Who's done what to their forks? And are you happy with them?

[vinnyb]

  I realise it's a topic that's been done to death but there seem to be so many opinions about the best way to go to improve the standard front end. I thought I  would try to get a consensus. I'm thinking of doing the emulator/ linear springs thing but it's an arse to do and not without risks and potential problems so what about progressives and 15w oil but there are at least half a dozen options there and they can't all be the same can they? I could start by just changing the oil out, I can't imagine it's ever been changed but do I put 10 or 15w in?
  So I'm trying to get peoples assessments of whatever they've done, whether it has achieved what they set out to do and if was worth the cost and effort involved. thanks.

[darrsi]

Definitely 15w oil for starters.

[paulchucky]

i got eliminators  vfr750 springs and about 18 wt oil ( home mix) i`m 16.5 tonne  vast improvement over standard never bottoms out  or tops out bike handles like its on rails  never twitches ( only when i`m really on 1      )

[daviee]

put 15 weight in mine seems fine after that

[celticdog]

New progressive springs and 15w oil- handles great.

[Skippernick]

I reckon just replacing the oil would be an improvement, but I'm  a +1 for 15w oil so much more stable.

[Bimbam]

Hi. I have Hyper Pro springs and their 20 W fork oil. I works very good. Good comfort and highspeed.

[vinnyb]

Thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming. The more I have the better. I like to press on a bit sometimes but I'm not a knee dragger and I regularly ride 2 up, sometimes with luggage. The rear is pretty simple, just get a different rear shock but there are so many options for the front. Thanks again all :thumbup

[Bretty]

Mine are all standard, recently serviced with new seals, oil level as per the manual and using 15W oil.


I think they run perfect for me and I'm a bit of a fatty at 16st.

[fazersharp]

Thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming. The more I have the better. I like to press on a bit sometimes but I'm not a knee dragger and I regularly ride 2 up, sometimes with luggage. The rear is pretty simple, just get a different rear shock but there are so many options for the front. Thanks again all :thumbup

For me I have never felt the need to do anything from standard but I dont do pillion and weigh 10st.Another factor is that I have had the bike for 17 years so it has had 10st on it for the last 17 years also although is a 19 year old bike the total mileage is just coming up to 19k, but they have all been "sundy" miles 

[savvy]

Another with emulators and vfr springs, adjustable fork caps.

[tommyardin]

  I realise it's a topic that's been done to death but there seem to be so many opinions about the best way to go to improve the standard front end. I thought I  would try to get a consensus. I'm thinking of doing the emulator/ linear springs thing but it's an arse to do and not without risks and potential problems so what about progressives and 15w oil but there are at least half a dozen options there and they can't all be the same can they? I could start by just changing the oil out, I can't imagine it's ever been changed but do I put 10 or 15w in?
  So I'm trying to get peoples assessments of whatever they've done, whether it has achieved what they set out to do and if was worth the cost and effort involved. thanks.

[size=1em]If you don't want to go to the trouble of the Emulators and the associated work on the Damper Rods, fit a pair of Linear Springs matched to your fully clothed rider weight, they will be matched for you and not compromise in any way. I have heard some say that they are not matched when you have a pillion or luggage on the back, but, that applies to Progressives or Dual-Rate Springs (Standard FZS600) the same as it does to Linear Springs.[/size]
[size=1em]And to be honest the pillion makes more difference to the back of the bike than it does the front.[/size]

[size=1em]If you sit in one of your dinning room chairs and place your feet flat on the floor in front of you, then lean back against the back of the chair the front legs tend to lift off the ground, my experience is this is similar to the front of a bike, the weight at the back can cause the front to be a little lighter, you are transfering more weight backwards, if this is true then a pillion should not make much difference to any front spring set up.[/size]
[size=1em]Now the ass end is a completely different situation.[/size]

[tommyardin]

Vinny,
Try putting in 15 weight oil and if you feel its a little harsh/overly firm just loosen of the two top yoke to fork leg pinch bolts, Make sure the front wheel is off the ground Ie: no weight on the wheel, then unscrew the top of fork leg cap bolts and with a syringe and a sort length of fish tank air line draw out a measured amount of the 15 weight and replace it with the same amount of 10 weight or even 5 weight until you are happy with the results.
When you draw out the say 10ml of 15 weight oil into the syringe while the fish tank pipe is still in the fork leg pull the pipe off the syringe so that the oil in the pipe runs back into the leg.
To put the replacement oil back into the leg you do not need the pipe, so it will be exactly what you have in the syringe that goes back into the leg.
It's just fine tuning the oil weight really. It should take no longer than 30 mins to do the oil tuning.

DON'T FORGET the top yoke pinch bolts, 30 Nm torque.

Top of fork leg plug nuts 23Nm torque.
Good luck. :thumbup

[vinnyb]

Thanks for that Tommy, I'm getting the oil changed next week, I've found a great mechanic and he's made me lazy I'm afraid, he's really good and so reasonably priced I can't be arsed to do things myself now :lol  He used to race so he said he'll take it out for a ride and see what he thinks but he said he'll probably end up putting 15w in. If I decide I need to get new springs, I'll get linears for my weight, dunno where/who from yet, any ideas? Then if I decide to get emulators at any point I haven't wasted money on anything I don't need. Has anybody experimented with the air gap? I've heard that can make a difference.

[Jules-C]

If the oil is old just changing it for new oil will make a big difference. 

I after setting the level I added another 10cc of oil to each leg and it has increased the spring rate a bit so I reckon it's worth a try

[fazersharp]

If the oil is old just changing it for new oil will make a big difference. 

