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'16 TT250 · 05-23-2016, 08:18 PM

Lubing the fork seals/wipers. The fork stiction on this thing was driving me nuts, sure I've been spoiled by Ohlins, but these forks were beyond sh!tty. I could pull the bike off the stand and sit on it (175#) and they wouldn't move. Force them down and start unloading the weight and they would bump up 2 or 3 times. Put it back on the stand they would bump up again. Lift on it and usually bump up again. Quite sh!tty riding as it would take quite a bump to get them to move. I pulled the wipers down, smeared a bit of MerconSP ATF on each tube, rotated the wipers to smear the oil all the way around, and reinstalled. I bounced it a few times to get the fluid into the seals and put it back on the stand. It felt better just bouncing it, but things generally do when you expect them to. I put the oil & tools away, came back to check it out, and as I pulled it off the stand they compressed! I hoped for some change but this was incredible, they actually have some sag with just the bike's weight. I sat on it and they dropped more. They're still not great, but acceptable for what it is. A short ride confirmed what I felt parked, so much better.

Pulling down the wipers: I used a thin bladed screwdriver to just pry them down. It takes a good bit of finger force to get them back in, especially with the fork guards in the way. A little oil around the outside will make it easier for anyone not able to get them back in.

Oil choice: I used the SP because I have it and it's supposed to be low friction stuff. I'm sure there are better choices and most likely anything will do a good job. Spitting on them may even improve them; did I happen to mention that they were Super Sh!tty? I considered silicone lube as it's usually my go-to for rubber and plastic but didn't wanna risk any possible compatibility issues with the fork oil, as much as it's probably a non-issue.

Longevity: It may not be a long term cure, hard to say. I already have a wick in mind if it turns out to need to be re-oiled frequently.

I'm going to see if CSC is willing to lend me a fork for some testing/modding, assuming they have a loose one laying around. I wanna break one down and really experiment with the bushings, springs, valving, etc. without downing my bike.

05-23-2016, 08:18 PM	#1
'16 TT250 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hacienda Heights, Ca Posts: 281	First performance mod to the TT250 Lubing the fork seals/wipers. The fork stiction on this thing was driving me nuts, sure I've been spoiled by Ohlins, but these forks were beyond sh!tty. I could pull the bike off the stand and sit on it (175#) and they wouldn't move. Force them down and start unloading the weight and they would bump up 2 or 3 times. Put it back on the stand they would bump up again. Lift on it and usually bump up again. Quite sh!tty riding as it would take quite a bump to get them to move. I pulled the wipers down, smeared a bit of MerconSP ATF on each tube, rotated the wipers to smear the oil all the way around, and reinstalled. I bounced it a few times to get the fluid into the seals and put it back on the stand. It felt better just bouncing it, but things generally do when you expect them to. I put the oil & tools away, came back to check it out, and as I pulled it off the stand they compressed! I hoped for some change but this was incredible, they actually have some sag with just the bike's weight. I sat on it and they dropped more. They're still not great, but acceptable for what it is. A short ride confirmed what I felt parked, so much better. Pulling down the wipers: I used a thin bladed screwdriver to just pry them down. It takes a good bit of finger force to get them back in, especially with the fork guards in the way. A little oil around the outside will make it easier for anyone not able to get them back in. Oil choice: I used the SP because I have it and it's supposed to be low friction stuff. I'm sure there are better choices and most likely anything will do a good job. Spitting on them may even improve them; did I happen to mention that they were Super Sh!tty? I considered silicone lube as it's usually my go-to for rubber and plastic but didn't wanna risk any possible compatibility issues with the fork oil, as much as it's probably a non-issue. Longevity: It may not be a long term cure, hard to say. I already have a wick in mind if it turns out to need to be re-oiled frequently. I'm going to see if CSC is willing to lend me a fork for some testing/modding, assuming they have a loose one laying around. I wanna break one down and really experiment with the bushings, springs, valving, etc. without downing my bike.
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