Front suspension "sticky"? - Page 2

red2003 · 06-06-2007, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liverchip

Mine are actually a bit soft. I definitely use the full travel during my rides. I am 215 It really needs stiffer springs IMO, I know I can preload the existing springs with washers, but that takes away travel and only hides the issue. What is the consensus on fork oil type. I'm thinking a heavier weight oil to increase dampening and help out.

Maybe you got softer springs since it is an off road only bike. The dual sport USD forks are pretty freakin stiff IMO. Maybe you could switch out springs with someone wanting a plusher ride??

molypod · 06-07-2007, 11:14 AM

Just a note on the bottom Allen bolts..

I had read somewhere ( I wish I could remember where) after changing my oil that you do not have to remove the Allen Bolts for the oil change on Inverted Forks, that once removed they can be real tough to get started again as it could just spin the bottom cartridge.

4xflyer · 06-07-2007, 12:32 PM

"I put about 4oz of Trans Fluid in my USD forks and they seem to be working fine. I did not remove my forks. Only the top screw cap."

It looks like you have the inverted forks..

Did you drain out any oil before adding the 4 oz? Were your forks sticking before you added atf?
Has anyone been successful in draining their fork oil while the forks were on the bike?

fatboy250 · 06-07-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4xflyer

"I put about 4oz of Trans Fluid in my USD forks and they seem to be working fine. I did not remove my forks. Only the top screw cap."

It looks like you have the inverted forks..

Did you drain out any oil before adding the 4 oz? Were your forks sticking before you added atf?
Has anyone been successful in draining their fork oil while the forks were on the bike?

Yes USD forks. No I didn't drain any nor did I see any. Yes they were getting "sticky". They seem to be fine now. Funny, Dad weighs a good 80lbs less and has about 3500miles less but yet ours both started "sticking" about the same time. We added 4oz to his as well and it seems to have cured the problem.

Jason

mdsuave13 · 06-08-2007, 02:38 PM

is this 4oz to each side or 4oz total for both? aka 2oz left and 2oz right?

You did this on the ground? or on a stand?

Just curious, never had forks apart in my life.

fatboy250 · 06-08-2007, 03:10 PM

Measured 4oz and poured into the each leg on the ground. Maybe could have had more but I didn't want to risk blowing any of the seals.

mdsuave13 · 06-08-2007, 04:02 PM

thank you very much, i think i may try this out over the weekend...

4xflyer · 06-16-2007, 07:22 AM

I tried to remove the fork caps to add some 5w fluid but they would only loosen up but not come out (forks still on bike per fb250). I did some light tapping but that didn't help. Do you need to loosen the bottom allen bolts or what is the method?
The fork caps easily threaded back in and I'm trying to avoid another big project for now.
Thanks!

molypod · 06-16-2007, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4xflyer

I tried to remove the fork caps to add some 5w fluid but they would only loosen up but not come out (forks still on bike per fb250). I did some light tapping but that didn't help. Do you need to loosen the bottom allen bolts or what is the method?
The fork caps easily threaded back in and I'm trying to avoid another big project for now.
Thanks!

after unscrewing the caps completely you should be able to depress the forks and they, and the rod they are attached to will, rise out of the tube.

TheBrainII · 06-25-2007, 11:13 PM

Mine on the 07 GY-5 are pretty plush but It does feel like it might have minor â€œsticky/notchyâ€ feel. I read people are adding a little ATF fluid to the tube. Is ATF fluid safe on the seals used in forks? Is it the same as shock oil or something? If it gets worse I might look into it but for now itâ€™s not a problem.

IronFist · 06-26-2007, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBrainII

Is ATF fluid safe on the seals used in forks? Is it the same as shock oil or something?

Sorry I don't know from shock oil either. :? Is ATF and shock oil the same, simular, is ATF cheaper? Thanks. N2r.

katoranger · 06-27-2007, 10:55 AM

ATF is about $2 a quart, but if it is safe to use? Fork oil comes in different weights and any motorcycle shop should carry it.

Allen

jkomp316 · 06-27-2007, 01:01 PM

ive heard from more places then this one, that ATF can be mixed with the fork oil or even replace it. i put 4oz in each leg of mine and its not as notchy, i actually used some old ATF+3 i had in the garage

ATF is a little thicker, prob about 15wt. As for the fork seals, automatic trannys have much more demanding seals in them. If ATF doesnt harm the main and rear seals on a tranny, I doubt it will harm your fork seals.

fatboy250 · 06-27-2007, 03:17 PM

The ATF is an old school performance mod that I read about in one of my old Suzuki GS750/850 manuals. I did it back then to my GS850 and had no problems. And now on my Roketa with no problems. I may need to add a few more oz. because I still get a sticky feeling every now and again, but nothing like it was. I just didn't want to put too much and have issues with my seals.

Jason

ob1 · 06-27-2007, 05:53 PM

Here is another idea on sticky forks - fork binding.

Luckily, the repair is free. Put your bike on a stand so that it is balanced well, and the front wheel is in light contact with the ground.

Loosen the top triple clamp stem bolt, the upper and lower triple clamp bolts, and the front axle. When I say loosen, I mean only to the point that the parts can move, if a bit sticky. Definitely not falling apart! Depending on how your front axle mounts, you may have left and right axle clamps, or the axle may thread into one fork leg and have an axle clamp on the other.

