Fork oil change question

[Tbone]

To do an oil change do you really need to take the spring out? I have backed off the pre-load, loosened the top cap, measured the oil level, dumped the oil out, compressed the shock by hand, let it set upside down overnight. Refilled it to the same level as when I started. You can do this much without a spring compressor and removing the top cap from the cartridge.

 

[Cooter]

NJ: I'm sure you have plenty up on my *******! lol I'll do tires if I have to, just one of those jobs I unreasonably hate. Heck, in Jawbone I replaced and re-spoked a whole new outer rim on my CR250 with just a leatherman (and 3 beers):eagerness: Better than a ruined weekend!

Tbone: You really should pump the cartridge to evacuate all the oil through the valve stack, just draining won't do anything for the oil on the bottom of the piston. I'm sure it's ok but if you want to replace all the oil you'll have to remove the top cap and pump the cartridge clean. It's not impossible without the compressor, but a PITA. I have paid my local homeless guy one coconut and some zip ties (I didn't ask) to hold it down for me to re-assemble. His voices were quiet that day and he didn't even smell that bad:up:

 

[TPEHAK]

You also have to clean parts and seals or replace them if they are worn. Old or even contaminated oil is not such bad as worn sliding sleeves because of they can scratch the tubes. Cleaning the parts is necessary because of they collect dirt and just changing oil won't make them clean.

 

[njloco]

The friend who got onto Buells has changed fork oil on many bikes, he said the amount of dirt that is in there is truly amazing, so I guess it just depends on how good of a job one wants to do, admittedly he does a lot of riding on dirt.

John's recommendation of spraying cleaners up there and letting them drain out, I would think it's definitely a seal friendly chemical, is a very good tip.

 

[34nineteen]

The above info will still come in handy guys, I'll be doing my own fork oil change as soon as the weather warms up a little !

Thanks !

P.S. Cooter, I'm finally one up on you, I've done tires, they're really easy, with the right tools.

What are you using for tools? I struggle mainly with breaking and setting up the bead. Once I get past that, its fairly easy. I'd still rather just take them to Cycle Gear and let them do it.

 

[34nineteen]

Well dillon Harley in Omaha quoted me"less than 250" including oil and seals, so took the forks off last night and dropping them off this weekend with their ONE! Buell guy. He's very good and really loves buells so they'll be in good hands I'm sure.

Thats the thing.... they're not really "Buell specific". They are just Showa forks. If the word "Buell" wasnt cast into the lower leg, no one would ever know where it came from. If I was unable to wrench on my bike, I would be OK with an indy motorcycle shop doing the work. In fact, you're probably better off taking it to a Jap bike shop as the forks are more in line with a sport bike than a HD.

However, if your HD/Buell guy is good with this and you're happy, then win-win. My experience is that most HD guys don't like working on Buells.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Thats the thing.... they're not really "Buell specific". They are just Showa forks. If the word "Buell" wasnt cast into the lower leg, no one would ever know where it came from. If I was unable to wrench on my bike, I would be OK with an indy motorcycle shop doing the work. In fact, you're probably better off taking it to a Jap bike shop as the forks are more in line with a sport bike than a HD.

However, if your HD/Buell guy is good with this and you're happy, then win-win. My experience is that most HD guys don't like working on Buells.

Monte is a bit different than a typical buell mechanic@a Harley dealer. He actually gets excited when there's a buell in the shop. Besides the best metric bike shop in the area is right next door with the same name on the building, so I doubt they'd be any cheaper.

 

[34nineteen]

I did my tires the last lip was being a real pain so I used my box cutter to help me . I even warmed them up with my tire warmers.

View attachment 9071

Admit it, you did this with your bare hands. :black_eyed:

 

[34nineteen]

Monte is a bit different than a typical buell mechanic@a Harley dealer. He actually gets excited when there's a buell in the shop. Besides the best metric bike shop in the area is right next door with the same name on the building, so I doubt they'd be any cheaper.

Thats awesome that you found a Buell loving mechanic. :up: Definitely a unicorn and a dying breed. :up: My experience has been that the metric guys say "we don't work on Harleys" and the Harley guys want nothing to do with them.

 

[Silverrider]

Admit it, you did this with your bare hands. :black_eyed:

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. yes and my teeth and my Big Foot LOL
.

 

[Tbone]

My friend who is a former MX rider/amateur racer has changed a lot of tires and a tire for me. He broke a couple of bead breakers and sweated his butt off with a lot of F, S, and G, bombs. Not so sure I want to do my own?
I tried to help him but I think I was getting in his way.
I dump the oil in my fork legs once a year on both bikes and refill. I look at it like changing the oil in the engine, drain and fill.

 

[Silverrider]

View attachment 9075
My friend who is a former MX rider/amateur racer has changed a lot of tires and a tire for me. He broke a couple of bead breakers and sweated his butt off with a lot of F, S, and G, bombs. Not so sure I want to do my own?
I tried to help him but I think I was getting in his way.
I dump the oil in my fork legs once a year on both bikes and refill. I look at it like changing the oil in the engine, drain and fill.

Amen!!!! Iam glad my kids weren't listening to me .

 

[BuellyBagger]

Amen!!!! Iam glad my kids weren't listening to me .

I want my kids to hear, so they get great jobs, make lots of money, and can afford to pay somebody to do all the things I grumble about. Granted ill still make sure they have to do their own work at least until they move out!

 

[njloco]

I'm sure like most of you, I do my own work to make sure it's done correctly, if I lived close to a wrench like John ( who I know is way more than that ) I would bring it to him to fix and rest easy that it is indeed done correctly.