Fork spring install

[HBFL]

1999 IS. Im putting in new fork springs and spacers. I’m not pulling the forks out. The fluid has been replaced recently by the PO. any chance I can finagle the springs and spacer in without removing the fairing? Thanks in advance.

[sandy]

It's easier to remove the forks on an IS than other valks. You don't have to remove the turn signals. Considering the internals that have to come out, you'll regret trying unless you go the extra mile and remove the tubes.

[HBFL]

That’s good feedback. Thanks!!

[Jess from VA]

Mine interstates were done by pros, and taken off.  One set needed more work than new springs.

I was wondering the same thing about doing it on the bike.

If they come off, you can replace internal wear parts as well as springs.

What about removing some screws in the fairing mount (4 total, I think), and at least tipping it back out of the way (if not removing it) to make the job more.... accessible? 

 

[h13man]

The internals of each fork leg/tube is totally different inside. I suggest taking the tubes off whether its a IS, standard, or tourer and spring for new fork oil as the amount may change due to spring volume/length.

[mikeirion]

Just did it to my Interstate, pulled the forks because I was doing new seals and oil (leaky seal at 38k). It was an easy job to remove the forks except for the four screws on each side for the inner fairing piece, this is the only place that ticked me off about the design because these screws go into little metal thread inserts in the main fairing, two out of the eight of mine just spun the insert when I tried to loosen the screw but if you lightly pry apart the inner and outer as you turn the screw the insert will come out with the screw. Then it is a matter of separating the insert and screw and epoxying the inserts back in. I used 5 minute epoxy I use for my model airplanes. (Just put Vaseline in the threads to avoid getting epoxy on them.) I also removed my dash piece from the fairing to do some maintenance there and two out of four screws had the same problem. But if the PO had these screws out recently, that issue may have already been addressed. Next there are four bolts that hold the fairing to its bracket, take out the top two, loosen the bottom two and tilt the fairing forward. Loosen the top pinch bolts on the fork, this will allow you to loosen the fork tube caps, much easier while it is "fixtured" in the bike versus doing at the bench with no good way to hold the fork tube. Then loosen the bottom pinch bolts and the fork drops out. the book seems to be little anal about setting the fork oil level and in the process of pulling the old springs there will be a fair amount of oil that comes out with them, just saying. A very useful tool that I made was a steel plate that I drilled two holes in to match the brake caliper holes on the fork. I then bolted the fork assembly to the plate and I could vertically clamp the fork assembly in my vise while I worked on them and set the oil level. My opinion is that pulling the springs while in the bike would be a real cluster, there are nuts to be undone on the top end of the fork, the left one requires a special wrench, something I made but only because I had access to welder and a mill. Pulling the forks was not as hard as I first thought but then again most jobs seem like that after you do it. As for new fork springs, I put Progressives in my 97 a few years ago but didn't bother with my IS when I had it apart, I didn't notice that much of an improvement.

[Paladin528]

you cannot replace the spring on 1 fork without removing it.