I had to take my '02 ABS in to replace leaking fork seals. Searching through the threads, one VFRD member (I think KanadienKen) replaced his stock oil with 15W. Do you all recommend a heavier weight oil (stock is 10W ??) ?
I weigh 180#.
And if KanadienKen is out there.....did you notice any improvement?
I think KKen weights more than you to start.
Our bikes tend to be under sprung and over dampened, so I would suggest you stay with stock weight oil, but get a high end syn. fork oil like Ohlins. They last longer and have stiction reducing additives in them that make the forks slightly more efficient. :fing02:
When I first got the vfr I was a 180lb rider, I immediately knew the front fork was too soft, It just bottomed to easy. I could actually run hard into a bank corner, and hit a small bump before the bank and the fork with completely bottom and cock sideways. Thats how soft it was.
I made my forks usable with additional oil height, its was pretty dramatic change, standard is 100mm, I ran 90mm, but 94 mm is probably about right , that was with ten weight oem honda oil.
I was resistant to heavier springs because nobody made an exact fit spring, like I was accustomed to getting on other bikes, but an oil height adjustment will change the fork midstroke to full bottom and stiffen it. I've now found a company called Hyper pro usa that makes an exact fit heavier progressive spring for the vfr, no cutting spacers perfect fit, but I havent tried them yet.
I may never cause I have usable forks with what i've done.
so you could try stock weight at 94mm oil height, and see how it does for you, the 15 weight will increase compression but also slow rebound, but may not be an issue, I'd run stock oil height(100mm if going to 15 weight), unless someone says different.
i'm over 200 lb dressed, and my forks are still usuable, I last changed the oil around 15,000 mile, now at 45,000 plus
anyway something to ponder
but atleast now a can slam the front end down and its cushy
[image: View Post]AB-Oz, on Sep 3 2008, 06:20 PM, said:
Spud, I suspect your fork oil will be a horrible sludge after that many miles.
I used to use 10wt at stock air gap in my stock VFR forks, with racetech springs and some custom shims and valving.
Now I use 7.5wt in my SP2 forks at a lesser air gap. I change the oil every 12 months, only about 10k km, and the oil is gone by then.
well, i changed it at 6,000 mile the first time, it was very bad(most horrible looking) but just short of sludging, at 15,000 mile i changed it again and the oil was holding up much better, it is probably due though.
I'm afraid if I change it , a week later it will blow a seal >G<
[image: View Post]AB-Oz, on Sep 3 2008, 06:20 PM, said:
Spud, I suspect your fork oil will be a horrible sludge after that many miles.
Damn, you made me look at when I did my fork oil and it was Ohlins 35,000 miles ago! :goofy:
I need to change it out for sure, I'll let you know if it's just powder or mud at the bottom of the forks! :fing02:
[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on Sep 3 2008, 07:45 PM, said:
[image: View Post]AB-Oz, on Sep 3 2008, 06:20 PM, said:
Spud, I suspect your fork oil will be a horrible sludge after that many miles.
Damn, you made me look at when I did my fork oil and it was Ohlins 35,000 miles ago! :goofy:
I need to change it out for sure, I'll let you know if it's just powder or mud at the bottom of the forks! :fing02:
yeh give me a hint, I kind of think mines not to bad being it was flushed twice in early life