Triumphrat

MickMaguire · 07-24-2003

Here is an email I fired off to Race Tech earlier, I thought I'd post it here in case somebody here has some helpful insight. Any suggestions gratefully received:

Quote:

Hi,
For my Triumph Thunderbird (2000 model year) I recently purchased a valve emulator kit and fork springs (FRSP S353410) as recommended on your web site. After fitting these and setting the oil to your recommended 140mm, I find that the forks creak quite loudly under compression. There is no evidence of binding or sticking just this loud noise during about 30% of the fork travel. This creaking can be felt if you touch the fork legs and is coming evenly from both sides.

1. I removed the forks, disassembled and rechecked my work, refitted them - they still creak. I noticed that they creak when off the bike when compressed by hand, but it's quieter than when on the bike.

2. I emptied out the oil, removed the springs and valve emulators and pumped the fork - no usual noises.

3. Put in the stock spring/preload spacer only, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

4. Dismantled and reassembled with the emulator and stock spring/preload spacer, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

5. Dismantled and reassembled with race tech spring and valve emulator but no oil - the fork creaks.

I measured the diameter of the race tech springs and compared them to the stock springs - it seems that the stock springs are larger in diameter (around 36mm) than the race tech items. Could this be causing the creaking? Is the spring bending and applying lateral forces to the stanchion tube thereby creaking?

Your web-site lists the forks for my Thunderbird as being Kayaba, but Triumph changed the manufacturer to Showa in 1999. I asked Brad Bailey several times if this would make a difference (noting that Showa forks seem to use slightly larger springs) but did not manage to secure a reply.

Please advise as I am stuck in the position of currently having an unusable bike!

Regards,
Mick Maguire

MickMaguire · 07-24-2003

Here is an email I fired off to Race Tech earlier, I thought I'd post it here in case somebody here has some helpful insight. Any suggestions gratefully received:

Quote:

Hi,
For my Triumph Thunderbird (2000 model year) I recently purchased a valve emulator kit and fork springs (FRSP S353410) as recommended on your web site. After fitting these and setting the oil to your recommended 140mm, I find that the forks creak quite loudly under compression. There is no evidence of binding or sticking just this loud noise during about 30% of the fork travel. This creaking can be felt if you touch the fork legs and is coming evenly from both sides.

1. I removed the forks, disassembled and rechecked my work, refitted them - they still creak. I noticed that they creak when off the bike when compressed by hand, but it's quieter than when on the bike.

2. I emptied out the oil, removed the springs and valve emulators and pumped the fork - no usual noises.

3. Put in the stock spring/preload spacer only, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

4. Dismantled and reassembled with the emulator and stock spring/preload spacer, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

5. Dismantled and reassembled with race tech spring and valve emulator but no oil - the fork creaks.

I measured the diameter of the race tech springs and compared them to the stock springs - it seems that the stock springs are larger in diameter (around 36mm) than the race tech items. Could this be causing the creaking? Is the spring bending and applying lateral forces to the stanchion tube thereby creaking?

Your web-site lists the forks for my Thunderbird as being Kayaba, but Triumph changed the manufacturer to Showa in 1999. I asked Brad Bailey several times if this would make a difference (noting that Showa forks seem to use slightly larger springs) but did not manage to secure a reply.

Please advise as I am stuck in the position of currently having an unusable bike!

Regards,
Mick Maguire

MickMaguire · 07-24-2003

Here is an email I fired off to Race Tech earlier, I thought I'd post it here in case somebody here has some helpful insight. Any suggestions gratefully received:

Quote:

Hi,
For my Triumph Thunderbird (2000 model year) I recently purchased a valve emulator kit and fork springs (FRSP S353410) as recommended on your web site. After fitting these and setting the oil to your recommended 140mm, I find that the forks creak quite loudly under compression. There is no evidence of binding or sticking just this loud noise during about 30% of the fork travel. This creaking can be felt if you touch the fork legs and is coming evenly from both sides.

1. I removed the forks, disassembled and rechecked my work, refitted them - they still creak. I noticed that they creak when off the bike when compressed by hand, but it's quieter than when on the bike.

