oil

[dennis brown]

what is a good amt. of oil for the 32 mm ceriani forks and what wt.for cross country use thanks

dennis l.brown

[tofriedel]

Short Method - Drain and clean the forks interior, remove the springs use ATF oil and fill the extended fork tubes with oil 6" from the top.  Depending on the condition of your springs and your comfort, you may have to adjust more or less oil to fit your style.

Tony

[tomale]

The advice that Tony gave you is solid advice and will work pretty well if you are an average rider, but frankly it is a bit like asking what is the best pair of Jeans to buy, Levis or wrangler? For the average rider, ATF is fine but not all ATF oils are the same.  I used it for years with out any trouble. A few years ago I was put in a faster class and I had to learn all over again.  What was fine before no longer is. Before I never touched the stock gearing on the bike but now I bring other sprockets that I change depending on the track.  Depending on who you talk to ATF is about 10-15 wt. oil  I could not afford to be unsure of the exact wt. so I run fork oil and I keep notes on what I am running.  In the winter time I run a lighter oil than I do in the summer.  typically I run 10 wt.  
Another thing, the reason that Tony did not give you an amount is because the actual volume of the forks will vary from one side to the next. so an amount may get you close but that is all it will do.  The reason for starting with 6" of oil from the top  with the fork collapsed is because it will allow you to adjust your forks so that it will still work well the first 2-3 inches with out causing your forks to bottom out so easy in the last inch of travel.  you want the forks to move with the surface of the ground but you also what it to be able to manage a big hit too, setting up your forks like this will actually improve your cornering ability, because it improves front wheel traction. hope this helps.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74' 1/2 440 maico
70' 400 maico (project)
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Honda TL 125
2004 Suzuki DL1000

[Ed Chesnut]

Didn't Dennis get conflicting advice?  One response says fill to 6" from the top with the forks extended and the other says fill to 6" from the top with the forks collapsed.  I'm pretty sure I know which is correct . . . but I'm also pretty sure you guys know better than I do.  So which is it?  Extended or collapsed?

Ed

Keep the rubber side down!

[brian kirby]

Collapsed.

Brian

[tofriedel]

Sorry Guys, I had a little brain fade yesterday when I said "fill to 6" with the forks extended".  They wouldn't operate at all if you did that.  My apologies.

Tony

[tofriedel]

Short Method - Drain and clean the forks interior, remove the springs use ATF oil and fill the extended fork tubes with oil 6" from the top.  Depending on the condition of your springs and your comfort, you may have to adjust more or less oil to fit your style.

Tony

[tomale]

The advice that Tony gave you is solid advice and will work pretty well if you are an average rider, but frankly it is a bit like asking what is the best pair of Jeans to buy, Levis or wrangler? For the average rider, ATF is fine but not all ATF oils are the same.  I used it for years with out any trouble. A few years ago I was put in a faster class and I had to learn all over again.  What was fine before no longer is. Before I never touched the stock gearing on the bike but now I bring other sprockets that I change depending on the track.  Depending on who you talk to ATF is about 10-15 wt. oil  I could not afford to be unsure of the exact wt. so I run fork oil and I keep notes on what I am running.  In the winter time I run a lighter oil than I do in the summer.  typically I run 10 wt.  
Another thing, the reason that Tony did not give you an amount is because the actual volume of the forks will vary from one side to the next. so an amount may get you close but that is all it will do.  The reason for starting with 6" of oil from the top  with the fork collapsed is because it will allow you to adjust your forks so that it will still work well the first 2-3 inches with out causing your forks to bottom out so easy in the last inch of travel.  you want the forks to move with the surface of the ground but you also what it to be able to manage a big hit too, setting up your forks like this will actually improve your cornering ability, because it improves front wheel traction. hope this helps.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74' 1/2 440 maico
70' 400 maico (project)
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Honda TL 125
2004 Suzuki DL1000

[Ed Chesnut]

Didn't Dennis get conflicting advice?  One response says fill to 6" from the top with the forks extended and the other says fill to 6" from the top with the forks collapsed.  I'm pretty sure I know which is correct . . . but I'm also pretty sure you guys know better than I do.  So which is it?  Extended or collapsed?

Ed

Keep the rubber side down!

[brian kirby]

Collapsed.

Brian

[tofriedel]

Sorry Guys, I had a little brain fade yesterday when I said "fill to 6" with the forks extended".  They wouldn't operate at all if you did that.  My apologies.

Tony

[tomale]

LOL, long time ago, I replaced the fork oil in my sons bike, forgetting that I had done it earlier I added another  200cc to each fork leg.  I could not figure out what I had did wrong, I took it to a Honda dealer and he drained the oil. And put in fresh oil, and suddenly they worked fine. [8] Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74' 1/2 440 maico
70' 400 maico (project)
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Honda TL 125
2004 Suzuki DL1000

[Dwight Rudder]

ATF for the most part is 8wt oil. BUT, It can be as heavy as 12wt. Best to use 7.5wt, PJ1 Fork Tuner.  6 inches from top collapsed.

[skiracer]

I too have had mixed results with the same brand of ATF. I use to use it all the time but found inconsistencies in the feel.  I too have switched over to PJ1 fork oil. I use either 5 or 7.5 wt. depending on the bike, and what I am using it for; heavier for MX, lighter for the woods....

quote:Originally posted by Dwight Rudder

ATF for the most part is 8wt oil. BUT, It can be as heavy as 12wt. Best to use 7.5wt, PJ1 Fork Tuner.  6 inches from top collapsed.

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1976 Hercules 250 GS 7A
1982 Suzuki PE 175
2002 KTM 200 EXC
1976 Penton 175 GS
1976 Hercules 250 GS 7A project

[tomale]

7.5 wt in stock forks ? I have thought of using that.  I run 5 wt in my forks with emulators. I was told to use nothing less than 10 wt.  but thought it was too harsh.  I continue to experiment with the settings to get the best set up possible for me.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74' 1/2 440 maico
70' 400 maico (project)
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Honda TL 125
2004 Suzuki DL1000