Fork Oil recommendations

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Sep 19, 2013
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Mt Juliet TN
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2010 NT700V Red
Hi all... Time to do some winter maintenance up here in Minnesota. Top on my list is fork oil change. I don't have any seal leaks so I think I just need to remove the forks and change the oil. My bike has 20,000 miles. I would like a little softer ride up front, so I was considering a suggestion from another NT700 owner which is to change from the stock 10w to 5w. Has anyone else tried this? Did it result in a softer, but not too soft, ride? Any recommended oil brands?

Thanks
 

junglejim

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No help here. Last fall I just did what you are doing but used generic fork oil. I think my front end is pretty good even with our lousy roads up here so I made no attempt to change anything. I had about 10K more miles than you and no leaks so the seals stayed. I'm always amazed at how gunky fork oil can get in what seems like a short time. Good luck with your project. Jim
 

DirtFlier

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Yes, I use Amsoil 5 weight synthetic because it was recommended by Ricor (fork valves). Prior to that I used Repsol 5 weight mineral oil.

FYI: putting a "w" behind the number means winter classification, not weight; such as 5w-20 engine oil where 5 is the viscosity when cold.
 
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I have done some fork changes. First I used 3/4 inch shorter spring spacers. A few thousand miles later I changed the fork oil and used Honda 5w still with the short spacers.
This fall I installed Hyperpro springs and used their fork oil. The Hyperpro fluid seemed to smooth out the fork action quite a bit.

Brad
 
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. Dirtflyer, did you like the fork response with the Amsoil 5 weight synthetic, as compared to the stock 10 weight? Was is softer or smoother? Did you switch to a Ricor fork valve on your NT? Brad, when you changed to the 3/4 in shorter spacers, what goal were you looking for? Did it lower the front end of the bike? Is the Hyperpro a progressive wound spring? Thanks
 

DirtFlier

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I had used the Repsol 5 weight first so the transition to Amsoil 5 synthetic wasn't so dramatic. The 5 weight makes the fork action softer. If it bottoms, just raise the fork oil level in small steps until it stops bottoming. I made the change to Amsoil when I installed Ricor valves which replaced the Race Tech Gold Valves which I sold to another NT rider. Both types of valves are an improvement but the Ricor's have an anti-dive function under hard braking which I love.

I used Progressive fork springs (for PC800) for a while then went back to the standard NT springs but kept playing with different length spring spacers. In the end, what worked best for me were spacers that were actually just below the top of the fork tube with the fork fully extended. At least in my experience, the standard NT fork has way too much spring preload so the front end often jumps over small bumps, rather than compressing the fork. Even with the drastically shortened spacers, the laden sag (rider in place) was still OK which supports my theory that it had way too much preload.

Once you get the fork sorted, it'll make the rear shock feel too harsh which it is because the standard spring is too strong for someone who rides solo and weighs less than 200 lbs.
 
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Are various size spring spacers available? Where? I havn't found any doing a search, yet.

thanks,

jim
 
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Jim,
When I shortened the spring spacers I was trying to soften the front end. I wanted it more compliant over sharp edge bumps like expansion joints.
I'll agree with dirtflyer that if you get the front end softer you'll probably notice the rear end harshness more. The front and back need to work together to make it good.
The hyperpro spring is a progressive winding. I rarely load down my NT with much for weight and I would probably prefer a lighter still spring. I find the rear shock very harsh and the rear end will jump on the sharp edged bumps.
I don't know of a source for pre-cut spring spacers. I believe many people cut lengths of PVC pipe. It is easy to find, cheap, and can be easily cut square with a tube or pipe cutter. I had some thin wall metal pipe left over from some project (I rarely throw anything like that away) that I used. You could also cut down the originals, but if you are not happy with the results you would have to then order new ones.

Good Luck,
Brad
 
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I was reading somewhere (cannot find the link now) that unlike engine oil, the weight and thermal characteristics of fork oils vary from brand to brand. In other words, one brand's 10 weight fork oil will likely be different from another brand. So if you re going to experiment with different fork oils, stick to the same brand.
 

