Comments on: 2013 450cc Motocross Bikes from Kawasaki and Honda get New Air Forks (Bike Reports) (News) http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/ Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:43:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Joe bar http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-43687 Joe bar Tue, 05 Jun 2012 11:50:09 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-43687 Air forks have been tried on at least two production runs that I remember, the aforementioned YZ C series, and a mid 90s KTM four stroke. As another poster has already stated, I hope the engineers that designed these has solved the inherent problems associated with those designs. Air forks have been tried on at least two production runs that I remember, the aforementioned YZ C series, and a mid 90s KTM four stroke. As another poster has already stated, I hope the engineers that designed these has solved the inherent problems associated with those designs.

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]]> By: Tim http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-43591 Tim Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:39:10 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-43591 Yeah, and it seems like the design was not all that different except that the floating piston was up inside the speedometer/tachometer......LOL! Yeah, and it seems like the design was not all that different except that the floating piston was up inside the speedometer/tachometer……LOL!

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]]> By: x-planer http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-43491 x-planer Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:50:36 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-43491 I wondered if anyone was gonna remember that Yamaha had no coil springs in their forks decades ago. They had a large plenum chamber atop each leg. The went back to coil springs in subsequent years. I wondered if anyone was gonna remember that Yamaha had no coil springs in their forks decades ago. They had a large plenum chamber atop each leg. The went back to coil springs in subsequent years.

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]]> By: dave http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-43215 dave Sun, 03 Jun 2012 03:07:12 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-43215 having ridden air suspension on mountain bikes for years I'm looking forward to see how well this works.For a bigger guy air suspension sucks on mountain bikes.I am so sick of screwing around trying to get it to work well I'm looking for coil spring suspension to replace it with.All I know is for me at 240# $1000 air forks and a $500 shock don't cut it. having ridden air suspension on mountain bikes for years I’m looking forward to see how well this works.For a bigger guy air suspension sucks on mountain bikes.I am so sick of screwing around trying to get it to work well I’m looking for coil spring suspension to replace it with.All I know is for me at 240# $1000 air forks and a $500 shock don’t cut it.

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]]> By: Randy Singer http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42813 Randy Singer Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:03:03 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42813 Those old Fox AirShox didn't have springs. Air only. During the 1970's. Picture: http://ltthor.home.comcast.net/~ltthor/rebuilding/FAS_vinatge_factory1.JPG As you can read here, the main problem with these shocks was an increase in spring rate during a race due to heat build up: http://www.foxracingshox.com/archive/downloads/history_of_fox_air_shox_2001.pdf Those old Fox AirShox didn’t have springs. Air only. During the 1970′s.

Picture:
http://ltthor.home.comcast.net/~ltthor/rebuilding/FAS_vinatge_factory1.JPG

As you can read here, the main problem with these shocks was an increase in spring rate during a race due to heat build up:

http://www.foxracingshox.com/archive/downloads/history_of_fox_air_shox_2001.pdf

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]]> By: eehhe http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42812 eehhe Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:01:17 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42812 For every compression in the fork there is an equal expansion (rebound)... So its +-0 in that regard. Its the damping that converts kinetic energy to heat and warms the suspension devices. As far as the expansion of air when heated; its mostly due to the moisture in the air. Dry air (mostly nitrogen) doesn't expand significantly. For every compression in the fork there is an equal expansion (rebound)… So its +-0 in that regard. Its the damping that converts kinetic energy to heat and warms the suspension devices. As far as the expansion of air when heated; its mostly due to the moisture in the air. Dry air (mostly nitrogen) doesn’t expand significantly.

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]]> By: Randy Singer http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42809 Randy Singer Fri, 01 Jun 2012 04:51:51 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42809 If I recall my college physics correctly, you can't avoid the generation of quite a bit of heat if you compress air quite a bit, and especially if you do it repeatedly over a short period of time (as in suspension). Heated air expands. Hot expanded air won't have the same "spring" rate as cool air. These new forks may have a blow-off valve, but that would mean that air pressure would then be incorrect when the forks cool. I'd love to hear from the engineers who created this fork to see what they learned from past examples of pneumatic shocks and what they have done to avoid the pitfalls encountered in past examples. If I recall my college physics correctly, you can’t avoid the generation of quite a bit of heat if you compress air quite a bit, and especially if you do it repeatedly over a short period of time (as in suspension).

Heated air expands. Hot expanded air won’t have the same “spring” rate as cool air.

These new forks may have a blow-off valve, but that would mean that air pressure would then be incorrect when the forks cool.

I’d love to hear from the engineers who created this fork to see what they learned from past examples of pneumatic shocks and what they have done to avoid the pitfalls encountered in past examples.

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]]> By: HalfBaked http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42721 HalfBaked Thu, 31 May 2012 18:39:24 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42721 My Y2K Honda XR 600R which is bristling with mid-eighties technology has air assisted forks somewhat similar to these. Air/spring forks are quite a bit different than air only and yes nitrogen is the preferred gas. My Y2K Honda XR 600R which is bristling with mid-eighties technology has air assisted forks somewhat similar to these. Air/spring forks are quite a bit different than air only and yes nitrogen is the preferred gas.

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]]> By: Fox Shocks http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42719 Fox Shocks Thu, 31 May 2012 18:29:30 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42719 Kawasaki and Honda get New Air Forks but I think not reinvented their Fox Shocks. Kawasaki and Honda get New Air Forks but I think not reinvented their Fox Shocks.

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]]> By: billy http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/05/2013-450cc-motocross-bikes-from-kawasaki-and-honda-get-new-air-forks/comment-page-1/#comment-42712 billy Thu, 31 May 2012 17:36:04 +0000 http://www.motorcycledaily.com/?p=22570#comment-42712 With no fork springs? With no fork springs?

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