The Tracer returns.

[Dodgy69]

The GS got sold and the MT went at the weekend. Plan being, get rid of 2 and have 1 for both jobs and the tracer 900 is the bike.

Had a gen 2 a few years back and liked it more than some, but moved that on for the MT. Today I picked up a gen 1 with just under 8k on the clock, not too many gizmos but some nice extra bits.

Won't do much with it, probably heated grips and a baffle. It's got a nice Akra on and sounds ace but a little loud. New fork stantions fitted and its a lot stiffer than my old newer one. This is a MY17, last one was MY18. Small change in bodywork but both the 843 as opposed to MY21+ which went to 890 or summot like.

So its the tracer and the monkey from now on.

[weeksy]

Hold on. Both were staying!

[Dodgy69]

I reserve the right to change my mind at any given moment.

[KungFooBob]

You have the most boggling man logic, ever.

I love it.

[Dodgy69]

I'll look closer this afternoon and i mentioned to owner, the top of left fork looked like it was capped off with no adjustment option, the right fork had preload and damping.

Google says this could be an asymmetric set up where all fork adjustment is done through one fork.

Anyone know more about this set up, I've never heard of it for preload.

[KungFooBob]

I've seen that asymmetrical setup before, but on smaller capacity Aprillias.

[Dodgy69]

I'll have a proper look later, it's just hard to understand how preload adjustment works on one side only, kind of going against normal thinking.

The akra was put on by dealer at point of sale new. He had baffle removed on 600 mile service. Maybe it's too quiet. my concern is if I take it over to France etc.

[KungFooBob]

If you go on the Fowlers website you can access the parts fiches to see what the forks should look like.

[Dodgy69]

Forks have been upgraded due to corrosion.

[KungFooBob]

Upgraded?

It sounds a bit dodgy.

If the rest of the bike is in good nick, why did the forks corrode bad enough they needed replacement.

Why not fit the correct forks, what makes these an 'upgrade' rather than a 'these will do'?

Unless it's very cheap I would be very weary. Could well have had a front end smash or something.

[Dodgy69]

Has crossed my mind. Just been in garage and left fork is adjustable for preload wtf, it was wound all the way in and right all the way out pretty much. Damping is right fork only. Owner said no adjustment on left fork.

[Count Steer]

My branium tells me that adjustment on one fork only isn't unique but I can't for the life of me remember where I've seen it before.

Ah...

'Motorcycle forks often feature a single preload adjuster to save on manufacturing costs and reduce complexity, while still providing full adjustability. Because both fork legs are rigidly connected by the front wheel axle, adjusting preload or damping on one side is sufficient to affect the overall movement of the front end.
Manufacturers employ a few key design principles for this setup:
Rigid Connection: The front axle ties both fork legs together, meaning they operate as a single structural unit. Changes applied to one side immediately influence the other.
Cost Efficiency: Building and machining the internals to have springs, damping, and adjusters in both legs requires more materials and complex manufacturing processes. Putting the "good stuff" in one leg lowers the overall price of the motorcycle.
Simplified Maintenance: Having specific adjustments—such as spring preload on one side and rebound or compression damping on the other—makes fine-tuning and servicing less fiddly. It eliminates the risk of accidentally setting the left and right forks to different tensions during maintenance.'

Some of that came from an Aprilia forum.