81 KZ1100A Fork Preload Adjusters

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Turning my nice original 81 1100 shaft into a daily driver with ordering shocks, cartridge emulators, fork springs and a Sargent seats job to give the seat a ZRX look.

I’m thinking of fitting fork preload adjusters and getting rid of the air valve. Does anyone know of compatible fork preload adjusters such as the following link? I’m half assuming someone here’s done it already.

711-127632-2357-0

thanks if there’s info to share.

Are your forks 38 or 39mm?  Why wont the ones in the link work?

If you buy some proper fork springs such as from Sonic, you won't need fancy preload adjusters unless you ride with a wide variation of weight on a regular basis.  

wrote:

If you buy some proper fork springs such as from Sonic, you won't need fancy preload adjusters unless you ride with a wide variation of weight on a regular basis.  


 

Agreed!

I swapped the old air ride suspension on my 82 for Progressive fork springs and shocks.  They've worked well, and the ride is smooth, stable, and very sporty by comparison.

Installing a good fork brace did wonders as well...and SS brake lines.  Oh my, the list goes on and on.

wrote:

If you buy some proper fork springs such as from Sonic, you won't need fancy preload adjusters unless you ride with a wide variation of weight on a regular basis.  

It is nice to have the extra adjustment though....

....ANY adjustment.

I think the Z1100 has 39mm. The eBay listing, iirc, said the item has 34mm threads. Fitment parameters would be thread diameter, pitch and depth and hence the question…..

Got this bike two years ago. The original owner had it for 40 years in northern CA. Had the identical bike bought leftover in 1983 for 3700 w/ tax, and sold two years later. This bike, I paid half the cost to have shipped from the west coast, and am fitting the best stuff I can. The Ikon shocks are the aluminum bodied adjustable model and Ikon progressive fork springs. Put a Delkevic header and a Texavina seat on last year. The Texavina seat is a topic unto itself at they make them-hand hammered seat pan and all-in Viet Nam. Looks great and workmanship is good but the foam is funky and takes a set after being on it a few minutes. The stock seat had been cut down by the previous owner and my own attempt to remodel wasn’t optimal, so its at Sargent Cycle.

After first riding it I was expecting it to be a yawn after so many years of more modern, newer high tech stuff. It is surprisingly good, and I figure these mods will make it feel like a modern bike…..

Thanks for the replies. I think one of you guys turned me on to the Ikon option a few months ago. More recently I discovered the Ohlins is still available but you have to get it from Europe. The guy at Ikon USA was really good to talk to so I spent my money there.

I just checked and the forks are 38mm. Does anyone know if the 82 or 83 went to 39mm?

Seems the Race Tech emulator I just got is for a 39mm fork and have to return.

wrote:

I’m thinking of fitting fork preload adjusters and getting rid of the air valve. Does anyone know of compatible fork preload adjusters such as the following link? I’m half assuming someone here’s done it already.

There are several past discussions here where Nessism brought up the fact that the air-fork equipped bikes came with much lower fork spring rates than non-air-fork models.  Based on numbers in the factory manuals, the air-spring rate was about 1/2 of what you really want.  Adding preload adjusters is not going to correct for the low spring rate.  Preload adjusters only set the static height when you are sitting at a stop sign on the bike.  Preload adjusters can be useful, but they are not going to make up for the low spring rate without air pressure.

Here are some threads:
kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/615634...ades?start=36#857690
kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/613839-air-assist-forks
kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/613603-can-i...with-no-air-in-forks
kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/613447-air-assist-delete
kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/605562-forks...e-oil-or-heavier-oil

Race Tech gives 0.9kg/mm and they say stock is 0.6. About 50%more. Just thought someone out there has fitted adjuster caps. Maybe I’ll be the first…..

I read through those threads and dont know what to make of that. Comparing the air assist models to the non air assist with rates as high as 1.6kg/mm leave one in a quandary. If it’s a crap shoot I think I’d take Race Tech’s guidance to make it less so.

Ikon say their progressive springs are 0.5/0.75 kg/mm.

Sonic Springs. Pick your bike, your weight and your riding style and put in springs for you and your bike. I put them on my wife's GPz and couldn't be happier.

sonicsprings.com/catalog/calculate_sprin...o41pqif8d7cf5eiujg2v

Do away with funky little adjusters, leaky air fittings. Put the tire gauge away & enjoy the ride