In case you missed the email topic,

(from 04/08)

With several able bodies helping, we put the Lark on the belly
jack and tested the viability of using the retract function again.
With the zip tie and warning label removed, we exercised the gear
through several cycles, noticing that with the new suspension fork
installed we now have 1"+ clearance between the new tire and the
schrader valve. The effort is very low and the lock positive at both
travel ends.
The choice is yours to use the retract or not, performance being
similar in both cases as the wheel still extends halfway when
retracted. The Lark can be landed both ways, but with gear up, there
is no suspension action, so landings must be smooth to prevent fork
damage, as the tire is the only "give".
Any one transitioning to a ship with full retracting gear would do
well to practice retracting on lark flights before the LS3 or similar
ship. The Lark is much more forgiving if you forget.

One last note:  If the fork is damaged again, or the strut allowed to
go flat, retracting may be impossible. In that case, lock it back
down, check it locked, land normally, and notify the club for repairs.

Mark