'07 Fork Oil Change

A

apok86

New member
The forks don't need to be locked to the left to remove the switch knob assembly. Just aim the forks to the front, turn the switch to "Lock" position, then remove it.
 
Why are you removing the switch in the lock position?

Disconnect the switch latch in acc then turn the switch back to off before removing it.
 
The vacuum method is indeed faster, as I experienced with my old RK. I did consider drilling the cap or even the fork in some location, but decided against it just because I figured the above method was fast enough for a once-every-20k procedure, as you pointed out.



I've heard this before, most notably on the MotorcycleMetal site, but the bushings in my old '96 RK were never changed at >100k miles. At 106k I disassembled and inspected the right side when the seal failed, but didn't see any visible wear on the bushing even at that time. Perhaps there was some difference in the materials used with these old air forks, however, and I don't recall seeing any Teflon coating on the bushings at any time I had the forks apart. That was only twice, once to install chrome lowers at probably around 20k and the other much later for the seal. That said, I'll take your advise and plan on checking these periodically.



I follow your logic here and you are correct that over-stiffening the suspension has negative effects on handling and ride. Keep in mind that most sports cars typically have stiffened suspensions, and when tuned properly will handle and even ride better than a system that is tuned for a softer ride. It has always been my contention that softer doesn't necessarily translate into a smoother ride because if a suspension is too soft it can lose contact with the surface of the road for the opposite reason, which is less control.

After 18 months I haven't had any issues and I think the handling is better, even in aggressive cornering on our sub-standard roads, as I don't think the SEH stiffens it enough to cause tracking problems. I found the stock fluid to be too compliant, and I believe that can be as bad as too stiff for the reason mentioned above. For example, when the wheel hits a bump and starts upward, too little damping will cause the wheel to continue its upward movement when it should be tracking the irregular surface. There's a sweet spot to be found and I think the Type E is on the loose side while the SEH is near the mark, for my kind of riding anyway. I honestly don't think it will impose a safety issue for anyone using it, but I wouldn't want to go stiffer. Dawg and others use a mix of SEH and Type E and I've considered trying that for my next fork-oil change.
 
Why not? It works fine for me and when the forks are pointed forward they're in a position to move around at will as you maneuver the switch plate out of the way to get to the fork caps. The manual says to do it this way except it specifies the forks should be locked. I have never found this to be necessary, and it makes removing the switch plate difficult or impossible as Wildey described.

Anyway, does it matter what position the switch is in when you flip the latch and remove the switch knob?



Why do you need to do that? Does your way give better access to the latch? IOW, you're saying to release the latch when the knob is in the ACC position and before moving the switch knob upward turn it to LOCK? When I do it I just turn it to LOCK and cock the forks a bit to the left, which gives my small fingers easy access to the latch.
 
Used the iclick method and it is an easy 1 hour job. Used 8 oz of SE in each fork with the balance type E. The 36mm wrench worked fine and I used new screws and washers in the drain. #3 phillips head and a 1/2" ratchet worked fine and no problem getting the old screws out.

I went to a beauty supply and got an applicator bottle that is graduated in ozs. Put a small rubber hose on the tip and used the bottle to measure and squirt in the oil. Worked like a charm and went in slow enough that I did not even have to pump the forks.

Rode it today and it felt GREAT. Less dive and really felt more connected to the road. So far one of the best changes to the bike. The others are the Fuel Moto stage 1, Avon grips and floorboard extensions. All of these are well worth the time and expense.

Thanks Iclick and all the others who have added to this discussion. For all those worried the ignition switch is a piece of cake.
 
I did that cause thats what the owners manual said to do for removal of the switch and in the instructions here it didn't say to lock or don't lock so when in doubt I followed the manual.

I put the switch back in and unlocked it after I removed the lower fairing so the job would be easier, but locked it again to remove it and put the fairing back on.

Now i followed the instructions, I can't help it if some details were left out LOL If something is missing I go to the manual :-)
 
Do these fork oil change instructions also apply to 2009+ models? What size wrench do you use to remove the top plug? Won't removing the top plug release the spring?
 
Progressive makes a nice graduated syringe with a hose on it, which makes accurately adding fluid a breeze.

Hog-doc is 100% correct about the effects of heavier fluid. It is extremely important, especially on a motorcycle, to have a compliant front suspension that reacts quickly and stays in contact with the ground. Heavier fluid slows down the reaction of the front end, which certainly could have disastrous consequences on a bad midcorner bump. That's one of the things I really like about running Intiminators. I've got 5wt fluid up front, so that the ride is super smooth on gentle bumps, and it can react quickly when I hit a frost heave or pothole.
 
No it won't let the springs come out. Thats another part that doesn't have to be removed for this, use the wrench that comes in your tool kit
 
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