Specialty Springs and Hydraulic Housing

by James
(Erie, PA)

Hydraulic shock absorbers on the front of the motorcycle are very nice but I'm fixing the darn things about once a year with a hefty price tag.

Are there any specialty springs that could be housed in the old hydraulic housing so fluid is no longer and issue? Due to tight money issues, I can't afford to keep paying through the nose to keep my baby running. Smooth or springy handling isn't an issue with me, she's my point a to b ride and I'm unemployed and cashless at the moment and my motorcycle is my only way to job hunt for anything off-line. Most other maintenance I can handle on my own and is a ton cheaper and once done is much easier to do later.

Hydraulic front forks are over rated when they fail so often. In hindsight I could think of a design or two that would make hydraulic shock absorbers much more owner friendly.

Living in the boonies broke...

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Mar 24, 2011
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The size and shape of the hydraulic housing...
by: Custom Choppers Guide

Sorry to hear about your financial situation and I understand where you are coming from. Hydraulics are expensive and yes, they can be tiresome if they don't work right. This is a pretty difficult question to answer without additional information. The size and shape of the hydraulic housing will determine whether you'll be able to find a suitable size spring. If it is fairly small, then you are looking at a custom spring which may become pricey again since it's not just an off the shelf part. The other option I have for you is that if you really are not fond of the hydraulics, why not just remove them all together and replace with springs. I know it's a different look but it's something you'll really have to think about since it will totally affect the aesthetics of your bike. This might be a better route since you can then start looking at off the shelf parts and are not restricted by the size and shape of the existing cylinder housing. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

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