2. I emptied out the oil, removed the springs and valve emulators and pumped the fork - no usual noises.

3. Put in the stock spring/preload spacer only, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

4. Dismantled and reassembled with the emulator and stock spring/preload spacer, pumped the fork - no unusual noises.

5. Dismantled and reassembled with race tech spring and valve emulator but no oil - the fork creaks.

I measured the diameter of the race tech springs and compared them to the stock springs - it seems that the stock springs are larger in diameter (around 36mm) than the race tech items. Could this be causing the creaking? Is the spring bending and applying lateral forces to the stanchion tube thereby creaking?

Your web-site lists the forks for my Thunderbird as being Kayaba, but Triumph changed the manufacturer to Showa in 1999. I asked Brad Bailey several times if this would make a difference (noting that Showa forks seem to use slightly larger springs) but did not manage to secure a reply.

Please advise as I am stuck in the position of currently having an unusable bike!

Regards,
Mick Maguire

Hinckley · 07-24-2003

Oh gosh, that sucks!!

I'll be interested to hear the end of this!

Hinckley · 07-24-2003

Oh gosh, that sucks!!

I'll be interested to hear the end of this!

Hinckley · 07-24-2003

Oh gosh, that sucks!!

I'll be interested to hear the end of this!

MickMaguire · 07-25-2003

Needless to say I'm extreemly pissed at Race Tech at the moment. This is the culmination of about 6 weeks messing around, waiting for Race Tech to get the parts, cancelling the order as they couldn't tell me when they would have some (found an alternate source from one of their distributors), and asking the same question (does it matter that they are Showa forks) over and over again but not getting an answer, not even a "errm we don't know", just nothing.

I'll keep you posted!

By the way, they read that email yesterday morning and never got back to me.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2003-07-25 13:54 ]

MickMaguire · 07-25-2003

Needless to say I'm extreemly pissed at Race Tech at the moment. This is the culmination of about 6 weeks messing around, waiting for Race Tech to get the parts, cancelling the order as they couldn't tell me when they would have some (found an alternate source from one of their distributors), and asking the same question (does it matter that they are Showa forks) over and over again but not getting an answer, not even a "errm we don't know", just nothing.

I'll keep you posted!

By the way, they read that email yesterday morning and never got back to me.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2003-07-25 13:54 ]

MickMaguire · 07-25-2003

Needless to say I'm extreemly pissed at Race Tech at the moment. This is the culmination of about 6 weeks messing around, waiting for Race Tech to get the parts, cancelling the order as they couldn't tell me when they would have some (found an alternate source from one of their distributors), and asking the same question (does it matter that they are Showa forks) over and over again but not getting an answer, not even a "errm we don't know", just nothing.

I'll keep you posted!

By the way, they read that email yesterday morning and never got back to me.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2003-07-25 13:54 ]

MickMaguire · 07-25-2003

I emailed more information through today (comparative sizes of the springs), I also emailed for a second time asking for confirmation that the order had been cancelled. Earlier on today we got a member registraction from somebody in sales at racetech, they logged on for a while then left. Late this afternoon I called and left a voice mail. Got the following email answer this evening:

Quote:

Hello Mick,

I cancelled your order as you requested im just sorry to hear that your not happy with Race Tech & the service we extend to our customers. I thought I was being helpful every time we spoke via email but guess not.... The reason I say this is that a few of my close dealers have emailed me very up set that there was someone out there bad mouthing Race Tech on Triumph bratt.com by the name of Mick Maguire. I have copies of every last one of your emails to me & never did I feel that you were upset. Maybe a little irritated but you were always understanding & mild mannered why the change? As of now we do have the springs you ordered in stock. As I told you they were on their way & now there here so I guess the question is are you in any better position then you were before? By the way just so you know our springs fit a few different model bikes so yes they might make a little nose due to the spec difference from the stock to ours which by the way will not hurt anything what so ever. It wont affect the oil or your tubes. out side of making a little nose they will be just fine. Stock springs are fitted to spec for that bike 100% & don't make nose that's only difference. Any ways im sorry to hear your disappointed in Race Tech aswell as not feeling your received good customer service that I take that personal cause that's not the impression I want to leave with anyone, but I can only control what I can control. Thank you for your interest in Race Tech Suspension.

Brad Bailey/ Assistant Sales Mgr.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2003-07-25 19:00 ]