Handling & shocks

[bratski2]

My gosh this bike is a nightmare, whoever thought about these shocks should be hung! I have a 1994 voyager 12 and my old Suzuki rode better than this bike. I thought hell a cruising bike for long rides, yeah right.
At real slow speeds my front fork wobbles in turns so I have to goose any turn and walk it through, I watch others make a turn so easy and I am scared to make the same turns with this bike. It seems I am fighting this bike all the time other than when I am going down the road.
I have no clue for air in front other than 8 pounds and have no clue for back other than no more than 30 pounds.
Either way riding this bike is rough and stiff. I love this bike but I hate it more. Stupid air shocks, do they make any shocks for this bike than can give it a smooth ride, possible for front shocks as well?
What gives front end a wobble?
What are good tires for this bike?

[Mr Jensee]

Do a search on here, folks have moved from the stock air shocks to progressive springs in the front and Progressive HD spring shocks in the rear. Torque your steering head and install Dunlop E3 Non radial tires and it will go from duck to swan.
http://www.amervoyassoc.org/techtipsXII ... %20Springs

[SgtSlag]

Welcome to the forum. This is the best location on the Internet for information on the Voyager, bar none. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the site. Also, take note that a retired Kawasaki mechanic, who specialized in the Voyager, Carl Leo, is listed at the top of nearly every page on this site. He is extremely knowledgeable, and helpful.


I, too, installed the Progressive brand fork springs, and airless shocks with HD springs (if you ride two-up at all, get the HD springs -- the standard springs will likely bottom out, and destroy the shocks... been there, done that). Until then, you could try replacing the fork oil, as well as the oil in the rear shocks. Instructions can be found on this site. If you get the Progressive Fork Springs, be sure to leave out the oil filter, and other bits, as per the instructions! If you re-installl any of those unneeded parts, your forks will be severely pre-loaded... Bad, Very bad. Been there, done that, too.

Dexron V/VI ATF is equal to 7-8 weight Fork Oil, but it only costs around $5/quart. The Dexron will give a middle-of-the-road performance, which I like; I believe most folks use 10(?) weight Fork Oil (stiffer response), but it is a matter of personal preference. The oil in the shocks is standard motor oil, I believe, whatever weight the book specifies. For the front forks, 7 PSI is recommended; for the rear shocks, most folks say 38-40 PSI, and rebound setting #2.

Most folks here, run the Dunlop E3 bias ply tires. I run on Pirelli MT66 Route tires: less mileage than the Dunlops (18-20k on the rear?), but in the rain, the bike is glued to the road. I got 12k out of the rear, on my Voyager, and the front is 12k and climbing. I will pay extra for wet traction. YMMV. Cheers!

[Tonyvdb]

Don't be too quick to blame the design of the bike, even with the stock air shocks it should never handle like you describe. I'm still using everything stock and never have those issues so something is not right.
How much air do you have in the forks? The front should only have about 8lbs but the rear should have around 35lbs. Also adjust the rear dampers to setting 2 if they are not there now.
Wobble can be also caused by improper tire pressure or the torque on the steering he'd is wrong. As mentioned above look over the links above and make sure everything is right, this bike is a dream ride if set properly

[HarryL]

The grease in your lower steering bearing may have dried out. When this happened to my 03 Voyager, I could not hold a line in a long sweeper. The bike felt wooden.
It got so bad that I almost didn't get the bike home one day. I was riding like a drunk man. I couldn't even keep the Bike going straight down the road. The bike handled great after greasing and adjusting the bearings.

Hope this helps

Harry

[cushman eagle]

Torquing my steering head and replacing my Dunlop 404[on the front] for an E-3 made a vast improvement in my bike. The rear already had an E-2.

[bratski2]

Thanks for the gr8 info about shocks, I will look into it and get on it.
Also thanks for the #'s of pressure for rear shocks
But one other question I do have a hand pump with gauge but its hard to tell 8#'s of pressure is there a hand held with gauge I can get one for my bike? I heard there is.
Thanks again all.
PS I have rode since first frost out and no sand on roads, bike and tires hate cold weather! Since that time I have put on almost 3000 miles on it and it is my weekend off so another couple hundred are going on this weekend!

[voyager55]

Don't waste your money. Put Progressive springs in the forks. Improved ride & you don't add any air.Cheap to.
http://www.abbikeboard.com/jeff/spring/spring.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Great time to change fork oil to

Thanks for the gr8 info about shocks, I will look into it and get on it.
Also thanks for the #'s of pressure for rear shocks
But one other question I do have a hand pump with gauge but its hard to tell 8#'s of pressure is there a hand held with gauge I can get one for my bike? I heard there is.
Thanks again all.
PS I have rode since first frost out and no sand on roads, bike and tires hate cold weather! Since that time I have put on almost 3000 miles on it and it is my weekend off so another couple hundred are going on this weekend!