Hi I am new to the group and have a problem with my front forks. Do both forks have a damper rod fitted or only one? My bike has just one long rod and a damper tube at the lower end. The left slider has one Allen bolt fitted in at the bottom, there is no provision on the right hand slider. The wheel is held in with a screw fit axle not by two clamps. Unfortunately the valve seat held in place by a nut on the end of the damper rod has disintegrated and I cannot find one anywhere. Also the two wire circlips that hold the damper rod to the damper are totally unserviceable, the top one is bent out of shape and the lower one is missing. Once again I cannot find any of those either. I paid quite a large sum for this bike as it looked in very good restored condition but I think I have been sold a pup. This is my first A65 as I have been a confirmed A10 owner before and I thought I would give it a go. Can anyone help me in my search for info and spares. I have searched both Draganfly and British Bike Bits and Classic Bike web sites to no avail though I have purchased a fair few parts from all of them.
Both fork legs should be fitted with the damper assembly - the damper tube retained by the allen bolt through the bottom of the fork slider and the damper rod screwing into the fork top nut.
The A65 got the damper rod forks from the 1966 season models.
Try phoning C and D autos 01564 795000 for parts.
Thanks for that, I will try C and D autos tomorrow. One thing puzzles me though, how is the other damper held in cause there is no bolt provision or access for one in the lower part of the slider on the other fork nor are there any damper parts at all from the top chrome nut downwards? All I can find online is a damper only.
If the other fork is pre 1966 then there is no damper tube, just like the A10 forks you may be more familiar with there is just a fixed damper cone in the lower fork leg. The pre 1966 and 1966 on forks are quite different internally. The fork shafts are also different.
There is a damper cone in the other slider. Question, in your opinion is it safe to operate the bike with the forks as is though I think I know your answer? Second to that has anyone out there got a matching set of forks condition immaterial so long as they can be renovated with new parts and the sliders are not worn out.
The damping characteristics are different for the pre and 1966 on forks. Dont mix.