hello, i have been trying to find infon on front fork oil levels for my fjr1300 ae (2005) and have been unable to locate any exact capacities or instruction posts. i had a gasket begin leaking and now need to refill the oil after replacing the old gasket. Please advise on how much oil should be used to replace the suspension cylinder and any other info that may be pertinant. thanks in advance for your help.
suspension oil levels
- Thread starter bwbeyea
- Start date
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bwbeyea,
I recently replaced the oil in my (I think sold) st1300. Becuase the forks are very similar, I'll mention some things that might help.
In my st1300 service manual they indicate the specific amount of oil and how to measure it. If you dont (can't) find that info for yours, you could use the other fork and determine what oil level it's at, and match it in the other fork.
you need to know what weight fork oil to use also. It's very important ea fork tube has the same amount of oil, and same weight ofcourse.
One measurement, with the forks collapsed and the cartridge pumped enough times to be filled with oil (no spring or spacer installed) is to measure it from the top of the collapsed tube. You can use a simple turkey baster, put a piece of tape on it to indicate how much oil to suck out with the baster, then you'll have the exact amount.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck,
I recently replaced the oil in my (I think sold) st1300. Becuase the forks are very similar, I'll mention some things that might help.
In my st1300 service manual they indicate the specific amount of oil and how to measure it. If you dont (can't) find that info for yours, you could use the other fork and determine what oil level it's at, and match it in the other fork.
you need to know what weight fork oil to use also. It's very important ea fork tube has the same amount of oil, and same weight ofcourse.
One measurement, with the forks collapsed and the cartridge pumped enough times to be filled with oil (no spring or spacer installed) is to measure it from the top of the collapsed tube. You can use a simple turkey baster, put a piece of tape on it to indicate how much oil to suck out with the baster, then you'll have the exact amount.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck,
GPRIDER
Well-known member
I think I would have changed the oil in both the forks. That needs to be done every so often. Do you know how many miles or how long it has been?
GP
HaulinAshe
Well-known member
Assuming you have stock springs:
Each fork holds 670cc / 22.3 oz.
This should produce an oil level of 100mm from the top of the inner tube with the spring removed.
Never, never, NEVER service just one fork. The oil level is not nearly as critical as both being exactly matched.
I have a service manual left over from my 05 that I might make you a good price on.
Either way, you owe me a beer.
Each fork holds 670cc / 22.3 oz.
This should produce an oil level of 100mm from the top of the inner tube with the spring removed.
Never, never, NEVER service just one fork. The oil level is not nearly as critical as both being exactly matched.
I have a service manual left over from my 05 that I might make you a good price on.
Either way, you owe me a beer.
Jeff, for another beer, can you tell me what weight fork oil people have been using to get the best ride? Brand might help, too, as there sure are a lot of them out there.Assuming you have stock springs:
Each fork holds 670cc / 22.3 oz.
This should produce an oil level of 100mm from the top of the inner tube with the spring removed.
Never, never, NEVER service just one fork. The oil level is not nearly as critical as both being exactly matched.
I have a service manual left over from my 05 that I might make you a good price on.
Either way, you owe me a beer.
Thanks.
sprint_st
Well-known member
I definitely concur with Jeff. Just out of curiosity how many miles do you have on your 07, and what did you do, hit a curb at 70mph? Seems like a very short time to blow a fork seal. Guess what I'm getting at is did you do something or is it a warranty issue?Jeff, for another beer, can you tell me what weight fork oil people have been using to get the best ride? Brand might help, too, as there sure are a lot of them out there.Assuming you have stock springs:
Each fork holds 670cc / 22.3 oz.
This should produce an oil level of 100mm from the top of the inner tube with the spring removed.
Never, never, NEVER service just one fork. The oil level is not nearly as critical as both being exactly matched.
I have a service manual left over from my 05 that I might make you a good price on.
Either way, you owe me a beer.
Thanks.
HaulinAshe
Well-known member
For availability, price and overall performance for the buck, it's hard to beat good ole' Bel-Ray High Performance Shock Oil - 10wt.
Street bikes just don't pound the fork fluid the way dirt does. On my dirt bikes I won't run anything but Maxima Synthetic Shock Fluid 3.5-5wt.
