Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 Axxion Cartridge Package, '01-'10 GL1800

It's true  -- the Honda Gold Wing is probably the most sophisticated motorcycle ever created. From our experience, nearly every Wing owner is baffled as to why their bike's suspension behaves so poorly. If you are tired of the bouncing, wallowing, bottoming, chattering, and wobbling of your stock forks, then TRAXXION DYNAMICS has the CURE!!!

"Why are my stock forks so bad?"

Like many bikes, the Wing's Showa forks must have been designed by accountants, not engineers! These forks have a "damping rod" in one side and an extremely low quality cartridge in the other side to control the movement of the wheel. The damping rod side is basically useless - a metal tube with four holes in the bottom of the tube, and a big hole a the top. The oils is forces through the bottom hole and out the top - a perfectly designed oil stirring device, but does little to absorb the bumps and jolts or contribute to the handling of a 900 pound machine. This style of fork is used on cheap production bikes; comparing a damping rod fork to a proper cartridge fork is like trying to compare a a lawn tractor to a Ferrari -- the simply is no comparison. The damping rod fork is the cheapest, poorest performing attempt at damping, and has been around the motorcycle industry for decades; this is 1960 'technology', at best.

What's a cartridge fork?

The basic "cartridge fork" was first introduced in sport bikes, about 20 years ago, and since has been highly refined. Unfortunately, for Wing owners, none of that refinement has made it into the cheapo cartridge on just the RIGHT FORK! That's right - the Wing's forks may both look the same on the outside, but in what was surely a cost saving measure, they're not at all the same on the inside.

The next problem is the Wing's stock fork springs. The stock springs are so weak and wimpy that they can't even support the weight of the bike; never mind that they are completely unable to hold you up when you get on it, take a passenger along, or load up the bike with gear. The springs might be fine a 250cc bike, but not on a bike that weighs-in over half-a-ton with rider and passenger. The Wings has limited suspension travel to begin with, so try this -- Just pick your bike up off the sidestand and watch the suspension almost fully it collapse, before you even go on the bike!

The poor fork-internals and the less than ideal springs, result in forks that bottom-out over large bumps and railroad tracks, wallowing high speed turns, dive dramatically when you engage the brake, causes cupping and abnormal tire wear, and leaves you feeling uncomfortable and lacking confidence in the feel and handling of your bike.

A search on the Web, will reveal complete dissertations written by Gold Wing tuners and enthusiasts on the subject of wobbling Gold Wings and what to do to fix them. At best, the solutions offered are "band-aids"  and rather than address the root cause of the faults, only mask the real issues. Installing "progressive" type springs, over-tightening steering head bearings or installing a three-piece fork brace seemed to be the best known *cures* to date. Please - don't waste your time or money on these home remedies.

Gold Wings wobble because of totally inadequate front suspension. That's it. No rocket science. No Internet chat room "experts" required. Just fix the ill-performing stock forks, and you'll feel you're on a totally different motorcycle

The AK-20 Axxion cartridge kit is absolutely STATE OF THE ART. First introduced in February 2005, It is custom spec'd to suit your riding style, and includes straight rate springs matched to your weight and your intended use, and best of all IT WORKS!

The AK-20 Axxion Cartridge Kit DRAMATICALLY transforms ill-handling Gold Wings. Immediately you will feel a smooth, controlled ride. The bike's front end will not dive under aggressive or panic braking. You will have a confident feel even in high speed sweeping turns. Your tire wear will improve dramatically. Your pegs and floorboards will stop dragging the ground in turns. You will have great control and stability at low speeds, such as moving through a parking lot. Even your passenger will notice the difference! After installing this upgrade, you won't recognize your own bike!

Traxxion Dynamics products are American designed and manufactured by highly skilled suspension experts in Woodstock, Georgia. You cannot buy a better working set of forks anywhere, at any price. We guarantee it!

Can I install the AK-20 cartridges myself?

The AK-20 cartridges must be installed by an authorized installer, and Rocket Moto is a Traxxion Dynamics trained and authorized installer, We have a complete technical facility for suspension work, and will arrange for an appointment to have your Traxxion suspension installation completed in a timely manner.

If you are located out of the New England area, you may remove the forks yourself, and ship them to us. We will completely disassemble, clean, inspect, service and in install the AK-20 cartridges, ready to re-install on your bike.

Check out the Traxxion GL1800 rear shock and spring, as well. The combination of the front fork upgrades, plus the rear shock, will transform your Wing into the bike it should have been from the factory!

Technical Details:

The AK-20 Axxion Cartridge Kit is a complete bolt-in upgrade that replaces the stock ill-performing springs and cartridges with a pair of extremely high-tolerance CNC-machined cartridges, and top quality springs to your needs, weight, and intended use. The Traxxion 20mm cartridge tubes are bored and honed to an exacting tolerance of just .0005".

The 12.5mm cartridge rods are centerless ground to .0005", as well. No other suspension unit is held to these exacting standards. The unique bearing design helps seal the cartridge to improve low speed damping and increase damping response time, and virtually eliminates stiction (friction). The components are then hard-coat anodized to prevent oxidation and wear contamination of the fork fluid. All of this leads to a cartridge that performs beyond any customer's expectation.

As an added bonus, the kit is completely modular in construction, and can be retrofitted to future bikes you may buy. Included in the kit is one set of AK-20 Axxion Cartridges, one set of our proprietary Omni Springs matched to the rider's weight and riding preferences, and one quart of high quality racing fork fluid. The GL1800 forks do not have any external adjustments, so we have developed a Rebound and Spring Preload adjustable fork cap that can be added to the AK-20 Kit as an option. Our caps give you the ability to easily tune the suspension for varying conditions and loads.