Fork oil spec

Hi Clivey

This site of yours is proving to be quite helpful.

Just putting new fork stanchions on my bike too.

Do you know what spec and what quantity of oil to put in the forks?

Thanks

Gary

Bugger, just been in the garage turning the old girl over (and investigating my small ends, see other post), when I go back in I'll dig my manual out and check for ya....

Did you get a spec on fork oil yet?
Book calls for either 5-20, 10-20 fork oil, or ATF. I use generic synthetic ATF, in my 550, seems to work pretty good.
Not sure what bike you are working on....
380J-K takes 210cc, 380L-A takes 145cc
550J-l takes 235cc, 550M-A takes 160cc
750s are the same as the 550s

Second ride out on mine the other day and I hit a pot hole. Popped the lhs out and lost the cap and circlip. First bike I have had trouble with and a bad design I think. Screw in caps are much safer.

Ordered 2 new circlips, 2 O rings and a cap. Should be here tomorrow so it it easy enough to push the piston thingy with the O ring on down and replace the circlip? Whats your best way? The forks are still on the bike.

Hope I'm not thread stealing, thought I would post as its related.

Easiest is to push it down with the forks on the bike, and the bike blocked up with the front wheel off the ground.

Did it by trial and error in the end.

By removing the front wheel I could move each slider independanty and by removing the nuts at the top of the forks I eliminated the resistance of the spring.

In this way I could feel only the resistance of the damper.

With too little oil inside I could feel and hear air being draw through the damper.

I just kept topping up with oil little by little until the action was smooth, continuous and quiet.

I had a 1 litre bottle, I've done both forks and I've got a little over 500 ml remaining so I guess 235 ml it is then.

I found that the front fork was just too harsh with 235cc oil (using 10W fork oil). I removed 15cc from each and it made a nice difference.

Cheers!

rick in canada