Porsche Bike Adventure: Porsche Bike S fork assembly

Monday, January 23, 2017

Porsche Bike S fork assembly

Even though I'm now on to the Porsche Bike X project, I frequently get questions about my last project, the Porsche Bike S.

I have a scan of the factory Porsche Bike S manual if anyone would like a digital copy, just email me.

I have refurbished the front shocks before and can help explain the process and where to orders parts if needed. My biggest advice is, don't wait until you HAVE TO rebuild the shocks. Once the elastomers break down, the fork is much harder to clean out and rebuild. Refurbish your forks every few years. It's fun and will be a lot easier!

Here are a couple images from the manual.

6 comments:

hansJuly 15, 2017 at 5:10 AM
hi Jim, does the rear suspension also need refurbishing?
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Porsche Bike S Century RideJuly 15, 2017 at 7:51 AM
Hi Hans, the Bike S doesn't have rear suspension. You're likely referring to the Bike FS. If so, I've seen it frequently with the Risse Astro-5 rear damper. This is a very cool piece of technology. It's adjustable for soft downhills and can be set stiff for uphills.

Here is the web address for the product detail:
https://www.risseracing.com/airshocks_astro_5.shtml

And the PDF instructions for the damper:
https://www.risseracing.com/technical/pdf_files/Astro-5.pdf

And a video showing some Risse Astro-5 maintenance work:
https://youtu.be/r7phihNMQxk

And lastly, a helpful general video on mountain bike rear suspension:
https://youtu.be/HgnOYZYP7H4

To answer your question, yes they do need refurbishing. Particularly on these nearly 20 year old bikes. I'd recommend having a bike shop refurbish unless you're well-versed on bike repair.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!
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jjnznNovember 12, 2020 at 12:12 PM
Hi Jim,
I live in Belgium and I am restoring a Bike S from 1999 that sat in my parents' garage for about 15 years. The front fork is very dry and stiff and definitely needs refurbishing. I came across your blog when searching for information on the bike and love to see your passion :)
Could I please kindly ask you to send me the scan of the user manual? Any advice on how I should proceed?
Many thanks
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My Story

I am a fanatical Porsche enthusiast. I love all things Porsche. This has led me to explore the depths of the automobile brand including some of the least known items the marque is known for. My latest journey - Porsche bicycles!

When I was 13 years old, I fell in love with Porsche cars. Delivering the morning newspaper on my Schwinn ten-speed bike brought me face to bumper with a white 911T each morning and from there I was hooked.

Many years later, I have a garage full of Porsche automobiles and a plethora of Porsche paraphernalia including everything from posters, flags, hats, shirts, sunglasses, scale models, a wristwatch and much more; all of the normal stuff any average PCA member has collected.

Some of my more prized Porsche possessions are my three Porsche bicycles. Yes, three. One is a 100% original 1996 Bike S. The other is a heavily modified 1998 Bike S I use for road and mountain riding. And the latest is a touring-style 2004 Porsche Bike X that I turned into a road bike. I have ridden these three bikes over 5,000 miles in the last few years.

In 2016, I rode many training miles in preparation for a 53-mile ride in the California Sierra foothills, a 72-mile ride around Lake Tahoe and the grand finale ride of 100 miles at the Sacramento Century. The 100 mile ride I believe is a world record on a Porsche Bike S.

Then in July 2017, I completed the 2017 Death Ride with the rebuilt and ultra rare 2004 Porsche Bike X. The Death Ride is an extremely challenging 125-mile, 15,000 foot elevation gain bike ride that crosses five mountain passes in the California Alps near Lake Tahoe. I believe this was the first time a Porsche bicycle completed the Death Ride. Another record.

In the fall of 2020, I rode the 184.5-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath across three days on the 1998 Bike S. My first multi-day bike riding tour. Another Porsche bike record?

And this blog shared every mile!

2016, 2017 and 2020 were great years of riding. What could possibly follow that?

In 2021, I completed my goal to ride the 360-mile Chesapeake and Ohio and Great Allegheny Passage on the 2004 Bike X. I converted the Bike X back to a hybrid bike for the six-day epic adventure. And in 2022, the Bike X also completed the 237-mile Florida Coast to Coast ride with eight other Porsche Bike riders.

More Porsche Bike adventures are coming up. And just like previous efforts, I plan to share every mile on this blog!

Monday, January 23, 2017

Porsche Bike S fork assembly

6 comments:

Phase One Complete: Sea Gull Century x 1999 Porsche Bike R