Fork Oil Change How To Request

[ducatiz]

lol, hey I was just about to post that up over here!  Thanks for linking me

thanks for the excellent howto   

[dlearl476]

Some people measure things before hand then do the swapout, but i have too much going on in my head and too many quaaludes in my system to remember that shit.

+1

I've found that a pen and paper, and digicam/voice recorder when it gets really complicated, really help.

lol, hey I was just about to post that up over here!  Thanks for linking me

]

Next, press the spring down just a little by wrapping a rag around it and pushing down. A second person then can remove the fork spring retainer. There is a cut out in the side, so once it is loose, you just pull it sideways to remove it.

I had a hell of a time with this when I did my adjustable ones.  I don't know if that makes a difference, but I found the $120 RaceTech spring compressor to be worth it's weight in gold.
Then again, I guess a "second person" to help me, it might have been different. 

Speaking of RaceTech, GoldValves might be just what you're looking for, manglebug.  Nice "mid-price" solution, easy to DIY, and well worth it.

[KEH]

I have a few questions on this procedure:

1. What weight oil should I use? I have a '99 M750. I weigh 250+. Needless to say, my front suspension is soft! I was hoping to get thicker oil in there to stiffen up the forks.

2. How much oil do I need to put in each tube?

3. Should I replace the fork springs while I'm in there? If so, what type/weight should I get, and where?

4. Should I replace the fork seals? My bike has 20k miles but there are no leaks. The bike is always garaged.

Thanks in advance!

[Howie]

I have a few questions on this procedure:

1. What weight oil should I use? I have a '99 M750. I weigh 250+. Needless to say, my front suspension is soft! I was hoping to get thicker oil in there to stiffen up the forks.
2. How much oil do I need to put in each tube?

3. Should I replace the fork springs while I'm in there? If so, what type/weight should I get, and where?

4. Should I replace the fork seals? My bike has 20k miles but there are no leaks. The bike is always garaged.

Thanks in advance!

You will need springs, oil will not be enough.  I would change the seals.You need a rear spring also.  Do you have Marzochis or Showas?   The Showas will say Showa on the inside of the stanchion (fork bottom).

[KEH]

They are Marzochis.

What weight oil and fork springs do you think I should get, or is there a chart or something I can look at that will guide me?

In regards to the rear shock, I have been on the lookout for an Ohlins du440 for some time. Used ones don't come up for sale too often and new ones are a little pricey.

[Howie]

They are Marzochis.

What weight oil and fork springs do you think I should get, or is there a chart or something I can look at that will guide me?

In regards to the rear shock, I have been on the lookout for an Ohlins du440 for some time. Used ones don't come up for sale too often and new ones are a little pricey.

Ducvet is really good at this, better than charts.  You might want to PM him.  I would put a rear spring on the old shock anyway.  The spring will be of use when you buy the Ohlins unless the previous owner had it sprung for a 250+ rider.

[davejenknz]

Good advice from all so far.. but ..
When you are setting your forks in the trees, consider what you are trying to achieve.
What you want is that the axle is positioned correctly. To do this you need to use the measurement technique as a guide.
What I do is this:
I first set one of the legs to the distance as proscribed in the manual. In my case (S4) 195.5mm from the fork top to the top of the lower tree.
Then I present the next fork and use the axle as my guide. When the axle slides through both forks without binding (as it will if its not perfectly aligned) then I'm done.

This technique is what LT Snyder uses. Get his book, it's well worth the money.  http://www.desmotimes.com/

[uclabiker06]

I put a piece of tape around each fork right under the lower triple then use the the pieces of tape to let me know how high each fork should be.  If you want to put your forks back to the same position they were before the disassembly then this method should be viable.

and just loosen all the pinch bolts slightly so that any stresses will sort of work their way out, then tighten it up again, and ride away.

How do you know you are loosening the bolts enough to get rid of the stresses?  What if you loosen them too much?  I don't know about that.