GPZ 1100 fork balance tube position

[Skid Mark]

I am elbow deep into my A2 sorting leaking forks and head gasket.
I reassembled the forks with the balance tube centred over the balance holes on each fork, but the top of the forks are below the bottom of the h bar clamps and only just in the top yoke. I didn’t take note of the position before stripping. I just presumed they were flush with the top of the Handle bar clamp. There is a bung about 2” inside the fork and an m38 h bar cap nut screws down into the fork on top of this bung . I could drop the forks so the balance tube sits on the bottom yoke and tighten down the cap nut on the bar clamp but I can’t imagine it would be right.
Can anyone confirm the position of the top of the fork in the yoke or tube and confirm the distance between top and bottom yoke(230mm?).
Thanks in advance.

[Robw]

I have a unitrac manual in the garage, if you can wait until tomorrow, I will get some photos of the relevant parts.
Rob

[Hard Road]

if its anything like the suzuki's then its sits on the top of the bottom yoke, have you got a pic of yours ?

[Skid Mark]

I have a unitrac manual in the garage, if you can wait until tomorrow, I will get some photos of the relevant parts.
Rob

I have both the base and supplement manuals. Not detail on the position though.

[Skid Mark]

if its anything like the suzuki's then its sits on the top of the bottom yoke, have you got a pic of yours ?

Yes common sense would suggest so. I’ll put some pictures up tomorrow. Only other thing I can think is that they are the wrong forks? 750 turbo are same diameter and have a similar balance tube but a different part no. So perhaps are shorter. Could be the case as both also have anti dive.

[Skid Mark]

Here you can see the position of the balance tube reletive to the bottom fork. The tube is likley to slip down and piss oil onto the brake discs if i leave like this, but if i drop them they will not be fully up in the handle bar clamps. Is it a case of clamping them in the top yoke and just torque the fork cap down on the handle bar clamps?

[Stugill]

Mark.

I have the GPz 1100 A1 UT and my balance tube rests on the top of the bottom clamp.
If it helps the fork (compressed) in total is 701mm long.
The gap between the top of the bottom clamp to the top of the top clamp is about 228mm.

[Hard Road]

you need to have the forks fully up in the top yokes and handlebar clamps.
how far up is the hole from the top of the bottom yoke ? the balance unit has seals at each end so the hole in the fork doesn't have to be dead centre, as long as the hole is within the 2 seals.
do your handlebars bolt to the top yoke or is their a locating peg ? as that could make the difference. under the fork bolt is their an O ring ? or does it have another cap lower down to keep the spring in place ?

[Skid Mark]

Mark.

I have the GPz 1100 A1 UT and my balance tube rests on the top of the bottom clamp.
If it helps the fork (compressed) in total is 701mm long.
The gap between the top of the bottom clamp to the top of the top clamp is about 228mm.

I measured 230 with a ruler at an awkward angle so I'm confident they are the same. When you say compressed do you mean with the front wheel on the ground when bike is on side stand or how did you compress it? Would you be able to measure it uncompressed with wheel of the ground by any chance?
Phil

[Skid Mark]

you need to have the forks fully up in the top yokes and handlebar clamps. That is what I thought.
how far up is the hole from the top of the bottom yoke ? It is about 18mm from the bottom yoke to the balance tube. I would say that the hole is about centre. the balance unit has seals at each end so the hole in the fork doesn't have to be dead centre, as long as the hole is within the 2 seals. Agreed, but I'm out alot more then the few mil I would pinch marking it out to a gee hair.
do your handlebars bolt to the top yoke or is their a locating peg ? They are held down with a u shaped clip that bolts to the top yoke to position the angle and they are clamped to the tube also for security. as that could make the difference. under the fork bolt is their an O ring ? or does it have another cap lower down to keep the spring in place ?

There is another cap further about 65mm down in the tube.
I need to strip it down again an have a good look and take measurments and photos.
Never ends!
Phil

[Hard Road]

you need to have the forks fully up in the top yokes and handlebar clamps. That is what I thought.
how far up is the hole from the top of the bottom yoke ? It is about 18mm from the bottom yoke to the balance tube. I would say that the hole is about centre. the balance unit has seals at each end so the hole in the fork doesn't have to be dead centre, as long as the hole is within the 2 seals. Agreed, but I'm out alot more then the few mil I would pinch marking it out to a gee hair.
do your handlebars bolt to the top yoke or is their a locating peg ? They are held down with a u shaped clip that bolts to the top yoke to position the angle and they are clamped to the tube also for security. as that could make the difference. under the fork bolt is their an O ring ? or does it have another cap lower down to keep the spring in place ?

There is another cap further about 65mm down in the tube.
I need to strip it down again an have a good look and take measurments and photos.
Never ends!
Phil

its been a long time since ive had one of these in bits !!! but if theirs a cap in the fork tube that holds the spring and oil in place then you could drop the tubes down a bit to get the balance unit closer if not even touching the yoke, the hole might not be in the middle but as long as its between the seals. and also as long as the top bolt still screws in enough to the fork leg tube and hold the handlebar. their might be a measurement in the factory manual on how far the fork tubes come through the yokes ?

[Skid Mark]

you need to have the forks fully up in the top yokes and handlebar clamps. That is what I thought.
how far up is the hole from the top of the bottom yoke ? It is about 18mm from the bottom yoke to the balance tube. I would say that the hole is about centre. the balance unit has seals at each end so the hole in the fork doesn't have to be dead centre, as long as the hole is within the 2 seals. Agreed, but I'm out alot more then the few mil I would pinch marking it out to a gee hair.
do your handlebars bolt to the top yoke or is their a locating peg ? They are held down with a u shaped clip that bolts to the top yoke to position the angle and they are clamped to the tube also for security. as that could make the difference. under the fork bolt is their an O ring ? or does it have another cap lower down to keep the spring in place ?

There is another cap further about 65mm down in the tube.
I need to strip it down again an have a good look and take measurments and photos.
Never ends!
Phil

its been a long time since ive had one of these in bits !!! but if theirs a cap in the fork tube that holds the spring and oil in place then you could drop the tubes down a bit to get the balance unit closer if not even touching the yoke, the hole might not be in the middle but as long as its between the seals. and also as long as the top bolt still screws in enough to the fork leg tube and hold the handlebar. their might be a measurement in the factory manual on how far the fork tubes come through the yokes ?

I need to check again, but I'm pretty sure that to have the hole centre of the balance tube, the top of the forks are only a couple of mill up in the top yoke, I could steal a few more mil but there isn't an awful lot of meat in the clamp either way. If this is sufficient fair enough, Thats why I'm putting this out there to see is everything in order and the forks are barely catching in the clamps or is there another issue or am I missing something.
I'll try get to it tomorrow and take pictures.
Cheers
P

[Hard Road]

Yeah this seems a bit strange ? the fork tube should be well into the handlebar clamp, not a few mm !!!! have you got a manual ? but more pic's might help clear this up.

[Skid Mark]

Yes I have the base and supplement but neither have this level of detail.

[Hard Road]

Yes I have the base and supplement but neither have this level of detail.

if you slide the fork tube up to the top surface of the top yoke (but not into the handlebar) where does the balance tube sit ? and does the top bolt still reach the fork tube ?