Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ &e CURNUTT ON SHOCKS uperrlngs factory replacement piaton ringa • tf. .... N '" ~ > ~ .., '" ~ Z W ...J o > o not only unbreakable, but chrome plated for extra long life too II now for-Hodaka 100cc dyk. ., Bultaco 125, Bult.co 250, DKW • Sacha 125, Penton 125 FOR AU FACTORY PISTON SIZES ,ASK YOUR LOCAL DE'ALER 1750~ S. VICTORY GLENDALE, CAL. PHONE 213·241·3•• 5 By John Huetter One Saturday night about 18 years ago, Charles Curnutt started to prepare his bike for a desert race the next day~ He hadn't been too impressed with ,the one inch travel on the fear suspension of his 200cc Ariel so he started to prepare it for the race by redsigning the rear end to accommodate eight-inch travel shock absorbers . He cu t off the rear frame with a cutting torch, and put on shocks and a swing arm of his own design. He finished about two in the morning and got up shortly after dawn to go out on a Moose Run. Chuck fell about 10 times in the first half mile, being used to an essen tially rigid rear end. He fmally sorted out the handling and before the end of the run knew what a suspension was supposed to do. That was the beginning of Curnutt shocks. Surrounded by controversy, his product both bad-mouthed and violently defended, Charles Curnutt has continued to build shocks unlike any others from that day to the presen t. Seldom has there been so much strong feeling generated over such a seemingly straigh tforward - accessory as shock absorbers. Maybe it's the long travel philosophy of Curnutt himself, or the fact that people can't believe that If IT'S COOD lNODCH fOR JOlL, BUGS, J.N., SYlVAIN AND DlCOSTlR ••• IT SOUIIDCOIITROL 2 & 4 STROKE PIPES COMPETITION SILENCERS FRAME AND PIPE REPAIR HELl ARC AND MILLING maybe you should try it! sfADX[B~~~~}} 4366 E. LaPaima Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Tel. (714) 993-2602 Send $3.00 for Strokln' It T-shirt Charles Curnutl any thing so simple can actually work. Charlie Curnutt built the shocks to help him go across the desert faster and they're now in use by a \ second generation of desert riders. Curnutts were born in the desert (Chuck ran a Triumph with 6\4 inch travel shocks for years.) and the desert argued for long travel suspension. The 3.7 inch travel shocks currently produced are a compromise that makes the units more acceptable to most riders, though the 4.7 inch travel shocks are getting more acceptance all the time. Curnutt himself feels that if motocross had been as big when he was doing the basic development as it is now, that it would have been a better proving ground for suspensions. As evidence of his dedication to long travel, Curnutt is curren tly working on a 7-8 inch fron t and rear travel suspension dirt machine. With a long shock, you have to make a strong shaft. Curnutts have a half-inch of heat-treated stainless steel cut and threaded as the core of the shock. The main approach to building a Curnutt is one of simplicity and reliability. The philosophy is that of functional improvement rather than aesthetic appeal. Curnutt advises that it is really a competition shock; he is not trying to reach other markets. Longevity and -***************.- : • Yamaha & : Triumph : of Fontana : • : : : Sales 'arfs Sen;ce : : Maico, DKW, CZ, Hodaka, BMW: • 9008 Sierra Ave. . • • Fontana, Calif. ~~~'. • (714) 822-2252 . •' . dependability of the unit are very important to him. This is another reason that the shock is as large as it can be and still fit on a bike. The size helps to avoid burning up the shocks on long cross-country runs. There are other features in a Curnutt to ensure that it lasts as long as it has to in order to win, or complete a long run. Even if the main seal blows out in a long race, there's another O-ring that will keep the shocks working. Some of the Automatic Transmission Fluid may leak out, but not enough to cause difficulty with the handling of the bike. Additionally, the shock was designed and built to allow the rider to work with them himself, rebuilding them on his own when that's necessary. ATF was chosen as the fluid medium because it's readily available. The shocks use seals that are readily available anywhere. The O-rings are also a common neoprene-like material. The metals in the shock are not in tended to be replaced. The steel is stainless (as mentioned) and 4130 chrome-moly. The aluminum is 2024 aircraft grade. There is no spot welding or anything of that type involved in the manufacture::. With this quality of construction, it would be possible to charge more for Curnutt shocks but years of riding have definitely influenced Charles Curnutt's pricing structure. The price is pretty much what it's been for years and it's only recently that Curnutts have been available through dealers, mostly ou tside of California. One reason the shock was not marketed through dealers is that each shock is too much of a custom design. A set of shocks is built based on the bike they're to go on, rider weigh t, and type of competition. Based on experience and reports on a particular bike from riders, Curnutt will come up with a basic shock that's a good start for the machine in question. The rider weight determines the spring to be used with the shock. Curnutt believes his shocks should settle one inch on the 3.7" size with a rider aboard, two inches on the 4.7" size. for motocross or desert Use determines the preload of the spring. It's not a big thing, but there are subtle, real distinctions. For TT or FT, it's a very different sort of thing. Discussion LA HABRA YAMAHA Sales - Service - Parts Basqval'lla STREET-MOTOCROSS-DESERT 841 E. Whittier Blvd. La Habra (213) 691-8716 (714) 525-6200 •• ***************- SUN., JULY 23rd 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. AT THE WORLD FAMOUS ROSE BOWL l _TECH in Pasadena For 24·Hour Information, Call: PROOUCTS, Inc. . 7106 Barry Av.enue IF13 Rosemollt, IllinoIs 00018 . ~ (213) 588·7310

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