In Pitboxen, a fork service is not quite the same as what you are used to at a normal motorcycle workshop.

At Pitboxen we know how to make things perform optimally, and that means, for example, not pouring new clean oil on top of leftover old oil and sludge! Unfortunately, that's what usually happens in motorcycle workshops. Most often because you don't learn it as a motorcycle mechanic. You learn to change a leaking oil seal and fill it with oil. That's it! Check the pictures here and see what the difference is at Pitboxen. We take EVERYTHING apart, we check the Teflon bushings for wear. We check the inner legs for stone chips and rust, polish them up if we think it's enough. We clean everything, as in EVERYTHING, shim stack, valves, outer legs, inner legs... Yes everything! We then install low-friction oil seals that are lubricated with special grease and the correct oil level is filled... NOT quantity. Such an operation typically takes three hours, which is also included in the price. If we find any irregularities that we think you should not be driving, we will contact you asap. This could be worn bushings (typically an additional charge of 2-400kr) or damaged inner legs.

But why does it have to be done so thoroughly? - One word: SAFETY

Your motorcycle's safety equipment consists of brakes, tires and suspension. Most people have the first two under control, the suspension has more trouble, and most people only get the fork serviced when it leaks. This is a big mistake, because worn suspension becomes unstable, sluggish and sloppy and it actually causes the tires to lose grip, ALSO when you brake and even worse in curves, where the suspension does not react quickly enough, and therefore does not absorb bumps. The result is loss of grip, with the imminent risk of a crash! If you do not disassemble the shims and valves and clean them, there is most likely still sludge in the oil channels in the valves. This means that the oil does not flow freely and therefore reduces the efficiency of your suspension.

Öhlins and most other suspension manufacturers recommend that you have your front fork serviced every two years or every 10,000km.

We recommend every two years, along with brake fluid, as both absorb fluid and pose a safety risk.

Upgrade your front fork!

The Pitbox can upgrade your front fork in different stages for better feel with your motorcycle and correct setup. Stage 1 : Weight-optimized springs. By installing springs that match your weight, you get better control over your motorcycle. However, the front and rear should match, otherwise your steering geometry will be destroyed. The price for a stage 1 optimization is + approx. 1000-1200 kr in addition to springs for each motorcycle model. Stage 2 : Flow-optimized valves. A street motorcycle is made conservatively in every way. It has to please a wide range of critical drivers. This means, as with all other compromises, that it often does okay, not great but OKAY. To please the broad range of people, manufacturers therefore choose to make the suspension flabby and emotionless, which is done by either making the flow in the valves too large or too small, so that the feeling becomes really sharp. There is nothing worse than motorcycles that do not provide feedback, because then you never know where the limit is. With optimized valves in the hydraulic part, there is significantly more control over the oil flow, which gives a sublime feeling with the front and eliminates the "rocking horse" tendency. For most upside down forks, Bitubo and Andreani make some fantastic kits, and for ordinary conventional shock tube forks such as on the Suzuki GSF600/650 Bandit and others, there is what is called a PD valve. The PD valves typically cost between 800 and 1500 kr and the more advanced valve/piston kit from Andreani and Bitubo typically costs around 2500 kr. The combination of stage 1 and 2 is clearly preferable. Stage 3: Cartridge kit - The absolute best solution on the market, provided you don't want to replace the entire front fork. A cartridge kit is a complete kit consisting of all the technical parts in the front fork. In fact, the entire front fork except for the tubes. This type is so superior that you get a complete shock when you try them! Read, among other things, Magacin's experience with an Andreani front fork kit for a GSF650 Bandit: https://www.magacin.dk/motorcykler/forbrug/opgradering-af-brugt-bandit-del-2/ - The cartridge kits are available in several price ranges, but the sublime model from Andreani can be purchased for just 5000 kr for REALLY many motorcycles. If you want stage 1 or 1 and 2 options, you don't pay extra for installation, it's included. If you want stage 3 optimization, you only pay half the price for the service, as all the old innards do not have to be cleaned and reassembled. Here you can see what a fork service at Pitboxen entails: https://youtu.be/LSfoLrUKnMI?si=Ix-mhWrMYWEmROH7