| Author | Message | ||
     Jk651 |
So I got my new 06 home, and quickly realized that I failed to notice that the right fork seal leaks when I initially went to look at the bike. Since I'll be doing the seals and an oil change, I thought I'd ask before I start if there are any recommended changes to the factory specs? I know about swapping the dual rate springs from '07 (any advice on where to buy them? I couldn't find them on the American Sport Bike website). Aside from that, I know from my motocross days that you can tune the forks by changing the oil weight and oil height, so I was wondering if there is any preferred setup, or should I just go with recommendations in the service manual? | ||
| Johnshore |
I got my springs at Precision Harley/Buell/Triumph, my local dealer, for less than $60 for the pair. The forks are easy to take off so I brought them the forks and springs. They know how much oil goes in the 2007 forks which is what you will have. They charged me around $200 for the labor,seals oil. Somewhere on this forum is the fork settings from the 2007 owners manual and it is different from the 06 ones | ||
| Billy_bee |
I did my seals recently. Bought the seals from American Sport Bike. They made a recommendation on the oil. I am 240 all geared up.they suggested 10wt in the forks. Factory Fluid level. I did not change the springs. They are noticeably more firm. They were certainly too squishy before with the factory oil. Much less brake dive but not too firm as to skip over bumps in corners. I don't know about level. I think too much oil would be a bad thing, Bill | ||
| Jk651 |
The manual calls for Type E, which IS 10wt. I am also about 240 all geared up. I know the springs are cheapish, but I just bought the bike and don't feel like putting more money into it than I have to. I think I may try 10wt 15mm higher than stock. Too much oil is a bad thing. When the forks compress, the air in the forks also compresses. The air in the forks acts as a progressive spring. More oil means the air pressure builds faster under compression. If you have too much oil full compression can over-pressurize the air in the forks and reduce the fork travel, or worse yet, push oil out past the seals. | ||
| Jk651 |
Although I just had the thought that 07 springs may reduce the likeliness of the fork seals to leak. The 07 springs are a stiffer dual rate spring. To make up for this the manual calls for significantly less oil. Less oil means less air pressure in the forks under compression, less air pressure means the seals don't work as hard. Just something to think about. | ||
| Tootal |
I believe Type E Harley fork oil is 7.5 wt, not 10. | ||
| Jk651 |
Interesting. Everything I've found online said it was 10wt, except 1 chart which said it was 20. I ignored that one. Maybe I need to research more. | ||
| Tootal |
The reason I say this is because I have a friend that works on Harleys and does a lot of fork work. He was mixing Amsoil 10wt with 5wt to achieve 7.5 wt to match the Type E. I can double check with him but I'm pretty sure that was the case. | ||
| Jk651 |
This is all from other forums, but it's all I could find really; this is what I was going on. "I have a pint of Maxima Fork Oil 10 weight and they state it is the same as H-D type E. Hope this helps." HD Type E = Fork Oil 10wt (Type E™) HD Type B = Fork Oil 15wt (Type B™) HD Type H/D = Fork Oil 20wt (Type H/D™) I've also found a thread that claims it's 20wt based on an email from Bel-Ray : Which Bel-Ray fork oil weights cross over to match Harley-Davidson fork oils?TOP Thanks for writing in. Harley-Davidson Type B is the equivalent viscosity to Bel-Ray High Performance Fork Oil 15W and the Harley-Davidson Type E is the equivalent to Bel-Ray High Performance Fork Oil 20W. Thanks for using Bel-Ray Performance Products." I'm sure Harley likes having us in the dark so that we feel more inclined to buy their oil. I wish someone had a definitive answer on this. | ||
| Uly_man |
I use cold pressed "extra virgin" olive oil from Greece in mine. It may cost a little more than HDs but it has a more "fruity" taste to it. Also if you get caught out on a picnic salad you just need to "up-end your forks" for leaf perfection. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Is the front end really that soft for you? Or is all this just overkill, or an excuse to do it different just to say "it's different"? I put 07 springs in my 06, run the 07 settings and fluid level, and do just fine. I'm probably 220-230 geared up and I run the bike heavy most times with crap in all 3 bags. I'd put it together with the HD oil, make your adjustments, and see how it does before I go monkeying with stuff. But that's just me. | ||
| Uly_man |
I have had many a very expensive/quality bike in my time and in my opinion the Showa suspension system on the XBs is best I have ever had. Its subtle, compliant and adaptable for road work. Just the addition of 10cc of heavy oil to the forks will make you think you have a new bike. And unlike your average Jap bike they will not be toast after 10k. | ||
| Schwara |
I can't seem to find a reference to tell me how much oil to actually buy. I know how to check the level when filling, but how many 1 liter bottles do I need to pick up to fill both forks after rebuild? Thanks a lot | ||
| Jk651 |
I believe its around 36 ounces on an 06. A little less for newer models. Buy 2 and return 1 if you don't need it. | ||
| Schwara |
sounds good thanks | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
When I rebuilt my forks at 8k miles (too many hard wheelie landings) I put in 15wt Yamalube. I had read online that HD type E was approximately 12.5wt, but judging from the assortment of comparisons here that probably wasn't accurate. Short of a detail-oriented racing application, I don't think an exact match for the oil weight will make a noticeable difference in handling. The important thing is to take the opportunity to clean the forks out VERY well. The teflon coating on the bushings can flake off and go wherever. That may have been what was causing mine to leak - a piece of that teflon coating stuck under the oil seal. I flushed PD 680 (mineral spirits) through both of my forks multiple times, then followed it with a bottle of the cheapest fork oil I could find, then refilled with the Yamalube. Also while the oil level is important, it's more important to make sure that the level is the same in each fork. Being an once low in each fork will provide a lot better handling than one fork being an ounce off from the other. Anyway.. my front end feels great and hasn't blown up yet despite the heavy Yamaha oil  | ||
| Uly_man |
"Also while the oil level is important, it's more important to make sure that the level is the same in each fork." Very true. These are the best forks I have ever had on a bike and I have used most in the past. They also seem to last very well. Most Jap stuff is starting to "going off" by 15k miles. The rear is great as well. One of the things I love about this bike is that it responds VERY well to rubber changes and suspension setup. That is the mark of a REAL good bike. Something that does not come along very much at this price. Many leave a bike on stock settings/rubber and thats fair enough. The thing is they are missing out on the potential of what a bike can do even for normal "day-to-day" riding. More so with the Uly and a well setup one will out handle anything "on-road". I just love the handling of this bike and the main reason I bought another. It is also very easy to ride hard. I have never had a problem and have done some real stupid things with it in the past. I would say to anyone learn about your bike. The more you put in, the more you will get out of it and the Uly is the best starting place of many a bike because it is so good. Trust me you will be AMAZED at the results. It just needs a little effort. |
