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Buying inner tube forks online?

Kawazaki650R

By Kawazaki650R
in Motorcycles in Thailand

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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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After a spill my bike handles pretty poorly. It feels like it pulls slightly to the left when driving and feels unstable when handling bumps. Took it to kawasaki who said the front inner fork tubes are damaged and should be replaced. However they want 15k for everything including labor. The inner tubes are 5500 baht each. I can find them online for much cheaper, for example here from https://m.alibaba.com/product/1600276991181/Motorcycle-Front-Inner-Fork-Tubes-Pair.html

 

Kawasaki said they'll install them for me but obviously can't guarantee anything. 

 

I've got no idea about the quality. Has anyone bought inner fork tubes from Aliexpress? Are they safe to ride? Or do you happen to know any reputable sites where I can find a pair of front inner tubes for a kawasaki 650r 2009?

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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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8 minutes ago, marcusb said:

Bent mine in a very minor hit. 15,000 to replace by reputable shop in Chiang Mai. Handled much better of course. 

I'd go for OEM myself. 

 

edit:2011 ER6n

Did it fix your problem completely? I mean it's not really expensive but if I can get away with half the price I'd much rather buy the forks online and then have kawasaki install them. 

 

 

It's no fun to ride now and if I were to sell it I doubt I'd get more than 35k baht for it. I'd like to keep the bike but it handles very poorly now. The handlebar is slightly bent but I do think it's the forks that are causing the issue just like kawasaki is saying. I can feel it tracking when going over minor bumps and it just doesn't feel as solid as before. 

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LS24 Advanced Member

LS24

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9 hours ago, Kawazaki650R said:

Do not think it's the tyre pressure unless the crash caused a drop in pressure? Kawasaki said the inner tubes are bent and need to be changed. 

In your first post you mentioned that the fork stanchions were damaged. You didn't  mention the word bent.

 

 

Tyre pressure is a very simple thing to help eliminate other issues. 

 

There are a variety of things that could be causing the issues you mention.

 

A common sense practice to to eliminate "low hanging fruit" or simple potential issues before you go straight to the major concern.

 

So again, when did you last check tyre pressure?

What was the tyre pressure when you checked it?

Can you take a clear photo of your front tyre's tread and upload it here?

 

When standing beside the bike, with both hands on the handlebars and the front brake engaged, push down on the front of the bike hard. Explain what happens.

 

 

 

 

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marcusb Advanced Member

marcusb

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9 hours ago, Kawazaki650R said:

Did it fix your problem completely?

Yes, fixed it right up.  I didn't want to spend the money either...  but really there was no choice as cornering was goofed up.  
 Not all Kawasaki service centres are equal, make sure you pick one with good mechanics, or find a private mechanic with good skills.  Piston Shop in CNX did mine, everything was good. 
 

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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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2 hours ago, LS24 said:

In your first post you mentioned that the fork stanchions were damaged. You didn't  mention the word bent.

 

 

Tyre pressure is a very simple thing to help eliminate other issues. 

 

There are a variety of things that could be causing the issues you mention.

 

A common sense practice to to eliminate "low hanging fruit" or simple potential issues before you go straight to the major concern.

 

So again, when did you last check tyre pressure?

What was the tyre pressure when you checked it?

Can you take a clear photo of your front tyre's tread and upload it here?

 

When standing beside the bike, with both hands on the handlebars and the front brake engaged, push down on the front of the bike hard. Explain what happens.

 

 

 

 

I haven't checked it in a while. But it was fine before the crash. Then after the front was bent. I can feel that the forks doesn't dampen equally when I push down. Same when riding over bumps or uneven road surfaces. The bike wheels unstable in the front. 

IMG_20230217_102137.jpg

IMG_20230217_102115.jpg

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Stevemercer Gold Member

Stevemercer

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I'd pay the 15,000Baht and let the shop worry about ordering etc. They should provide 6 - 12 months warranty and you can go back if there is a problem.

 

As suggested by another poster, check the tyre pressure. I remember buying a Suzuki GS450 once. The owner hadn't ridden it in a while and apologised for the poor handling. My test ride confirmed the poor handling, but I stopped at a garage to check/inflate the tyres. They were less than 50% the recommended pressure. This dramatically restored the handling. I got the bike cheap because no one had wanted it after a test ride, and no one had thought to check the tire pressure.

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papa al Platinum Member

papa al

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A good older bike but not worth a lot on the market.

Just get the B4000/pr. tubes from online.

They will be fine.

Prolly from same factory as OEM.

Indy shop could swap out for B500 or so.

Farang tink too mut.

Edited by papa al
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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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38 minutes ago, papa al said:

A good older bike but not worth a lot on the market.

Just get the B4000/pr. tubes from online.

They will be fine.

Prolly from same factory as OEM.

Indy shop could swap out for B500 or so.

Farang tink too mut.

Yeah it's not worth a lot and that's why I don't want to sink a ton of money on it. 