Start retightening with the lower triple clamp pinch bolts, making sure the fork tubes are even. Then snug, but not tighten, the stem nut. Tighten the upper TC pinch bolts, then tighten the stem nut.

Finally, tighten the front axle. For the threaded axle type, tighten the axle bolt first, then the axle clamp. For twin axle clamps tighten one side then the other. Always tighten an axle clamp starting at the top fully tight, then tighten the bottom.

The whole point of this exercise to to ensure that the forks are relaxed, then aligned and tightened, and that the axle does not draw the fork bottoms together.

06-08-2007, 02:38 PM	#20
mdsuave13 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ellicott city, Maryland Posts: 857	is this 4oz to each side or 4oz total for both? aka 2oz left and 2oz right? You did this on the ground? or on a stand? Just curious, never had forks apart in my life. __________________ My name is Justin, my friends call me Stix. 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 Candy Lime Green ______________________________ I am the official China bike registration Guru For the State of Maryland..... HA.
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06-08-2007, 03:10 PM	#21
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	Measured 4oz and poured into the each leg on the ground. Maybe could have had more but I didn't want to risk blowing any of the seals. __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
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06-08-2007, 04:02 PM	#22
mdsuave13 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ellicott city, Maryland Posts: 857	thank you very much, i think i may try this out over the weekend... __________________ My name is Justin, my friends call me Stix. 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 Candy Lime Green ______________________________ I am the official China bike registration Guru For the State of Maryland..... HA.
	0

06-16-2007, 07:22 AM	#23
4xflyer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: W. Massachusetts USA Posts: 25	USD Fork cap removal I tried to remove the fork caps to add some 5w fluid but they would only loosen up but not come out (forks still on bike per fb250). I did some light tapping but that didn't help. Do you need to loosen the bottom allen bolts or what is the method? The fork caps easily threaded back in and I'm trying to avoid another big project for now. Thanks!
	0

06-25-2007, 11:13 PM	#25
TheBrainII Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: PA Posts: 129	Mine on the 07 GY-5 are pretty plush but It does feel like it might have minor â€œsticky/notchyâ€ feel. I read people are adding a little ATF fluid to the tube. Is ATF fluid safe on the seals used in forks? Is it the same as shock oil or something? If it gets worse I might look into it but for now itâ€™s not a problem. __________________ Bone stock 2007 Lifan GY-5
	0

06-07-2007, 11:14 AM	#17
molypod Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 223	Just a note on the bottom Allen bolts.. I had read somewhere ( I wish I could remember where) after changing my oil that you do not have to remove the Allen Bolts for the oil change on Inverted Forks, that once removed they can be real tough to get started again as it could just spin the bottom cartridge.
	0

06-07-2007, 12:32 PM	#18
4xflyer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: W. Massachusetts USA Posts: 25	"I put about 4oz of Trans Fluid in my USD forks and they seem to be working fine. I did not remove my forks. Only the top screw cap." It looks like you have the inverted forks.. Did you drain out any oil before adding the 4 oz? Were your forks sticking before you added atf? Has anyone been successful in draining their fork oil while the forks were on the bike?
	0

06-27-2007, 10:55 AM	#27
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	ATF is about $2 a quart, but if it is safe to use? Fork oil comes in different weights and any motorcycle shop should carry it. Allen __________________ You meet the nicest people on a Honda Clone.
	0

06-27-2007, 01:01 PM	#28
jkomp316 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 145	ive heard from more places then this one, that ATF can be mixed with the fork oil or even replace it. i put 4oz in each leg of mine and its not as notchy, i actually used some old ATF+3 i had in the garage ATF is a little thicker, prob about 15wt. As for the fork seals, automatic trannys have much more demanding seals in them. If ATF doesnt harm the main and rear seals on a tranny, I doubt it will harm your fork seals.
	0

06-27-2007, 03:17 PM	#29
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	The ATF is an old school performance mod that I read about in one of my old Suzuki GS750/850 manuals. I did it back then to my GS850 and had no problems. And now on my Roketa with no problems. I may need to add a few more oz. because I still get a sticky feeling every now and again, but nothing like it was. I just didn't want to put too much and have issues with my seals. Jason __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
	0

06-27-2007, 05:53 PM	#30
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	Here is another idea on sticky forks - fork binding. Luckily, the repair is free. Put your bike on a stand so that it is balanced well, and the front wheel is in light contact with the ground. Loosen the top triple clamp stem bolt, the upper and lower triple clamp bolts, and the front axle. When I say loosen, I mean only to the point that the parts can move, if a bit sticky. Definitely not falling apart! Depending on how your front axle mounts, you may have left and right axle clamps, or the axle may thread into one fork leg and have an axle clamp on the other. Start retightening with the lower triple clamp pinch bolts, making sure the fork tubes are even. Then snug, but not tighten, the stem nut. Tighten the upper TC pinch bolts, then tighten the stem nut. Finally, tighten the front axle. For the threaded axle type, tighten the axle bolt first, then the axle clamp. For twin axle clamps tighten one side then the other. Always tighten an axle clamp starting at the top fully tight, then tighten the bottom. The whole point of this exercise to to ensure that the forks are relaxed, then aligned and tightened, and that the axle does not draw the fork bottoms together.
	0