<<<  Click here to download the practical sheet 

    <<<  Click here to download the practical sheet 

The service operation

• Interval : Regularly.
• Difficulty : Not easy.
• Time required : 45 to 90 minutes for the fastest of us.
• Equipment required : Fork oil, box and flat wrenches, bowl, large syringe, pourer, rag

Changing the fork oil is a bothersome job, preferably have a skilled mechanic do it.

Important : Fork oil is much lighter than engine oil, it is essential to use to right grade and quantity recommended for your motorcycle

Draining the tubes

Use a car jack (or sturdy crate) to tilt your motorcycle rearwards, to take the weight off the front end.

For forks fitted with a drain plug :

• First of all, slacken off the first bolt which clamps the tube into the top Tee (if not, it will be impossible to unscrew the fork top cap).

Tap : Drain and fill each tube one after the other.
Remove the tube threaded plug.

Tip: Important, once free, the top cap can jump up and hit you in the face, due to the tension of the fork spring.

Keep your drain bown close to the drain plug and slacken it off. Give the old oil time to drain off.

Refit the drain plug… taking care not to forget its small seal.
Fill your tube with the exact quantity recommended by the manufacturer. A pourer is quite useful for this.

Tip : do not forget to take the old oil to the recycling centre!

Refit the top cap, tighten the top Tee and tighten the top cap.

For forks with no drain plug:

Remove the brake calipers and remove the front wheel (you do not need to remove the mudguard).

Slacken each tube in the top Tee, unscrew the filler caps and then slacken each tube in the bottom Tee.

Remove the tubes and remove the top caps. Drain the oil off into the bowl.

Tip : Important, once free the top cap may jump up and hit you in the face due to the pressure of the fork spring.

Fill your tube with the exact quantity recommended by the manufacturer. A pourer is very useful for this.

Refit the upper caps.
Refit the tubes into the fork Tees.
Tighten the lower Tee, tighten the upper caps and tighten the upper Tee.
Refit the front wheel and the brake calipers.

Tip: do not forget to take the old oil to the recycling centre!

Refit the upper caps.
Refit the tubes into the fork Tees.
Tighten the lower Tee, tighten the upper caps and tighten the upper Tee.
Refit the front wheel and the brake calipers.

Tip: do not forget to take the old oil to the recycling centre!

Checking levels

The level is checked (spring removed) by taking the distance between the oil level and the top end of the tube.
Using a car jack (or a tough crate) tilt your motorcycle backwards in order to take the weight off the front end.
Slacken each tube in the upper Tee (if not it will be impossible to slacken off the fork upper caps).

Remove the threaded caps from the tubes.

Tip: Important, once free the top case may jump up and hit you in the face due to the pressure of the fork spring.

Remove the fork springs.
Top up, to the same height in each tube, with the grade recommended by the manufacturer. A syringe is very useful for this.