i did mention a few posts ago that complex (and very expensive) modern suspension components like to be loved and cuddled …
… and want to have their innards replaced on fairly regular occasions. really. there are maintenance tasks every 50, 100 and 200 hours, and at least once a year. looks like i’ll be pampering those shocks, forks and dropper posts more than my family.
after giving the vivid air a successful full body rub i decided i’d continue with a bit of r&r for the nat’s pike. the main reason is that we’ve bought the fork used and don’t really know too much about its service history, so this should be a great opportunity to ensure everything is as it should be. oh, and it made this strange little knocking sound when it extended fully. strange.
the pike looked pretty good inside, no obvious marks. but there was barely any oil in the lowers; there shouldn’t be a lot in there but the bolt on the damper side said 5cc. and the foam seals were pretty dirty. way too dirty.
good thing the service kit has everything required to rebuild the fork, including the damper side, which i left out this time around; i first need to buy a two spanners (21mm and 23mm, pretty weird sizes) to be able to disassemble the damper. next time.
the damper was anyway not the main reason the fork needed to be serviced; the lowers and the air spring are now good as new again. golden foam rings instead of tar black ones. a bright future.