Lazy fecker fork oil change.

[Dickiebird]

If you remove the front wheel there are hex bolts up in recesses that hold the damper rods in place
Remove those, then undo the top caps and pull up, pulling up the dampers with it. The oil will drain out..

Alternately simply suck it out.. the little left will make no real difference.

Both sets of forks I have stripped, John , had cap head (allen ) screws in them . The first ones (2000 Inj) rounded off, and I had to drill them out, but the 2nd pair (2002) came out o.k. If they had been hex heads ,I don't think I would have had any problem. Are hex bolts standard fitment, then? :dunno:

 

[ambo478]

I asked originally because I was unsure if the fork bottoms would hit the deck before clearing the clamps.
... All this chat about oil levels is easily summed up too. (no special tools required after all)
I found that half a litre of fork oil in each leg just happened to be the right level. (measured with steel rule to exactly 43mm)
By the way thanks to Jaws for the spring upgrade kit, massive difference.

 

[crj0007]

Hi
Just done the jaws fork upgrade and the rear YSS sock.
The front sag is 44mm
Rear 32mm
Is this correct? I kept the old oil in the forks as it looked like new.

 

[Squag1]

"for peace comes dropping slow"
W.B.Yeats
Glad to see we're all pals again - like gay dog,
preferred his pal to his lassie 8rfl@

 

[Jaws]

Hi
Just done the jaws fork upgrade and the rear YSS sock.
The front sag is 44mm
Rear 32mm
Is this correct? I kept the old oil in the forks as it looked like new.

Do not worry about sag..
Over the years there has been so much crap posted about sag it always makes me grin.. Due to the weight of the Bird, if you get the static sag set to how some folk say it should be the bike ends up like a bloody pogo stick !!

 

[noobie]

The only sag on my bike is when some fat coont sits on it. I have to say I rarely measure anything on it or have I ever "fettled" a suspension

I would say the general, the rear is between 30-35 and as to the front your probably not to far off but as John says it varies so much.

If your are going to go into mm's kind of ocd obsession, then the defining factor funnily enough will be you more than a standard fix for the bike.

Make a note of what you have, ride the bugger and for a while not just 5 minutes to the shop. Ride over different uses, i.e. A roads, twisties, dual carriage ways etc

Suspension like most things in life is best fit for purpose. Also remember the key thing, the bird was never designed to outperform a gxr 750 in the handling stakes so be realistic with your expectations

You have done so much to yours..ride the bugger as only so much without feedback can be done in a garage

 

[andyBeaker]

Wow, the original post had a bit of attitude.

Love it.

And then he moans about lack of response.....

This poster needs to tracked down and brought back to the forum.

:bow:

 

[timbertops]

fitted a jaws fork upgrade on by last 99 F I bird, put new oil in, took fork legs off to be sure to get all old oil out, fitted new headstock bearings in at same time, amazing improvement. crashed it, gone to birds graveyard in the sky. got 2004 bird going to do same fork up grade.
sorted the wiring harness problem on left side of both bikes, 99 one was ok, 2004 one was well corroded, well worth doing.

 

[crj0007]

The only sag on my bike is when some fat coont sits on it. I have to say I rarely measure anything on it or have I ever "fettled" a suspension

I would say the general, the rear is between 30-35 and as to the front your probably not to far off but as John says it varies so much.

If your are going to go into mm's kind of ocd obsession, then the defining factor funnily enough will be you more than a standard fix for the bike.

Make a note of what you have, ride the bugger and for a while not just 5 minutes to the shop. Ride over different uses, i.e. A roads, twisties, dual carriage ways etc

Suspension like most things in life is best fit for purpose. Also remember the key thing, the bird was never designed to outperform a gxr 750 in the handling stakes so be realistic with your expectations

You have done so much to yours..ride the bugger as only so much without feedback can be done in a garage

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. I have only evey had sportbikes before and a street triple so new to sports tourers and with it having 33000 on the cock waned things sorting for my spanish trip in September.
Yes, I have done quite a bit since I bought it with the notion that once all the worn and crucial bits are done I will have a bike I don't need to worry about for a while. I can just jump on and ride.
Been out a few times now and I'm pleasantly surprised how nible it is for a big bike @tu*

 

[crj0007]

Do not worry about sag..
Over the years there has been so much crap posted about sag it always makes me grin.. Due to the weight of the Bird, if you get the static sag set to how some folk say it should be the bike ends up like a bloody pogo stick !!

Thanks JAWS
Just puts my mind at rest not having had a sports tourer before@tu*