Fork oil question

sharky nrk · September 9th, 2013, 01:14 PM

Going to slap in some springs for my weight. At some point in the future I will be putting in emulators but since I am on a budget they will have to wait.

Should I use the stock 10w or a higher 15w for a little heavier dampening. Strictly track bike, I am 200 lbs geared up.

Trailerboy531 · September 9th, 2013, 01:32 PM

15w and probably .8 race tech springs

tooblekain · September 9th, 2013, 02:01 PM

15W, but keep in mind, if you use Belray, get 10W. If you use Torco, get 20W. Everything else like Spectro, Maxima, Racetech, etc should be spot on with true viscosity ratings

sharky nrk · September 10th, 2013, 05:15 AM

I already have the springs I need so I am good there, and I use a viscosity table to select the fluid. My question was geared towards the stock damper rods with higher rate springs.

sharky nrk · September 10th, 2013, 05:33 AM

^^^ specifically the rebound dampening has to deal pretty much only with the spring as opposed to the compression dampening having to deal will me, my crappy riding, and the surface of the track (lol

). Does the increase in viscosity, and the resulting increase in dampening slow the fork action down too much and cause issues with feel?

RedPepper64 · September 10th, 2013, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

^^^ specifically the rebound dampening has to deal pretty much only with the spring as opposed to the compression dampening having to deal will me, my crappy riding, and the surface of the track (lol

). Does the increase in viscosity, and the resulting increase in dampening slow the fork action down too much and cause issues with feel?

^^^ I'm curious about this as well.

Lychee · September 12th, 2013, 01:15 PM

Without emulators you cannot adjust compression and rebound damping independently other than by drilling the rods. So, unless you are going to do that I wouldn't worry about the differences between the two until you can get the emulators. It's seems like extra brain damage. Sure the increased viscosity will definitely have a affect on the fork, but there are a lot of other variables in play. Maybe too many to know realistically if the slow down is "too much" until you try it under your particular set of variables. I think the probability of hitting the nail on the head with the first rework of the forks is pretty low.

For what it's worth, I have used 15W before with the stock spring, stock damper rods, and no emulators and had no problems with feel. Although I did end up lowering the viscosity to 10W after I installed the emulators, drilled rods, and stiffer springs. Anyway, I think 15W is a pretty standard upgrade with these forks. Race tech recommends 15W. I am sure you can see where this is headed. Remember, when you get emulators installed, you may need to tweak the fork oil again anyway.

sharky nrk · September 13th, 2013, 04:00 AM

^^ I agree and I think I am going to put in some 15W and swap back to 10W when the emulators go in. As a track only bike there are not a whole lot of big hard sharp edged bumps on the racetrack where the orifice dampening gets really ugly on the compression side with a higher viscosity oil. The benefit long term is I have ridden my brothers race bike that had a front end setup I REALLY liked, so long term I have a target/baseline.

September 9th, 2013, 01:14 PM	#1
sharky nrk Fighting Texas Aggie '05 Name: Neil Location: Hutto, TX Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.	Fork oil question Going to slap in some springs for my weight. At some point in the future I will be putting in emulators but since I am on a budget they will have to wait. Should I use the stock 10w or a higher 15w for a little heavier dampening. Strictly track bike, I am 200 lbs geared up.

September 9th, 2013, 01:32 PM	#2
Trailerboy531 Gear crash test dummy Name: Max Location: South Bay (So. Cal) Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250 race bike, 2014 ZX-636r Posts: A lot.	15w and probably .8 race tech springs __________________________________________________ CVMA #531

September 9th, 2013, 02:01 PM	#3
tooblekain ninjette.org sage Name: Matt Location: San Diego, CA Join Date: May 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Triumph Bonneville; 2008 Ninja 250r (trackbike) Posts: 748	15W, but keep in mind, if you use Belray, get 10W. If you use Torco, get 20W. Everything else like Spectro, Maxima, Racetech, etc should be spot on with true viscosity ratings __________________________________________________ CVMA #312SoCal TrackdaysBigHeadz RacingMotion ProFactory EffexLeatt Brace* Racetech Bell Woodcraft CFMVortexHotbodiesSurface Sun SystemsBrakingLiveWire EnergyFreegun Underwear

September 12th, 2013, 01:15 PM	#7
Lychee sail away Name: Jon Location: San Jose Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): gixxer (sold), ninjette (upgrade!) Posts: 964 Blog Entries: 8	Without emulators you cannot adjust compression and rebound damping independently other than by drilling the rods. So, unless you are going to do that I wouldn't worry about the differences between the two until you can get the emulators. It's seems like extra brain damage. Sure the increased viscosity will definitely have a affect on the fork, but there are a lot of other variables in play. Maybe too many to know realistically if the slow down is "too much" until you try it under your particular set of variables. I think the probability of hitting the nail on the head with the first rework of the forks is pretty low. For what it's worth, I have used 15W before with the stock spring, stock damper rods, and no emulators and had no problems with feel. Although I did end up lowering the viscosity to 10W after I installed the emulators, drilled rods, and stiffer springs. Anyway, I think 15W is a pretty standard upgrade with these forks. Race tech recommends 15W. I am sure you can see where this is headed. Remember, when you get emulators installed, you may need to tweak the fork oil again anyway. __________________________________________________ Unregistered found this post helpful. Track Day Preparation Checklist 1. Financial 2. Mental 3. Physical 4. Gear / Bike

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September 10th, 2013, 05:15 AM	#4
sharky nrk Fighting Texas Aggie '05 Name: Neil Location: Hutto, TX Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.	I already have the springs I need so I am good there, and I use a viscosity table to select the fluid. My question was geared towards the stock damper rods with higher rate springs.

September 10th, 2013, 05:33 AM	#5
sharky nrk Fighting Texas Aggie '05 Name: Neil Location: Hutto, TX Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.	^^^ specifically the rebound dampening has to deal pretty much only with the spring as opposed to the compression dampening having to deal will me, my crappy riding, and the surface of the track (lol ). Does the increase in viscosity, and the resulting increase in dampening slow the fork action down too much and cause issues with feel?

September 13th, 2013, 04:00 AM	#8
sharky nrk Fighting Texas Aggie '05 Name: Neil Location: Hutto, TX Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track Posts: A lot.	^^ I agree and I think I am going to put in some 15W and swap back to 10W when the emulators go in. As a track only bike there are not a whole lot of big hard sharp edged bumps on the racetrack where the orifice dampening gets really ugly on the compression side with a higher viscosity oil. The benefit long term is I have ridden my brothers race bike that had a front end setup I REALLY liked, so long term I have a target/baseline.