35mm or 36mm Forks - Marzocchi, Cerani or ?

I'm investigating improving the forks on my Guzzi. They're currently the
original gas strut type.

Marzocchi used to manufacture a replacement but they are quite rare and
there are none on flea-bay. I believe they also fitted Laverdas and
Ducatis.

Other than that, what other (Italian?) machines had good forks with 35mm
or 36mm stanchions [1], twin brembo caliper (4 pot or std p8 type), total
length approx 715mm and travel approx 140mm.

These may fit the bill ...
http://www.tower.org/museum/ducati/ducati_1977_900ss.html
http://www.thecreeper.net/laverda/jotadoc_small.jpg
.... where would be the best place to start looking? Any suggestions as
to S?H parts dealers?

Importantly what are they like? Any good? Technical specs?

Ceriani forks ... ?


[1] Currently the yokes are 35mm but could be machined out to 36,
perhaps 37/38.

 

no brainer.

Sling it in a skip and buy a nice modern jap bike.

Oh, but can I still have a go first?

 

<snip search for holy grail>

While you find some, fit a pair of fontana dampers, well worth the oney
copmpared to the standard guzzi struts.

36mm marzochis can be found occasionally with p8 brackets. Usually off old
ducatis.

 

sweller wrote

Why not buy a new yoke that is made proper to fit?

 

The Le Mans had 36mm yokes, but no handlebar clamps. Cheaper to machine
my late T3 type out. Probably.

 

Can you fit cartridge emulators?

 

What are they?

 

sweller wrote

Maybe. It just seems wrong though.

What happens if you **** it up or don't like it?

 

Check out www.racetech.com. Basically they are kits that replace your
normal damper rod mechanism with the same sort of gubbins you get in
cartridge forks.

You get cartridge fork performance without the expense of changing your
forks. The only catch is that you have to extract the emulator from
under the spring to adjust the damping rather than having all the
convenience of the screws on the outside of the shock body.

 

I'll get another. They're quite common used and not exactly a consumable.

 

I don't think I can fit them as the Guzzi doesn't have normal damping rod
innards.

It has precharged gas struts, similar to the struts found on car boots,
within the stanchions. For all intents and purposes the oil in the
sliders is only for lubrication.

Unfortunately the gas struts are not adjustable and only come in one
'flavour' [1]. This means there can be no revalving to suit different
riding styles.

Hence the reason I'm looking at alternatives.


[1] Tallbloke has mentioned a different type of gas cartridge which I'm
investigating. Not having much luck with google though.

 

How quaint.

Have you considered a set of USD forks from Champ's garage?

 

Hmmm, dunno. My mate Dale at basicbikes.com got mine for me. I'll ask him if
he can get any more.

 

the words graanmother and eggs are ringing in my ears but you will
have tried

http://www.raceco.com/


yes I tought you would have.

 

oooh, I'm going to have to go for a lie down now ...

Of course, of course ...