Guest DarkKnight Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I have stock front forks on my 5th gen and was wondering: Im about to change and flush my fork oil for the first time since ive owned my bike (2yrs and 40k miles); I weigh 195 and am about 6ft, my primary riding is commuting followed closely but some sport touring. Is there a recommended oil weight that I should/could change to (beyond what is stated by the manual) that would be ideal for my size and riding style? Synthetic or organic? Any suggestions for possible preloading the fork with a spacer? My last experience with fork flushing was on my first bike about 13yrs ago--and I had help, lol. Thanks in advance! :lurk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 .90 springs and Honda SS-8 oil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 .90 springs and Honda SS-8 oil Thanks Seb; Good morning! The springs: purchase from Honda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks Seb; Good morning! The springs: purchase from Honda? No, go to: http://www.sonicsprings.com/catalog/ They come with easy to follow instructions for cutting the supplied preload spacer material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks Seb; Good morning! The springs: purchase from Honda? No, go to: http://www.sonicsprings.com/catalog/ They come with easy to follow instructions for cutting the supplied preload spacer material. Thanks Bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted January 13, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 13, 2011 Don't use the SS Honda fluid, it's really sub-par as fork oils are concerned. Instead you you should use the Honda Pro Oils 5w in the black quart bottle. That would be the best fluid to use. Run an oil height of 120mm. That is the level of the fluid measured from the top of the tube with the springs out and the fork totally compressed. If you choose to go with aftermarket springs, you need to set up the spacer length such that you compress the spring 16mm when installing the cap. This is the initial preload. The correct rate for you is 0.95kg/mm, by the way. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Don't use the SS Honda fluid, it's really sub-par as fork oils are concerned. Instead you you should use the Honda Pro Oils 5w in the black quart bottle. That would be the best fluid to use. Run an oil height of 120mm. That is the level of the fluid measured from the top of the tube with the springs out and the fork totally compressed. If you choose to go with aftermarket springs, you need to set up the spacer length such that you compress the spring 16mm when installing the cap. This is the initial preload. The correct rate for you is 0.95kg/mm, by the way. Good luck! Except that he wants to commute, and didn't mention going "all-out" and doing valving, in which case .95 springs and 5w oil will give him a harsh bumpy ride. :comp13: Just because you like it doesn't mean it will work for everyone Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Your front end options are endless and both Seb/Jamie have great reputations when it comes to suspension advice. Changing for oil isn't hard but it's very important to set the oil height right. To add a 3rd option this is what I did.. I thought a straight rate spring and full valving would be overkill for the type of riding that I do. So I went to www.hyperpro.com and ordered their progressive front spring kit. It comes with springs specifically for your bike, thorough instructions, and their special fork oil. The spring has a different spring rate between each coil and is stiffer as you go up. You don't have to worry about getting the right spring for the right weight and it will work wonders for your front end. I paid $169 for mine and installed it 3 months ago and I love the way the front end feels. It takes the slop out of the steering, gets rid of brake dive, soaks up bumps really well, and has a firm but very dampened feeling. Kind of like that feeling of a european sports car where its firm but just soaks up the bumps without having a vague feeling. I also did that because here in Az where I live we don't have the greatest quality of roads and it does definitely help soaking up mid corner bumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Don't use the SS Honda fluid, it's really sub-par as fork oils are concerned. Instead you you should use the Honda Pro Oils 5w in the black quart bottle. That would be the best fluid to use. Run an oil height of 120mm. That is the level of the fluid measured from the top of the tube with the springs out and the fork totally compressed. If you choose to go with aftermarket springs, you need to set up the spacer length such that you compress the spring 16mm when installing the cap. This is the initial preload. The correct rate for you is 0.95kg/mm, by the way. Good luck! Except that he wants to commute, and didn't mention going "all-out" and doing valving, in which case .95 springs and 5w oil will give him a harsh bumpy ride. :comp13: Just because you like it doesn't mean it will work for everyone Jamie. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5690943 going into the class they do a vfr forks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted January 14, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 14, 2011 Don't use the SS Honda fluid, it's really sub-par as fork oils are concerned. Instead you you should use the Honda Pro Oils 5w in the black quart bottle. That would be the best fluid to use. Run an oil height of 120mm. That is the level of the fluid measured from the top of the tube with the springs out and the fork totally compressed. If you choose to go with aftermarket springs, you need to set up the spacer length such that you compress the spring 16mm when installing the cap. This is the initial preload. The correct rate for you is 0.95kg/mm, by the way. Good luck! Except that he wants to commute, and didn't mention going "all-out" and doing valving, in which case .95 springs and 5w oil will give him a harsh bumpy ride. :comp13: Just because you like it doesn't mean it will work for everyone Jamie. That's a common misconception about suspension performance. Having the proper spring rate will actually make the bike more comfortable to ride. An undersprung front fork will pogo more which actually