 

What's the B4000/pr fork tubes? Where can I find them here in Thailand? According to the store I talked to on Ali-express it will take 7-10 days to get it shipped but on their website it says guaranteed delivery within a month and that's way too long to wait. 

Edited by Kawazaki650R
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papa al Platinum Member

papa al

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1 hour ago, Kawazaki650R said:

 

What's the B4000/pr fork tubes?

////////
Your reference dude...
Ready to Ship
 
 
 
In StockFast Dispatch

Motorcycle Front Inner Fork Tubes Pair For Kawasaki ER6F NINJA 650R 2009-2016 EX650 2015 44013-0154

1 buyer
1 - 3 pairs
$120.00
 
1 hour ago, Kawazaki650R said:

delivery within a month and that's way too long to wait. 

So sad. Will pray for you.

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LS24 Advanced Member

LS24

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8 hours ago, Kawazaki650R said:

I haven't checked it in a while. But it was fine before the crash. Then after the front was bent. I can feel that the forks doesn't dampen equally when I push down. Same when riding over bumps or uneven road surfaces. The bike wheels unstable in the front. 

IMG_20230217_102137.jpg

IMG_20230217_102115.jpg

You will not be able to tell by pushing on the bars or riding the bike that one fork is damping better then the other.

I actually seem to recall that Kawasaki once used one fork for rebound and one for compression but that is an aside.

 

The whole function of  having two forks inners sliding into a tight tolerances outer stops the very potential that you claim you can feel different damping on one side.

 

If you can feel the damping on one side only then you have a hell of a lot more wrong than just stanchions

 

I asked for a photo of the tyre tread. 

 

Tyre pressure should be checked regularly - as in at least weekly. Depending on the tyre a few psi can give a whole bunch of weird symptoms.

 

But you seem to not want to find all the causes to your issues so good luck to you. I hope you find some quality assistance and get it sorted.

 

 

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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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1 hour ago, LS24 said:

You will not be able to tell by pushing on the bars or riding the bike that one fork is damping better then the other.

I actually seem to recall that Kawasaki once used one fork for rebound and one for compression but that is an aside.

 

The whole function of  having two forks inners sliding into a tight tolerances outer stops the very potential that you claim you can feel different damping on one side.

 

If you can feel the damping on one side only then you have a hell of a lot more wrong than just stanchions

 

I asked for a photo of the tyre tread. 

 

Tyre pressure should be checked regularly - as in at least weekly. Depending on the tyre a few psi can give a whole bunch of weird symptoms.

 

But you seem to not want to find all the causes to your issues so good luck to you. I hope you find some quality assistance and get it sorted.

 

 

Maybe I'm imagining the unevenness of the forks but when I brake it feels like the bike wants to pull a bit to the right and when going over bumps it feels like the front isn't stable as stable as before the crash. 

 

My bike is currently at kawasaki who said the stanchions are bent and seem to have shallow pitting and some scratches. I've asked them to check PSI and the other things mentioned here in the thread. Here's a photo of the tyre tread. I also uploaded a photo of the stanchions earlier. 

Screenshot_2023-02-18-20-59-57-301_com.miui.gallery.jpg

Edited by Kawazaki650R
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papa al Platinum Member

papa al

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1 hour ago, AustinRacing said:

No real difference between 650 and 4cyl in body size. That’s where the similarities end though!

What is the speed limit for motorcycles in Thailand.?

90-kph.?  

Better have 190-kph potential,

just to be sure.

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AustinRacing Gold Member

AustinRacing

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38 minutes ago, Kawazaki650R said:

I'd like a CBR650R in the future but I'm happy with my 650R as long as I can get the handling sorted. ????

Cbr650 I’d say is the best 4cyl bang for your buck. When time came to upgrade the cbr500 to a 4cyl, I nearly bought one. The wife (cfo) made the mistake of asking me to buy what I LIKE. So I sneaked in the ZX6R at 100+k extra. By the time she realized it, It was too late.  Haven’t looked back. Then again I’ve been showing her pictures of ZX10R and ZH2 and visited the show rooms a couple of times. It’ll be a while to convince her. One step at a time. 

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papa al Platinum Member

papa al

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19 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

Cbr650 I’d say is the best 4cyl bang for your buck. When time came to upgrade the cbr500 to a 4cyl, I nearly bought one. The wife (cfo) made the mistake of asking me to buy what I LIKE. So I sneaked in the ZX6R at 100+k extra. By the time she realized it, It was too late.  Haven’t looked back. Then again I’ve been showing her pictures of ZX10R and ZH2 and visited the show rooms a couple of times. It’ll be a while to convince her. One step at a time. 

Definitely the X10 or H2.

No respect for any bike that cannot >300kph.

Edited by papa al
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Kawazaki650R Senior Member

Kawazaki650R

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2 hours ago, Kawazaki650R said:

Are there import duties on items bought from Alibaba? I thought it was tax exempt from China? If I include shipping and duty on the stanchions the price difference between kawasakis and the ones I found from Alibaba isn't that great. 

 

Thanks

Also what can I expect in delivery time? Seller says 7-10 days. Guaranteed delivery says one month? 

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