DirtFlier

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The Ricors I have in my NT are made for the later model V-Strom. Ricor has two different sizes for V-strom, with the later model made for fork tubes with an inside diameter of 36.2 mm. Both the V-Strom and NT use Showa forks so this swap isn't so odd. I believe the original Trans-Alp (1988-89) used smaller O.D. (39 mm?) forks than the NT.

I have a small bench lathe so made my own fork spring spacers from thickwall aluminum tubing. I have used PVC pipe to make spacers in the past but after a while the ends get beat-up. If you do use PVC, I'd suggest Schedule 40 which is a little bit thicker than the normal stuff. Although I don't see the PVC spacers as permanent, you can cut a bunch of different lengths from a 10-ft length for experimenting for very little money.

I agree with JohnC about fork oil viscosity probably being unique to one brand. I doubt if fork oil is regulated by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the group that certifies engine oil viscosity.

The standard shock spring on the NT is also progressively-wound except the soft section is very short so just sitting on the bike puts you into the hard section. And increasing shock spring preload via the remote adjuster uses up some of this soft section before you even sit on the bike. I bought an softer Ohlins shock spring ($90) for my woman friend's NT but have yet to install it. There was a previous post about a successful swap to an Ohlins shock spring so look it up if you're interested.

Happy New Year to all!

ps. the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to the national championship game!
 
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You guys have inspired me to try the Ricor fork shock valves and I just placed my order with Brian (888-425-1333). Brian had me measure the inside diameter of a fork/shock to fit the valve. I measured 1.432 inches I.D., and Brian recommended their SV-041-20-1001G1 SUZUKI SV 650 1999-2002 model. Their valves are on sale today for $179.99 for the pair. Brian also said their records confirmed that this was the right size for an NT700VA, which mine is (2011 ABS). I don't know if the same size fits the 2010 or non-ABS though. Given this ambiguity, I strongly recommend having a chat with Brian before placing an order.

Bill
 
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Again thanks all. I will try shortening the spring spacers a little and change to 5 weight oil and see how I like it. It will be a number of months untill a test ride is possible but I'll let ya know how the results turn out. Thanks,

jim
 

DirtFlier

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[...I don't know if the same size (Ricor valves) fits the 2010 or non-ABS though...]

All the NT700V forks are the same, regardless of year or ABS vs non-ABS.
 
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NT forks are 41 mm and V-Strom forks are 43 mm. The early SV 650 that BillyDoc mentions used 41 mm Kayaba forks. It's all a bit confusing. By the way, that $179.99 sale price has been their price for at least a year.
 

DirtFlier

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[I measured 1.432 inches I.D., and Brian recommended their SV-041-20-1001G1 SUZUKI SV 650 1999-2002 model.]

That comes close to my 36.2 mm measurement. When I ordered them from Ricor, I could swear he said their valves for the later model Suzuki would work but perhaps I was mistaken? Nonetheless, they work fine.

The Ricor valves fit snugly into the fork tubes and are sealed with an O-ring so they force as much oil as possible through the valve. By comparison, the Race Tech Gold Valves don't attempt to seal the outside. This is not a condemnation of the Gold Valves, just an observation. The Race Tech valves require that the damper rod holes be increased in diameter + additional holes added. The Ricors don't require modification of the damper rod. On my NT, the damper rods were already modified so I went ahead that used them with the Ricors.

I can't really say if this is good or bad (the extra oil volume) for performance but there is much more labor involved when installing Gold Valves.
 
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When I serviced my fork some time ago, I didn't have enough information to make a decision on what to do about emulators, so all I did was change to a 7 weight fork oil. I think my next move will be to install the emulators, change the oil to 5 weight and replace the rear shock.
 

Warren

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Ricor does have an valve for the Transalp which also has a 41mm fork like the NT.
 
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