drives more load into the rider's arms. One of the biggest issues with the stock valving is that it's harsh, using Honda Pro 5w instead of SS-8 helps that a bit. This would make the forks absorb the bumps instead of skipping over them like the stock forks do. Once again, this suggestion would help make for a more controlled ride from the front end. I'm not basing this at all from what I would run, but rather what I've used for VFR riders over the many years that I've been doing suspension setups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 On the 6th gen , i dont find stock valving harsh at all. What it actually is, is very soft and way too linear, This is why i bottoms failry easy. When you have valving designed for 10 weight oil like the vfr, and you install a 5 weight and even they vary amongst themselves. That will effect a dramatic change, it could be good or it could be bad. On the VFR its going to be bad, casue the vaving is already too soft. Installing a heavy spring, will in itself create faster rebound, add in thinner oil, you end up with way too quick of rebound with stock valving. The other problem one companies 10 weight , might be about the same as another companies 5 weight. I've always found, when you switch brands or weight, your going to be dealing with a totally different platform. But generally if you put 5 w in a 10 weight vlaving you'll need more oil height, and hevier weight oils will require less oil height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted January 14, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 14, 2011 Fortunately in this case I have dyno charts showing the benefit of Honda Pro Oils 5w over SS-8. Bear in mind that I recommend a specific oil, not just any 5w fork oil. As you mention, not all "5w" fluids are the same. A fluid with a viscosity of 15-16 cSt has been proven to work well, which the HP 5w is. The bottoming you feel is partly the springs fault. Over hard bumps you think the fork bottomed but it actually hit a hydraulic lock because it couldn't flow the fluid through the HMAS valving fast enough. That's an indication of the harshness in the stock VFR forks, something that shows up clearly in a dyno chart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have stock front forks on my 5th gen and was wondering: Im about to change and flush my fork oil for the first time since ive owned my bike (2yrs and 40k miles); I weigh 195 and am about 6ft, my primary riding is commuting followed closely but some sport touring. Is there a recommended oil weight that I should/could change to (beyond what is stated by the manual) that would be ideal for my size and riding style? Synthetic or organic? Any suggestions for possible preloading the fork with a spacer? My last experience with fork flushing was on my first bike about 13yrs ago--and I had help, lol. Thanks in advance! :lurk: Dude, your stuff is so shot ,even just redoing stock would be a dramatic improvement, obviously your not too picky. I was redoing forks within the first month of getting the bike. My red ss8 was so shot it was Coal black and sludging at 6,000 miles and the forks were running as hot as the motor. Now Ive heard others go 15,000 mile and the original oil on a new bike look not bad, But I run alot of speed through ruff road and probably the reason I saw the serious degrade, but at 40,ooo mile on intial oil, You'll loble to have much bushing wear and sludged valving. On the VFR the intial oil needs to come out before 15,000 mile and then you can go 30,000 between changes. If you change spring , Id shorten that interval , cause new springs will cause substancial contamination also. , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatesPilot Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 My friend and I both have 6th gens with stock forks and replaced our oil today. Mine is a 2003 and has 19,000 miles with the original fork oil. I drained 510cc of black oil. No visible wear on any internal parts. The bushings were very clean. I weigh 150lbs and and replaced 520cc of Pro Honda HP 5W. I am very happy with the results after 45mins of hard mountain riding. The bike feels the most hooked up it's ever been. There is about 25% less nose dive under heavy braking. Also, there is less float on the front, with no pogo, and a firm feel over rough terrain. My friend has 9,000 miles and his oil was very clean. He tried the 5W and was extremely disappointed. He weighs 190lbs and is near the limit of fork travel. We initially filled 550ml and he bottomed out with front chatter under heavy braking. We added another 50ml and there was a marked improvement. He is changing to 10W and buying new springs as soon as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer majordomo490 Posted April 18, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted April 18, 2011 What would you guys recommend for a 230 lbs mostly sport touring guy, springs and oil weight? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I recommend EVERYONE who has not got a clue to ask an expert! There are professionals that do forks for a living. There might be few knowledgeable folks here but if you don't know what you doing with forks you will mess it up and worse case scenario dump the bike! I have taken apart lots of Honda forks and some have larger openings on the valves, some smaller, some have bleed off, some don't so they will not have same results when you change the oil, I have used 5, 7.5, 10 and even 15 for some applications. Adding oil height (as mentioned in a post above) might cause fork to lock up under braking and possibly chatter, that is a very bad thing! 120mm (or about 5") with springs out fork collapsed is about as high as it gets for a street bike, any more oil and it will simply prevent the fork from compressing because once you install spring it will displace more oil and level will rise. Did anyone even mention bleeding the cartridge? It holds plenty of oil so it should be drained, and once the fork is refilled you need to pump the rod, slowly, up-n-down till there is resistance and no more bubbles coming out before you measure the oil level. Anyway, that's my 2c, I can go on and on about this but got to get to work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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