Replace front fork springs & oil to higher grade

[fazer1]

Hello,
I realized that I have a front fork leak, I'd like to do the repair and replace the front springs with better/stiffer ones and put in a thicker oil. I was wondering if anyone had done this already to get better/sportier performance out of the front suspension?

Or, if anyone knows which types of springs to look at that will fit the 2009 fz6r frame, as well as a better fork oil to use?

Thanks.

 

[tw586]

Mate , from my experience with my XJ6, I changed my fork oil over to a synthetic 5w fork oil, its a little softer but holds up well on hard riding and braking, I found as the original oil degrades over time the front became weaker after repeated hard braking and mountain rides. Im only 70kg and found it a bit stiff in the front for day to day riding so it was a bonus to me

 

[fazer1]

Hey thanks for the reply. So you just kept the original/stock springs and changed the oil?

And it seemed to make the front-end tighter?

 

[Chucker]

There are a few threads on this. I suggest going to the Race Tech website and ordering the correct fork springs for your weight and riding style. When you swap your springs out, you need to cut a new spacer for your preload. Cut the spacer so you have to really push hard on the fork caps to get the threads started (by hand). Change out your oil to 15W racing oil. It will be a whole new bike. If you're over 175LB, I would also suggest swapping out your shock spring. The whole thing (including shock spring) costs around $300 if you do it yourself. It was the best mod I did to mine.

If you're just going to do the oil, change to 15W or 20W. 5W is really for cartridge forks and ours are damper rod.

 

[fazer1]

Thanks for the heads up Chucker!

 

[Rumpig]

A question for those that have done the front suspension.
Would I be able to change the oil without removing the forks from the bike, can it be sucked out with a syringe? Has anyone fitted preload adjusters instead of changing springs? Don't have a triple tree stand and am looking for an easy solution.

 

[Drennan57]

A question for those that have done the front suspension.
Would I be able to change the oil without removing the forks from the bike, can it be sucked out with a syringe? Has anyone fitted preload adjusters instead of changing springs? Don't have a triple tree stand and am looking for an easy solution.

Buy a used one online?

 

[Rumpig]

I wouldn't need it for anything else so don't really want to buy one. Might just get the bike shop to do it next time I get new tyres fitted.

 

[Chucker]

A question for those that have done the front suspension.
Would I be able to change the oil without removing the forks from the bike, can it be sucked out with a syringe? Has anyone fitted preload adjusters instead of changing springs? Don't have a triple tree stand and am looking for an easy solution.

You'll end up leaving quite a bit of oil in the forks. When you remove the forks, you need to hold them up side down and pump them several times to get all of the oil out.

A triple tree stand is not that much, and you can use it to remove your front wheel for tire changes. That will save you money at the shop, as tire changes are a lot less expensive if you deliver the wheels to the dealer.

 

[fazer1]

Hey Chucker, when you say "you need to hold them up side down and pump them several times to get all of the oil out" do you mean to literally pump both parts of the fork several times, or is there some other way to push the old oil out?

This will be my first fork surgery, trying to be prepared..

 

[Chucker]

I do mean pump both parts of the fork several times. There really isn't another way, unless you want to remove the damper rod and let the oil drain out the bottom (not recommended).

When you turn the fork upside down, you need to have a tub under it to catch oil and the parts (spacer, spring seat, spring).

 

[fazer1]

Got it, thank you. I've been trying to get a hold of Racetech for a little while, looking forward to fixing this leak and strengthening the front-end.