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Hi there,
I've a 160mm pike rc, and its not using all of its travel. No matter what pressure I run it doesn't use more than about 130mm of travel which is rather frustrating. When it gets to about an inch and a half from the crown it just stops.
I'm running 2volume spacers,but that shouldn't affect the maximum travel.
Any ideas?
Air blown through into the lowers.
If you drop all the air out the fork - can you bottom it out then? If yes - you're simply not riding hard enough for 2 volume spacers with the current damper setup. If no, you've got a leak, probably from the damper making the fork hydrolock.
FWIW - I couldn't get full travel with 2 spacers, even off decent sized drops, so had settled on one, which felt a bit soggy. However I've just had them serviced and custom tuned to my weight at TF and they've come back feeling like a completely different (much better!) fork. I've now ended up going back to 2 spacers and can still get full travel.
(I had also checked for airbleed into the lowers and it wasn't that!)
Thanks for the suggestions!
No, I dont think it's to do with my riding, I used to frequently get full travel.
Any idea of any fixes I can have a go at tonight before tomorrow as I've got a race.
Would undoing the footnut allow the air to escape if it's stuck in the lowers?
f you drop all the air out the fork - can you bottom it out then?
This.
Would undoing the footnut allow the air to escape if it's stuck in the lowers?
Yes, but if you have an air leak it will only be a temporary fix.
'm running 2volume spacers,but that shouldn't affect the maximum travel.
They will if your running the same air pressure as you where prior to fitting them.
I'm running 2volume spacers,but that shouldn't affect the maximum travel.
Yep, the spring curve is changed. It take more force to get more travel from the mid point I'm the travel onwards. So you'll find it hard to bottom out, unless you drop the pressure, which will equal more sag, but the same amount of usable travel for the same given force.
Turns out there was air "trapped" in the lowers, creating an artificial air-spring. Fixed it by pushing a cable-tie between the damper and the stanchion, which let all the air out with a hiss.
you've got a leak, probably from the damper making the fork hydrolock.
Current Pike won't hydrolock when its dropped its oil as the damper isn't a flush fit in the stanchion and there is enough room for the oil to be forced up between the damper and stanchion.