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 Post subject: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 11:17 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:32 am
Posts: 615
Location: Indianapolis, IN
I didn't rebuild the forks on my H2B when I did the rest of the bike. I bought new seals then realized the fork legs had rust pits etc and decided to wait and buy new fork legs (stanchions) later in the year. Am also considering buying valve emulators for them, not sure what part number it was they use. So, the question, I filled them with 10wt fork oil to get it riding earlier this year, but they are too soft, damping wise, spring as well actually but I will add a preload spacer to help that. What is the common oil weight guys use in these stock forks?

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.


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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 11:51 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:34 pm
Posts: 2779
Location: Front Royal, VA
I am probably the exception but I use ATF in mine with good results. If it is too soft add an extra ounce of oil...

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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:34 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:32 am
Posts: 615
Location: Indianapolis, IN
I think ATF is 3wt or 5 wt, but it does not have the good anti foaming properties that fork oil does.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.


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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 3:27 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:34 pm
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Location: Front Royal, VA
My research at the time I did it indicated 10W for ATF. I have been using it in my bikes for years and it works well for me.

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Tim Steele in Front Royal, VA
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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 3:32 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:37 am
Posts: 10460
Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Stock forks have no compression damping, so thicker oil iny slows rebound. Adding oil will help compression with a smaller air space. Isually you need springs for your weight. The emilators are a good mod i hear.

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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 10:03 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:32 am
Posts: 615
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Ja-Moo wrote:
Stock forks have no compression damping, so thicker oil iny slows rebound. Adding oil will help compression with a smaller air space. Isually you need springs for your weight. The emilators are a good mod i hear.

That sounds about right, they dive something terrible with the twin ninja 650 caliper brake setup, some of that is soft springing, but they shouldn't dive that quickly either. Rebound is a bit better. So maybe I should just buy the emulators, I saw on here awhile ago which ones they were but can't find that info now.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.


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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:23 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:37 am
Posts: 10460
Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico
do a search on emulators, and I think JRD here does the modification, he would know where to get them.

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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:54 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:01 am
Posts: 290
Location: Metamora, MI
I did this for my emulators from Mike XS


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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:19 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:36 am
Posts: 2691
Location: Dandridge, TN, USA
http://kawatriple.com/tips/forkmods.htm

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 Post subject: Re: Fork oil weight
PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 1:25 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:25 am
Posts: 3137
Please remember that when our bikes were first built, there was literally NO specialty fork oils that were worth a darned, and, mostly, no dedicated fork oils in general.

What we did use was good old common SAE viscosity engine oils, and, for these old pogo sticks we referred to as "forks", it worked fair to middlin, because we didn't know any better.

Not much different today for those stock units. I still use 20W, 30W, 40W straight weight motor oils in our front forks, and for what they still AREN'T, it still works.....fair to middlin'ly dismal.


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