Fork adjustment/Oil Question
02-07-2010 | 10:41 AM
#1
Thread Starter
New Hawk Rider
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 258
From: Ventura Co. SoCAL
Fork adjustment/Oil Question
Ok, so I was trying to put on some risers today and I took off the wrong part. (I am a mechanical retard so it's not surprising)
Anyway, I ended up releasing my left fork tube. I lost a few oz's of oil, maybe a small cap full when I was putting it back together. I did get it back together with a C-clamp and a wrench though, it was tough!
I got the fork tube back together, risers on the right way, and everything seems fine. I do have a few questions though.
1. The tops of the tubes have adjustable settings. I have done some surfing and found that on the SH you should have 4 lines showing, Is that correct? (on the little part sticking out the top of the tube, not sure the name?)
2. The S and H settings with the dial in the middle, I assume is for Soft and Hard rebounding? Is that correct? What should that setting be?
3. I did not lose a lot of oil and I do not race or track my bike. It is a commuter bike and I do not run it hard. The bike is just over 5000 miles now and I am planning on taking it in for the scheduled 8000 mile maintenance. Did I lose too much oil, or should it be fine for now?
4. On the stock handlebar set up there is a small locking wire that helps hold the bar clips in place. Once the risers are on it seems to put the seam of the stock clips in where the wire used to be. The risers cover the old area where the locking wire used to be so I assume that wire is no longer needed, correct? (I am saving them anyway) As for having the risers on correctly, the locking wires are not needed?
Thanks guys
Anyway, I ended up releasing my left fork tube. I lost a few oz's of oil, maybe a small cap full when I was putting it back together. I did get it back together with a C-clamp and a wrench though, it was tough!
I got the fork tube back together, risers on the right way, and everything seems fine. I do have a few questions though.
1. The tops of the tubes have adjustable settings. I have done some surfing and found that on the SH you should have 4 lines showing, Is that correct? (on the little part sticking out the top of the tube, not sure the name?)
2. The S and H settings with the dial in the middle, I assume is for Soft and Hard rebounding? Is that correct? What should that setting be?
3. I did not lose a lot of oil and I do not race or track my bike. It is a commuter bike and I do not run it hard. The bike is just over 5000 miles now and I am planning on taking it in for the scheduled 8000 mile maintenance. Did I lose too much oil, or should it be fine for now?
4. On the stock handlebar set up there is a small locking wire that helps hold the bar clips in place. Once the risers are on it seems to put the seam of the stock clips in where the wire used to be. The risers cover the old area where the locking wire used to be so I assume that wire is no longer needed, correct? (I am saving them anyway) As for having the risers on correctly, the locking wires are not needed?
Thanks guys
02-07-2010 | 11:13 AM
#2
Banned
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,942
From: Lake View Terrace, CA
Ok, so I was trying to put on some risers today and I took off the wrong part. (I am a mechanical retard so it's not surprising)
Anyway, I ended up releasing my left fork tube. I lost a few oz's of oil, maybe a small cap full when I was putting it back together. I did get it back together with a C-clamp and a wrench though, it was tough!
I got the fork tube back together, risers on the right way, and everything seems fine. I do have a few questions though.
1. The tops of the tubes have adjustable settings. I have done some surfing and found that on the SH you should have 4 lines showing, Is that correct? (on the little part sticking out the top of the tube, not sure the name?)
Anyway, I ended up releasing my left fork tube. I lost a few oz's of oil, maybe a small cap full when I was putting it back together. I did get it back together with a C-clamp and a wrench though, it was tough!
I got the fork tube back together, risers on the right way, and everything seems fine. I do have a few questions though.
1. The tops of the tubes have adjustable settings. I have done some surfing and found that on the SH you should have 4 lines showing, Is that correct? (on the little part sticking out the top of the tube, not sure the name?)
3. I did not lose a lot of oil and I do not race or track my bike. It is a commuter bike and I do not run it hard. The bike is just over 5000 miles now and I am planning on taking it in for the scheduled 8000 mile maintenance. Did I lose too much oil, or should it be fine for now?
4. On the stock handlebar set up there is a small locking wire that helps hold the bar clips in place. Once the risers are on it seems to put the seam of the stock clips in where the wire used to be. The risers cover the old area where the locking wire used to be so I assume that wire is no longer needed, correct? (I am saving them anyway) As for having the risers on correctly, the locking wires are not needed?
Thanks guys
Thanks guys
Hope this helps a bit.
Cheers,
Mike
02-07-2010 | 11:21 AM
#3
2nd mouse gets the cheese
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,697
From: Beaverton, OR
It would be very bad to run the forks with one fork having little to no oil in it anymore. The forks hold under 10 ounces which is not much more than a cup so if you lost that much its basically empty. You need to tear the forks down enough to make the air gap the same in both forks again. Motorcycles are more like air planes in maintenance isues, it might be ok but should you risk failure mid flight... I don't think so.
02-07-2010 | 01:14 PM
#4
Thread Starter
New Hawk Rider
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 258
From: Ventura Co. SoCAL
Great advice guys. I appreciate it. I am due for a fluid change before it gets warm. I will have them take a look at the settings and adjust the bike more for my weight as well.
Great video by the way!
Great video by the way!
02-07-2010 | 01:45 PM
#5
Out of my mind, back in 5
MotoGP
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,109
From: Skurup, Sweden
It would be very bad to run the forks with one fork having little to no oil in it anymore. The forks hold under 10 ounces which is not much more than a cup so if you lost that much its basically empty. You need to tear the forks down enough to make the air gap the same in both forks again. Motorcycles are more like air planes in maintenance isues, it might be ok but should you risk failure mid flight... I don't think so.
BTW eersfanpilot... If you are above 100 lbs setting the stock fork up for your weight is an impossible task... Crank it hard and call it good is about the best you can do... To be even ballpark right you need new springs in there...
02-07-2010 | 05:40 PM
#6
Banned
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,942
From: Lake View Terrace, CA
It would be very bad to run the forks with one fork having little to no oil in it anymore. The forks hold under 10 ounces which is not much more than a cup so if you lost that much its basically empty. You need to tear the forks down enough to make the air gap the same in both forks again. Motorcycles are more like air planes in maintenance isues, it might be ok but should you risk failure mid flight... I don't think so.
It always better to have them set up correctly and i would ask why the fork oil wasn't changed while they were off but we all do things differently.
In this case i don't think he will have to much of a problem using the bike until he gets the forks serviced but then I'm just some guy on the internet....
Last edited by 8541Hawk; 02-07-2010 at 08:06 PM.
02-07-2010 | 07:39 PM
#7
Thread Starter
New Hawk Rider
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 258
From: Ventura Co. SoCAL
Yeah, as you stated Hawk, I did not lose a lot, just a small amount when I was shoving the unit back together. I am planning on having all my fluids serviced in a few weeks once the weather warms up a bit. I will have them refilled then.
02-07-2010 | 09:04 PM
#8
2nd mouse gets the cheese
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,697
From: Beaverton, OR
true maybe I over stated the amount lost, but "not alot" means different things to different people. I would say the forks do "not hold alot" of fluid to begin with. Just me though if the OP wants to run it that way then that is totally up to him, but honestly when mm of air gap can make a big difference in how the fork behaves I personally wouldn't chance a out of spec difference between the forks. Maybe I am just siding on the extreme I don't know.
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