The last forks I did were Heidi's (LuvToRide). You might ask her how she likes the feel of the 10wt Bel-Ray. It's just so damn easy to find at most any motorcycle shop.
Street bikes just don't pound the fork fluid the way dirt does. On my dirt bikes I won't run anything but Maxima Synthetic Shock Fluid 3.5-5wt.
The last forks I did were Heidi's (LuvToRide). You might ask her how she likes the feel of the 10wt Bel-Ray. It's just so damn easy to find at most any motorcycle shop.
FJRAust
Well-known member
+1 on the
Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never change oil in just one for leg.
Do both even if you think the good leg is fine.. (and I have more nevers than JeffAshe so you know I'm right)
I too am interested in why you needed to service a forkleg on such a new bike. Wouldn't you have just taken it in for warranty??
Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never change oil in just one for leg.
Do both even if you think the good leg is fine.. (and I have more nevers than JeffAshe so you know I'm right)
I too am interested in why you needed to service a forkleg on such a new bike. Wouldn't you have just taken it in for warranty??
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
HaulinAshe
Well-known member
Good link Geezer. I've seen that chart before and would love to have it on Excel spreadsheet. But always too lazy to retype it all.
I've always found the difference between the Yamaha OEM fluid Reported and Recalculated Viscosity Index(VI) numbers, to be interesting. That's why for general street riding I target a fluid with a VI of 150, which matches what Yamaha's stock fluid is supposed to be. That could be why the stock suspension gets reported as "bad" so quickly. The fluids could be degrading rapidly and many never get changed.
*For dirt bikes, the Maxima oil I use is listed on that chart as "Maxima Racing Shock Fluid (Light 3wt)".
*For squid bikes & triple-digit FJRs with no bags, the Maxima oil I use is listed as "Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (85/150 5wt)".
*For average FJR, the Bel-Ray I use is listed as "Bel-Ray Fork Oil (10wt)". I also use "Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (165/150 10wt)".
I can't speak highly enough of my personal experiences with the Maxima product line. It's just damn inconvenient to have to order it every time you need some.
Where are you typically purchasing the Silkolene products?
Jeff
I've always found the difference between the Yamaha OEM fluid Reported and Recalculated Viscosity Index(VI) numbers, to be interesting. That's why for general street riding I target a fluid with a VI of 150, which matches what Yamaha's stock fluid is supposed to be. That could be why the stock suspension gets reported as "bad" so quickly. The fluids could be degrading rapidly and many never get changed.
*For dirt bikes, the Maxima oil I use is listed on that chart as "Maxima Racing Shock Fluid (Light 3wt)".
*For squid bikes & triple-digit FJRs with no bags, the Maxima oil I use is listed as "Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (85/150 5wt)".
*For average FJR, the Bel-Ray I use is listed as "Bel-Ray Fork Oil (10wt)". I also use "Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (165/150 10wt)".
I can't speak highly enough of my personal experiences with the Maxima product line. It's just damn inconvenient to have to order it every time you need some.
Where are you typically purchasing the Silkolene products?
Jeff
Last edited by a moderator:
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
The first time I used Silkolene it was on the clearance rack at my local UJM dealer. After that ran out I ordered some from U Motors along with a bunch of other stuff I wanted. I change the fork oil once a year during the winter layover along with most other maintenance and farkling. I have not found it locally, but I haven't looked very hard either.
evil_henchman
Well-known member
Here's a link to a procedure for disassembling the forks: Link
You'll note that it suggests you can remove the damper rod allen head screw on bottom of the fork with an impact wrench. Don't waste your time, it wont work and will just spin. Get a 26mm socket and weld it to a piece of pipe as described. If you don't weld take it to a muffler shop and they'll do it cheap.
Also there's a big washer under the seal that Yamaha calls a guide, part # 4SV23115-00-00. They claim that if you're careful in the disassembly process you can avoid bending it. I call BS on that. It's a $2 part, just order a couple with your seals.
