manx at Goodwood this month,fitted with the dampers he posted a 92 mph lap on last year,second fastest beating a works MV . By the way Duncan did'nt put in 80 gear oil...it was 120! Dave his spanners man used to warm up the forks with a hot air gun before the race.
Stock dampers and the fork design goe's back to the late forties. my tests show the original units very basic in useage....Read Peter crisp's review .,the manual states rebound/compression which is just so incorrect..there is no compression.. what so ever. unless 120 gear oil, then the slider as to over come the stiction :lol: .



Fast Eddie said:
John is being unreasonably kind on the stock forks!

Putting thicker oil in Norton forks does not make them work better, it just hides the symptoms!

I played with several 'cheap botches' when racing. Eventually I realised it was all a waste of time and simply had Maxton custom build all my racing forks.

However, the Landsdowne kit is every bit as good as Maxton for road use IMHO, whilst being a fraction of the cost and available off the shelf. I've never raced with Landsdowne forks, so can't comment on their race performance.

As another poster said... Norton forks are SO easy to work on. All parts are easily and cheaply available. And the Landsowne kit drops straight in with no fuss whatsoever.
 
As the others have said. If you're going to spend any money replacing any of the standard internals you are just wasting money because they'll still be poor. Put the money towards a set of John's Lansdowne dampers and you can ditch the whole original internals & improve the control of the forks out of all recognition.

Ian
 
I have kept Trixie's Roadholders as they came and ended up with 20/50 engine oil as decent compromise for sticking with Norton forks I wouldn't stand a chance on against Landownes upgrade. To service a really stuck up set of Roadholders require 3/4" drive sockets and propane torch too but simple as pie otherwise.
 
Concord Did suggest some time ago sorting out a thread with recomended workshops for exactly this request.

As far as serviceable only needing a rebuild ,you know what's needed. so give any fifteen yo that smells of engine oil and exhaust fumes a few quid and I'm quite sure they would enjoy doing it.
 
The manual I have calls for Castrolite 10W/30 or Gulf Multi-G 10W/30, so 80 weight seems really heavy. I should start with an oil change and ride it. But this bike is so original (the original factory fork gaiters are installed an intact) I think the next step is to service the forks and replace the (original) shocks. The tires and brakes are good, bike is current tags and ins and I intend to ride it.

"The Commando fork is a development of the "Road-holder" Fork which is world famous as an extremely strong and precise steering unit under all conditions." This bike is so original, intact and correct - I have no plans to modify or upgrade it, just keep it serviceable and running. Having the suspension working right is required safety if I ride on the roads in phoenix, or anywhere. thanks
 
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