I after setting the level I added another 10cc of oil to each leg and it has increased the spring rate a bit so I reckon it's worth a try

So at 19 years old should I be changing my oil.
And without me bothering to find out --- what do I do (in a nutshell ) 

[tommyardin]

[quote author=Jules-C link=topic=22381.msg258761#msg258761 date=1492582102]
If the oil is old just changing it for new oil will make a big difference. 

I after setting the level I added another 10cc of oil to each leg and it has increased the spring rate a bit so I reckon it's worth a try

So at 19 years old should I be changing my oil.
And without me bothering to find out --- what do I do (in a nutshell )
[/quote]


I thought you were saying you were 19 years old you tart, and the other 60 lol!  :eek

[vinnyb]

I got the Fazer back from my mechanic today, apparently the fork oil was disgusting, it was full of water and had obviously never been changed. So after cleaning them out he decided to go to base settings and replaced the oil with 10w and the preload with 5 rings showing and 4 steps from minimum at the rear. The ride back home along some bloody awful roads convinced me that I needed to spend some proper money, it was still jarring and horrible. I was reluctant to wind the up preload cos when I did that before the oil change it was virtually unrideable. Anyway, I did a very rough sag reading with a cable tie from on the centrestand to me sat on it and it was over 2 inches so I wound it in to 3 rings showing and got it to around 30 mm and took it out again, it was a bit better but still not great and the back was harsh and bouncy so I wound that up to 4 from max and rode down the same road again. The bike was transformed, it's still not perfect but it feels controlled and so much smoother and steers properly now, it was understeering horribly in corners. It's certainly no worse than many other bikes I've owned. The biggest surprise is how much difference stiffening up the rear, makes to the feel of the front. I may still do some fiddling but I'm happy enough at the minute. I think if I do anything else to them soon, I'll replace the springs for linears and hold off on the emulators until I'm convinced I need them as per Tommy's advice. Thanks to everyone for their input :thumbup

[darrsi]

I got the Fazer back from my mechanic today, apparently the fork oil was disgusting, it was full of water and had obviously never been changed. So after cleaning them out he decided to go to base settings and replaced the oil with 10w and the preload with 5 rings showing and 4 steps from minimum at the rear. The ride back home along some bloody awful roads convinced me that I needed to spend some proper money, it was still jarring and horrible. I was reluctant to wind the up preload cos when I did that before the oil change it was virtually unrideable. Anyway, I did a very rough sag reading with a cable tie from on the centrestand to me sat on it and it was over 2 inches so I wound it in to 3 rings showing and got it to around 30 mm and took it out again, it was a bit better but still not great and the back was harsh and bouncy so I wound that up to 4 from max and rode down the same road again. The bike was transformed, it's still not perfect but it feels controlled and so much smoother and steers properly now, it was understeering horribly in corners. It's certainly no worse than many other bikes I've owned. The biggest surprise is how much difference stiffening up the rear, makes to the feel of the front. I may still do some fiddling but I'm happy enough at the minute. I think if I do anything else to them soon, I'll replace the springs for linears and hold off on the emulators until I'm convinced I need them as per Tommy's advice. Thanks to everyone for their input :thumbup

So, when EVERYONE recently suggests going for the 15w oil, it's 'cos it's better.
I certainly appreciate that the manual says 10w, and any new oil will always be an improvement.......BUT.......yer man was going by the book, we've constantly said go 15w.
No harm done, but seriously, next time go for the heavier weight stuff, it does make the steering better, and changes the feel of the handling/steering in a very beneficial way. 

[midden]

[kebab  author=vinnyb link=topic=22381.msg259523#msg259523 date=1493414959]
I got the Fazer back from  mechanic todareading glasses uparently the fork oil was disgusting, it was full of water and had obviously never been changed. So after cleaning them out he decided to go to base settings and replaced the oil with 10w and the preload with 5 rings showing and 4 steps from minimum at the rear. The ride back home along some bloody awful roads convinced me that I needed to spend some proper money, it was still jarring and horrible. I was reluctant to wind the up preload cos when I did that before the oil change it was virtually unrideable. Anyway, I did a very rough sag reading with a cable tie from on the centrestand to me sat on it and it was over 2 inches so I wound it in to 3 rings showing and got it to around 30 mm and took it out again, it was a bit better but still not great and the back was harsh and bouncy so I wound that up to 4 from max and rode down the same road again. The bike was transformed, it's still not perfect but it feels controlled and so much smoother and steers properly now, it was understeering horribly in corners. It's certainly no worse than many other bikes I've owned. The biggest surprise is how much difference stiffening up the rear, makes to the feel of the front. I may still do some fiddling but I'm happy enough at the minute. I think if I do anything else to them soon, I'll replace the springs for linears and hold off on the emulators until I'm convinced I need them as per Tommy's advice. Thanks to everyone for their input :thumbup

So, when EVERYONE recently suggests going for the 15w oil, it's 'cos it's better.
I certainly appreciate that the manual says 10w, and any new oil will always be an improvement.......BUT.......yer man was going by the book, we've constantly said go 15w.
No harm done, but seriously, next time go for the heavier weight stuff, it does make the steering better, and changes the feel of the handling/steering in a very beneficial way. 



Having twice smashed through my fork legs (disklock abuse)  I've experienced both fresh 10w oil and 15w oil and  I havent noticed any difference between the two (Just my personal opinion).  That said, to what ive read on the subject  the heavier oil would only slow the rebound.


If you're willing to spend money I would/did invest in the R6 rear shock (see kebab19) it improved my front end/cornering woes and then if your bike has done some miles and you still want for more improvemt buy some new fork springs.