As for which oil to use, I'd stay with something close to the overpriced OEM stuff (Yamaha 01 Fork Oil). Maxima 5w fork oil is what I use, it's pretty close in spec., cheap, and available most everywhere. As the manual says, don't vary from the OEM oil spec or you'll have undesirable results. That's been my experience. Even though the chart data says that damper rod type forks typically use 34 cSt @ 40C, the OEM oil for an FJR is 15.60 cSt @ 40C like what's recommended for cartridge type forks. Heavier oils just rob you of a plush ride IMHO.
You'll note that it suggests you can remove the damper rod allen head screw on bottom of the fork with an impact wrench. Don't waste your time, it wont work and will just spin. Get a 26mm socket and weld it to a piece of pipe as described. If you don't weld take it to a muffler shop and they'll do it cheap.
Also there's a big washer under the seal that Yamaha calls a guide, part # 4SV23115-00-00. They claim that if you're careful in the disassembly process you can avoid bending it. I call BS on that. It's a $2 part, just order a couple with your seals.
As for which oil to use, I'd stay with something close to the overpriced OEM stuff (Yamaha 01 Fork Oil). Maxima 5w fork oil is what I use, it's pretty close in spec., cheap, and available most everywhere. As the manual says, don't vary from the OEM oil spec or you'll have undesirable results. That's been my experience. Even though the chart data says that damper rod type forks typically use 34 cSt @ 40C, the OEM oil for an FJR is 15.60 cSt @ 40C like what's recommended for cartridge type forks. Heavier oils just rob you of a plush ride IMHO.
Tinker
Tinker
I just replaced the seals on my '03. The '07 may be different. With the tube verticle the, inner tube compressed, the spring out the level should be 100mm below the top edge of the inner tube, as the final level. The manual specifies 670cc as the initial fill volume, followed by slow cyceling of the rod assembely and the inner tube, followed by a rest peroid of at least 10 minutes to let any bubbles clear. then the measurments for the final level. Use the same procedurre on both sides at the same time. Always both sides.
I had difficulty at the end. The manual doesn't specify on assembly just how to install the cap nut. I did one side with the rod fully extended and the inner tube raised to meet. The other side I left the tube down and raised tie rod. Not looking good on the bike. One tube was 6in linger than the other. I pulled the short one and used the other method. Small changes can cause large and unexpected results.
Tinker
I had difficulty at the end. The manual doesn't specify on assembly just how to install the cap nut. I did one side with the rod fully extended and the inner tube raised to meet. The other side I left the tube down and raised tie rod. Not looking good on the bike. One tube was 6in linger than the other. I pulled the short one and used the other method. Small changes can cause large and unexpected results.
Tinker
Jeff, do you or anyone else have this same info for the 06/07's. Or are the forks the same?Assuming you have stock springs:
Each fork holds 670cc / 22.3 oz.
This should produce an oil level of 100mm from the top of the inner tube with the spring removed.
Never, never, NEVER service just one fork. The oil level is not nearly as critical as both being exactly matched.
I have a service manual left over from my 05 that I might make you a good price on.
Either way, you owe me a beer.
Thanks in advance
T
Tim05fjr
Guest
I just did mine last month. Had a seal leaking on the right side. I used 10w at 100mm.
+1 on Evil's advise. It is good to have all those little bits on hand. The kid at the parts counter was like,
" you don't have to replace those ". I said , " Guess you never worked on a set of forks before."
Also, don't wait until a fork is leaking or 30,000 miles like I did. Man was that oil filthy. It came out almost black, and thin as piss.
Now I can feel a noticible change in the ride and handling.
Tim
+1 on Evil's advise. It is good to have all those little bits on hand. The kid at the parts counter was like,
" you don't have to replace those ". I said , " Guess you never worked on a set of forks before."
Also, don't wait until a fork is leaking or 30,000 miles like I did. Man was that oil filthy. It came out almost black, and thin as piss.
Now I can feel a noticible change in the ride and handling.
Tim
Chips
Well-known member
Please clarify. I don't believe the FJR1300AE existed in 2005. The designations for the 2005 model year are FJR1300AT/ FJR1300ATC / FJR1300T / FJR1300TC.
3dogs
Well-known member
To remove the allen bolt at the bottom of the forks (holds the cartridge in place) just use a 1/2" air wrench. It will come right off--no need to make a special tool.
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