I see your bike also has the 94 aluminum passenger pegs and bracket. According to the Clymer manual 93's outside the U.S. were like 94 U.S. models.

 

Ok, that might explain the confusion on year.

I will take a look at the stamp by the lever when its back from the shop / if it comes back after that horrible rattle.

 

It looks to be a nice F2 from the picture. Good luck sorting it out! :-D

 

Jamie, I would highly advise against removing a fork cap while the bike has more load on the spring than just provided by the preload collars (inside the fork) ... if you have the soft OEM progressive springs, you still run the risk of shooting the fork cap into your face when you get it undone, and if you do have stiffer aftermarket springs, you run the risk of ending up with the fork cap lodged in your noodle!!

Even if you don't get hit by the fork cap, the threads are very delicate, and just having that much pressure on them while rotating them out, will possibly put undue stress on those threads, not to mention the damage that could be done with a vagabond metal projectile flying about in your garage!

You don't have to have the forks off the bike, but the weight needs to be taken off of them, either with a front stand that lifts under the lower triple clamp, or with the rear stabilized on a rear stand, and some safe method of lifting the front of the bike by the frame, so that the front wheel is off the ground.

 

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the forum! Keep us posted on your work.

 

;-).

understood, what little i have in the looks department is best kept so noodle will be protected!.

The rear is way too soft (headlight was pointing at the stars!) and the rebound was way too slow. I could bottom out the rear shock by just pushing on it, I'm reasonably strong and carry some weight but I'm no monster and it took about 3 seconds to reach back to its static point.

I should get the bike back on saturday am so i will be able to explore it a bit more.

thanks for all your help so far.

 

You can pick up used F4 shocks pretty cheap and they bolt in. The rear will be about an inch or so higher, but the ride is so much better.

 

I'm a big guy, running between 190 and 195 when fit, with my current muscle mass, but when I got my first F2, I was over 250, and did not once bottom out the rear in normal riding, so clearly your shock has had it... my point is that though the F2 shocks are softly sprung, when they are working right, they suffice for the street, and should not behave like what you're describing.

Anyway, what Mike said is true, and if I remember correctly, an F4i shock will also bolt up, and it will raise the rear even more, like between 1.25 and 1.5 inches.
Also, there was quite an aftermarket for these bikes, so there are lots of shocks out there from Fox, Ohlins, Penske, and others, that can be sprung for weight if necessary, and of course, are fully adjustable, with compression and rebound damping, preload, and separate ride height adjustment as well.

 

thanks.

I am at about 205lbs at the moment, possibly looking to volunteer for reserves so will be cutting some mass to get in better cv condition but i dont ever drop below 190lbs.
Anway... i wound the shock up to the maximum position and its now hard but it still feels like there is nothing there (hard to describe). i dont know if there is compression damping on these things, the rebound is way too slow but its very slow to compress as well. unfortunately the rear is now too high which has made the front a little twitchy and put all my weight on the bars which is bad riding form and I have also broken both hands and dislocated wrists (10 years of MMA) so need to put the weight back onto my rear more.

would you rebuild the f2 shock or use it as an opportunity to put in an f3 or f4 ? (rebuild would be cheaper i guess).

thanks for your help fella

EDIT - would you recommend the usual 35mm sag as a target for adjusting the shock ?.

 

Well, part of that decision has been made for you, as the F2 shock is not serviceable/rebuildable.

Obviously the F3,F4, or F4i shock are options, but if it were me, I would just keep my eye out for a used aftermarket shock that was made as a direct replacement, namely of the brands I mentioned before - this way you've got a better shock than any of the units from the newer F bikes, AND you don't have to change your bike's geometry with the change in ride height.

No doubt, though, like mentioned already, the F3/F4/F4i shock could be had quite cheap, so the bottom line is, it really all depends on what you want out of the bike when you're done, and how much you want to spend.

I have seen Fox Twin-Clickers (that's what's on my race bike), Penskes, and others for pretty darn cheap on eBay, and in the for sale areas of various bike/race forum sites, so deals can be had if you hold out, and vigilantly watch for them.

35mm would be the softest of the range I would use for street (30mm to 35mm), and for the race track, you should look for 25mm to 30mm - but if you're street riding is highly spirited, with a lot of hard riding in twisties or canyons, and/or you just prefer a more aggressive setup, you might run the stiffer range anyway.