For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost....

Perhaps the bane of the mighty F700 is the completely unsupported availability of nice suspension (e.g. 'spench) owning that to BMWs use of the Marzocchi 41mm diameter front forks.  But now after 9 years on the F650/F700 platform and 137K miles for me, my nirvana is coming to fruition.    Clearly, the Ohlins/Traxxion/Hyperpro/etc companies had little appetite to eat the sunk costs to only support the lonley F700.  So years marched by.

One the previous twin bike, I had done the Racetech Emulators and heavier springs.  While it did fix some aspects of the front end diving, it certainly came with a bag of headaches too.  For one, it had a propensity to ride much like an unloaded dumptruck over square-type compressions.  So, when I got this second twin bike in 2015, I had no decent front end options but yet the rear 'spench sported an Ohlins upgrade.

My top candidate was Emig Racing had proposed a rather elaborate plan to graft DR forks, machining a new top clamp, new axle and on and on.  The plan was both crazy (!) expensive and I wasn't confident that it would put me where I wanted to be.  And so the years marched by. 

Now the savior to this story comes from two unlikely heroes.  The first was the Kawasaki 300.  Yes, a little 300cc Asian bike that happens to be a fan favorite on the race track.  As the boys (and girls) race the dog snot out them, a sustainable user base is born.  You see the Kawa 300 apparently shares our whacky Marzocchi 41mm front forks.

Then on a random day in May 2019, I attended a training day with California Super Bike School.  It was probably one of the most dynamic schools I had the pleasure to attend.  However, it brought back to the front of my mind how woefully inadequate the F700 front end is.  I left the California Super Bike School longing for a ride that came out the corners better.  I actually went bike shopping considering both the MT-09 and the Ninjette400s.  After a long hard deliberation and trade space anaysis the F700 did complete nearly everything I wanted in a bike....except that dastardly front end dive.  My second hero to this story is my personal 'spench magician, FastBike Industries.

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The proprietor of Fastbike, David, has done me well over the years.  He's built nearly a half dozen builds for us, and is always willing to listen.  He departs the conversation with  a promise to do some research.  Not 48 hrs later, he has a tasty option that I cannot refuse.  Now a month later, my F700 forks are in his shop getting upgraded.

I suppose I should blame the Italians (Marzchocci) for getting me into the 41mm mess.  But then, I can also congratulate the Italians for righting-a-wrong. Andreani group quietly went to production, though I had not been tracking this since the trail went cold in 2015.  Let me introduce you to the Misano Cartridge

"MISANO" FORK CARTRIDGE KIT
The complete cartridge with hydraulic adjustment and spring preload for original fork (OEM), developed by the Andreani Group, is equipped with a sophisticated hydraulic system that ensures the adjustment in compression, extension and preload of the spring, with adjustments placed directly on the upper cap of the cartridge in order to guarantee easy access to the set-up.

A made in Italy cartridge
Andreani Group has developed the famous Misano cartridge, appreciated all over the world for its exceptional quality-price ratio. Inside it is formed by a 20mm piston which guarantees a better functioning of the hydraulics. Mounting this kit by Andreani, the improvement at the front end can be seen from the very first laps. Braking is more stable and modular and even the precision and stability in the corners are significantly improved.
Comfort and safety are the key words.  Andreani offers the possibility to choose the springs for the Misano cartridge according to the rider's weight and according to the use or the driving style, to have maximum personalization. This guarantees an excellent feeling with the front and the comfort appears decidedly superior.
Having a firm front and more stable at the entrance and during cornering, it also increases the driving safety and it is possible to have much more precise trajectories, making more use of the grip between the asphalt and the front tire, obtaining a safe, stable and fast motion .
Ohlins oil for fork cartridges is required for assembly

FEATURES

• 20mm diameter pistons with increased oil passages
• Adjustable in compression, extension and spring preload
• Improves stability, control and driving precision
• Possibility to choose the calibration of the springs based on the weight and style of the rider
• Settings and adjustments positioned on the upper cap of the cartridge

So, put about 1000 miles so far on them.  I was a bit forlorn that the top caps didn't have a bit more "pop", but that is probably pedantic. The handling has been markedly improved.  It wasn't terribly uncommon for that bike to want to drag the front of the crash bar--it no longer does!   Now for some install photos.

Also, I wasn't expecting compression to be in one fork and rebound in the other.  It's made dialing them in a bit easier, but also not as "sexy" as some other forks we've done. 

So I nearly gave up on beloved F700 for want good suspension. I guess front suspension is like a modern day nail?

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.