Rebuilding Ceriani 35mm Forks

GENERAL SERVICE INFO No. 13

by Alan Buehner

The following General Service bulletin was mailed out to Penton Dealers on August 15, 1975 by Penton Imports. It is being reprinted in this newsletter to alert any of our members who have bikes with these forks as to what to look for when servicing them.

Our riders and a few dealers have recently discovered that the dampening control of the 35mm Ceriani fork can be fantastically improved by replacing a small washer type spring #1-209-0612 and in the case of a fork over a year old, replace the aluminum washer #1-209-0610. The original factory springs have always been heat treated wrong for lasting control. We have now had made special heat treated spring washer that do the job indefinitely.

This spring washer is cheap and can be replaced very easily by gently pinching the two high edges and it will remove like a charm. Replace the new ones the same way and do your best to center the springs and the aluminum washer spacers. If necessary, along with the cleaning, polishing of the ball check in the fork tube caps, you can not go wrong in noticing a great difference and improvement in the total suspension of your bike.

This condition in the front fork has been bugging a lot of riders for a long time and 50% of the time they have been thinking it is their rear shocks. One last comment on the ball check valves in the fork caps. When cleaning and polishing these balls, make certain the little vent hole is open through the cap. This takes a very small drill bit or wire to clean. Always after washing your machine, I recommend spraying LPS or similar type rust preventative in the small vent hole. This is insurance on always having a beautifully working fork that won't leak. We have the washers and aluminum spacers in stock, and believe me they are rightly cheap for the results.

no. 1-209-0612 wave washer spring
no. 1-209-0610 aluminum washer

These wave washer springs and aluminum washers are used in the 1973 to 1976 Ceriani 35mm forks. In 1976 a new valve set #1-844-065 was used in the leading axle Ceriani forks to replace the old style valve set. This new valve set can be used as a replacement valve set in the 200mm Ceriani forks.

Please NOTE: The #1-209-0610 washer is steel not aluminum as printed in the service bulletin.

This photo shows the two wave spring washers #1-209-0612 on the right and two valve washers #1-209-0610 on the left. The wave springs are inserted and removed from the valve (# 1-209-0610) by gently pinching the high sides of the spring together with your fingers as shown in this photo. Doing so allows the lower sides to expand outward from the 2 small tabs in the valve that hold the spring in place.

This photo shows the #1-88-065 valve kit used in the Ceriani leading axle forks. It can be used as a replacement for the wavy washer valve assemblies used in the 200mm Ceriani 35mm forks.

Photo showing the ball #1-88-043, spring #1-240-023, and cap screw #1-240-022 used in all Ceriani fork caps. These parts are inexpensive and should be replaced rather than trying to polish them up. Because of the age of used fork caps, the balls and springs are generally rusty and deteriorated. The balls could be rusted to the inside of the cap and care must be taken to remove them.

Photo of a 32mm and 35mm fork cap showing vent hole in each. Dirt has a way of getting inside these small holes. They should be checked for debris as part of maintenance after a race.

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