The oil in your fork loses lubricity, gets dirty, and should be changed every 10,000 miles or
once a year
.
What happens if you don't change fork oil?
The longer your fork seals leak, the more oil that drips onto your front wheel below. The fork oil will also begin leaking onto your front brake pads and calipers. … When your brakes become too lubricated, their ability to stop your front wheel when you clamp down on your brakes is practically non-existent.
Does changing fork oil make a difference?
A change in viscosity by just a couple of points makes
a big difference in suspension compliance and action. All that applies to the fork also pertains to the shock (or shocks). The piston wears on the shock body, picking up metal that then travels through the oil and damping circuit.
What does adding more fork oil do?
Adding oil to your forks
reduces the air volume
. Since air is compressible, a smaller airspace is harder to compress than a larger airspace, which results in a stiffer fork.
How important is fork oil?
The fork oil inside the fork works
directly with the valves to provide consistent damping
when you're riding. It controls the fork spring's energy and converts it to heat that the fork oil absorbs. It does this without regard for temperature, terrain, or what type of motorcycle you choose to ride.
Can I ride with no fork oil?
With no oil in the forks your bike will slowly start to
rust
, starting from the forks themselves. It's just like cancer.
Can you change fork oil without removing forks?
You will need to remove the caps to refill the fork tubes with oil. Determine if the fork legs have oil drain plugs near the bottom of the legs. If they do, you are in luck and will be
able to change the oil without
removing the fork legs.
Should I use heavier fork oil?
The fluid's viscosity (often thought of as its thickness) influences how fast or slow the oil flows through the shock valves. If you prefer quick rebounds, use a lighter fluid. If you like
slower rebounds, use a heavier fluid
.
What weight of fork oil should I use?
Most suspension fluids that are lighter
than 5wt
are designed specifically to be used in a shock. Fork oils heavier than 5wt get too thin when they get hot. Stick with 5wt fork oil.
How do I check fork oil level?
The proper way to measure fork oil is take the springs out,
collapse the forks all the way down, then measure how far the oil is down from the top of the fork
. If you don't have a manual, check with your dealer for the correct level down. I run my fork oil 130mm down from the top.
Does fork oil brand matter?
Yes
, fork oil matters.
How can you tell if fork oil is bad?
The oil in your fork loses lubricity, gets dirty, and should be changed
every 10,000 miles or once a year
.
Can you use motor oil in dirt bike forks?
motor oil works
well in the outer chambers of twin chamber forks
.
Will Fork oil damage paint?
The
oil will not harm your paint if it gets on it
.
How much does it cost to change fork oil?
For this I usually get
about $150-$250
with them on the bike, less if they are off. In all actuality if it was a set of forks that I had recently serviced and I could guarantee the oil level and type was right I would charge about $50 on the bike to just to swap springs.
Can you change fork seals without disassembly?
To answer the original question, though,
NO. You can't replace the seals without disassembly
(you wouldn't even want to). The seal you see on the outside is a dust seal. The one leaking is on the inside and the bushings get replaced at the same time.
