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Post by teflon97239 on Dec 8, 2010 23:32:25 GMT -5
Got my 75 out of the shop today with new progressive front springs, tapered headset bearings and general maintenance stuff. While the forks were apart, I had them throw on some black rubber fork boots just for aesthetics since the overall vibe is heading toward Brit twin cafe by spring/summer. No idea what brand or source they are, but as you can see in the pics they're laughable. Thin, flimsy and floppy. Happy to say the owner of the shop agrees, so we're both looking for a suitable replacement that he'll swap out. Can anyone here recommend the right part that doesn't look like Shaq's tubesocks bagging around my ankles? The thicker and sturdier the better. Pics or links welcome. Thanks in advance. Teflon97239@yahoo.com Attachments:
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Post by 5twins on Dec 9, 2010 0:04:12 GMT -5
I use truck shock gaiters, as cheap as $2 or $3 each on the web, about $5 each at the auto parts stores. They're a bit long so you need to cut a couple bellows off the top, then wrap about a half inch strip of old radiator hose around the tube for a shim and secure with a black cable tie. The bottoms fit perfectly on the slider tops .....  They come in a multitude of colors and are very heavy duty. They've been on my XS for about 5 years and on another Yamaha for over 10, no signs of wear or deterioration. |
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Post by teflon97239 on Dec 15, 2010 16:44:35 GMT -5
5twins, your solution looks a LOT better. Thank you. Found my truck shock gaiters at Baxter's for $4 each. This was after speaking to a couple locals with the Mike's boots, who both had problems with splitting almost immediately. As you can see, I haven't cut mine down yet. They're just stretched down over the sliders for the moment. So, you just did a nice straight cut around the narrow part between two bellows at the bottom and they fit fine, right? Seems like they're just the right diameter to stay put that way, yes? By the way, bronze swingarm bearings alone didn't fix that unnerving wiggle at 70mph, but progressive fork springs and tapered headset bearings sure seem to help. Looking forward to a less windy day to evaluate further. One never knows when another winter tornado will mess up a ride here in Oregon.... Attachments:
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Post by richard on Dec 15, 2010 23:59:42 GMT -5
That's a pretty good idea thanks 5twins.
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Post by 5twins on Dec 16, 2010 2:39:18 GMT -5
Leave the bottom because it fits perfect on the lowers where the dust wiper used to go. Cut the bellows off the top. You may have to remove as many as a half dozen depending on how long yours are. Unfortunately, when you cut the top off, you lose that nice fitting top section on the original boot. I used to cut them about 1/4" above the low point in a bellow so I would leave a "V" of rubber to hold the cable tie. I've come up with a better method that utilizes that nice fitting top. If you look at the bellows, you'll notice they taper. The top ones are smaller and they get progressively larger as they go down. This is good for what we are about to do. Shorten the gaiter to the length you need by cutting several bellows off the top. Make it a nice cut at the low point of one of the bellows. Cut that nice fitting top and the one bellow below it off the section you remove. Insert the bellow on that top mounting piece into the top bellow on the lower section you just shortened and are going to use. Since the bellows taper and get larger as you go down, that smaller top bellow fits perfectly inside a larger one that is several bellows lower. This works so well, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner, lol.   This is such a nice interference fit that you don't need any glue or anything between the 2 bellows. The top mounting section fits so well on the fork tube that you probably don't need any sort of cable tie or hose clamp there either. |
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Post by richard on Dec 16, 2010 14:06:53 GMT -5
Wow! That's pretty cool. Good Idea :-)
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Post by hardway1969 on Dec 29, 2010 16:37:42 GMT -5
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Post by dpmulvan on Dec 30, 2010 15:36:25 GMT -5
Nice find 5 twins just saved us all a boat load of cash your the xsman of the week
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Post by 5twins on Dec 31, 2010 12:19:01 GMT -5
Yes, I think the ones in that 2nd link, the Pro Comp boots, are more like what I have, may even be them. I know they're not the Daystars, I have them on another bike and I don't care for them as much. Slightly smaller and more pointy bellows.
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Post by 5twins on Dec 31, 2010 12:26:35 GMT -5
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