Well the time has come to change the fork oil for my winter suspension changes that I do every year. I have no problem doing the old style forks but do not have the tooling to do the Big piston versions yet, so cannot remove the spring to get an accurate air gap. Does anybody know how many cc's in a fork leg? Thanks.
You set the oil level with the springs in and the seal head removed - the air gap is 115mm. You only need two tools - a nice quality shallow socket spanner for the top cap and a seal head removal tool. The top cap spanner cost £12 and the seal head tool £24 both off Ebay. I changed my springs with the forks in situ but the oil was brand new so no reason to take them out. This meant I could use the triple clamp to hold the fork legs steady.
Peter - Just been on Ebay looking for the seller - he's called turbosuzukis but he doesn't have any for sale at the moment. It's a pity because the tool he sold was a real quality item for the money. Your other option is to use Reactive Suspension Front Fork Spring Compressors, Fork Seal Drivers, Big Piston Tools and Fork Oil They sell an alternative version of the tool but a bit pricey to be honest. The link to their tool page also shows a flat spanner for the cap but I know they will sell the seal tool separately. It's a shame you are not closer you could have had the loan of my seal head tool.
Are you sure on the 115mm gap? Seems that I have to put less oil in that I took out given the 115mm air gap?
I decided to use an air gap of 105mm, this giving me a cushion more in terms of fork bottoming out. I will try this today and report back.
Sorry only just spotted your post - I got the figures off the Racetech web site in the states. Perhaps someone with the brand new service manual could confirm the measurements. I think sinewave has the manual. How did you get on with the sealhead tool??
Right after changing the current c*t sh*t oil out of my 2012 blade and replacing it with Synthetic 10 weight oil the difference is night and day!!! Before my shocks when cold rattled around like a pair of walking sticks with wheels on, I have a road that leaves my house that is riddled with underlying bumps and ruts, so this is my benchmark of how they have changed. This morning at 7 ish I expected the usual chattering of the front end when on this road................. but no, it was silky smooth like someone had relaid the tarmac the night before, such was the case that I hardly noticed the ruts. The bike front is so much more stable now and the transition from cold oil to warm has disappeared, and when it was warm it was lovely so much in fact that I went out for a fast hack today and completely forgot about my rear tyre being bald!! I have not changed my suspension settings since the oil chnge and can recommend it given that it only cost me a litre of oil at £12.
That was a cheap mod to say the least. In retrospect it would have been the right thing to do when I fitted my new spring but as the forks were nearly new I didn't bother. As a matter of interest did you end up making the seal tool or buying one?
No I did not buy the seal tool as I left the springs in. But putting in new oil took a long time as it takes forever going past the shims. I will buy the tool for next time I strip the forks down in March
That might explain why the measurements were different - the figure I quoted was with the sealhead out. When put back in the oil level would rise some what.
According to my manual the fork fluid capacity should be 517 cm3 + or - 2.5 cm3 Next page states that the Air Gap to the very top of the fork should be 93mm
