What do you make of this fork oil discovery?
- Colorado Mike
- Gold Member
- Posts: 1921
- Joined: 11:42 am Feb 25 2005
- Country:
- Location: Colorado
What do you make of this fork oil discovery?
I have an '04 220 that has maybe 600 miles on it. It has never been in deep water, in fact, the wettest the forks have ever been is probably when I wash it. The boots are still like new, and the seals look fine.
I was changing out the springs today and when I drained the first leg, The original oil looked like pond scum. I expected it to be bad since it's original, and I've never had a Jap bike that came with good fork oil. But I was surprised how thick it was. It was mostly grey-green in color, but this varied a lot as it glopped into the bucket. The viscosity seemed more like gear oil than fork oil.
The thing that really surprised me was the other fork leg contained clean clear oil that looked just like vegetable cooking oil. It was also much thinner in consistancy and more uniform.
If this is normal, I would recommend anybody getting a new bike to change the oil before even riding it. Has anyone else seen this type of thing, especially the difference between the two sides?
BTW, I disassembled the triple trees to lube the bearings, and found they had been heavily greased at the factory. I had done my rear suspension when I bought the bike, and all the bearings back there were practically dry.
Thanks,
I was changing out the springs today and when I drained the first leg, The original oil looked like pond scum. I expected it to be bad since it's original, and I've never had a Jap bike that came with good fork oil. But I was surprised how thick it was. It was mostly grey-green in color, but this varied a lot as it glopped into the bucket. The viscosity seemed more like gear oil than fork oil.
The thing that really surprised me was the other fork leg contained clean clear oil that looked just like vegetable cooking oil. It was also much thinner in consistancy and more uniform.
If this is normal, I would recommend anybody getting a new bike to change the oil before even riding it. Has anyone else seen this type of thing, especially the difference between the two sides?
BTW, I disassembled the triple trees to lube the bearings, and found they had been heavily greased at the factory. I had done my rear suspension when I bought the bike, and all the bearings back there were practically dry.
Thanks,
Mike
Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
- KDXGarage
- KDXRider.net
- Posts: 14071
- Joined: 06:45 am Nov 01 2004
- Country: United States of America
- Location: AL, USA
- Contact:
Nobody will listen to me.
Thank you for sharing the info.
Thank you for sharing the info.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net.
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
-
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 1005
- Joined: 06:57 pm Mar 19 2005
- Country:
ColoradoMike - On my boy's new bike I performed a fork spring and oil change with about 4 miles or so on the bike. I experienced the different consistencies in the oil viscosity also. Of course mine was clean - but one side had what I would consider normal semi-clear oil; the caliper leg had a thicker consistency portion that would drop out of the fork leg and into the pan in large globs. Had maybe 3 of these globs drop out were as the rest of the oil poured out. Glob was the same color as the poured out oil. I was working in the garage and it was like 20 degrees or so and I thought it weird but maybe due to the temperature. Then I forgot about it until I read your post.
KTM 380EXC Mine
KDX 200 Mark's
TTR 125 L Wife's
KDX 200 Austin's
EC 300 Tyson's
WR430 Husky - mine
KDX 200 Mark's
TTR 125 L Wife's
KDX 200 Austin's
EC 300 Tyson's
WR430 Husky - mine
- skipro3
- Gold Member
- Posts: 4329
- Joined: 11:58 pm Nov 04 2004
- Country:
- Location: BANNED FOR LIFE!!
- Contact:
LMAO!!!Jason wrote:Nobody will listen to me.
Thank you for sharing the info.
I can't think of any reason the oil isn't exactly what the manual recommends. I'd be tempted to take that bike to the dealer and show him the oil from each leg and request a complete fork service be performed. Obviously the fork oil is not what the manufacturer recommends and the dealer should be notified. After allowing them to correct the mistake, one that should have been caught at the time of assembly and "dealer prep", if they don't at least credit you with a free couple of quarts of fork oil, I'd let them know you will be doing all your future business elsewhere.
Somewhere around here is the 800 number for Kawasaki. If I can find it, that would be the next step if the dealer doesn't satisfy you.
Jerry
I'd rather be a smartass like carvr, than a dumbass like.... well, you fill in the blank!
I'd rather be a smartass like carvr, than a dumbass like.... well, you fill in the blank!
- Indawoods
- Creator and Founder
- Posts: 9951
- Joined: 09:59 am Jun 12 2003
- Country:
- Location: Midwest
FWIW... When I broke down the KDX forks to ship to Fredette... same thing. Gloppy Goo mess in one and thin oil in the other. Seems to be the norm eh?
I doubt the KDX forks I took off have ever had anything done to them. Maybe it's Kawasaki's way of making the forks soft yet bottom resistant!
I doubt the KDX forks I took off have ever had anything done to them. Maybe it's Kawasaki's way of making the forks soft yet bottom resistant!
*** Administrator //***
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
- KDXer
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 2845
- Joined: 12:11 pm Nov 12 2004
- Country:
- Location: Sydney, Downunder
-
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 1005
- Joined: 06:57 pm Mar 19 2005
- Country:
- KDXGarage
- KDXRider.net
- Posts: 14071
- Joined: 06:45 am Nov 01 2004
- Country: United States of America
- Location: AL, USA
- Contact:
Does anyone think it is grease used during assembly? Maybe they put all the swingarm and linkage grease in the forks by mistake!?
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net.
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
- Colorado Mike
- Gold Member
- Posts: 1921
- Joined: 11:42 am Feb 25 2005
- Country:
- Location: Colorado
- Indawoods
- Creator and Founder
- Posts: 9951
- Joined: 09:59 am Jun 12 2003
- Country:
- Location: Midwest
It's stringy like a popped silicone implant kinda goopy. I shoulda tasted it.
*** Administrator //***
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
- Colorado Mike
- Gold Member
- Posts: 1921
- Joined: 11:42 am Feb 25 2005
- Country:
- Location: Colorado
Exactly. In fact, one blob was still on one of the old fork springs. I heard a sickening noise and saw it slithering up the side of the bucket the rest of it's kin was trapped in. Now the gelatenous devils are united once more. I poured the whole mess into an old juice bottle and capped it tightly. We'll see if it tries to make it's way back to japan.
Mike
Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
-
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 1005
- Joined: 06:57 pm Mar 19 2005
- Country:
"It's stringy like a popped silicone implant kinda goopy. I shoulda tasted it. " -Indawoods
I would ask you how you know what a popped silicone implant looks like but that could be kind of personnal. ROFLMAO
I would ask you how you know what a popped silicone implant looks like but that could be kind of personnal. ROFLMAO
KTM 380EXC Mine
KDX 200 Mark's
TTR 125 L Wife's
KDX 200 Austin's
EC 300 Tyson's
WR430 Husky - mine
KDX 200 Mark's
TTR 125 L Wife's
KDX 200 Austin's
EC 300 Tyson's
WR430 Husky - mine
- Indawoods
- Creator and Founder
- Posts: 9951
- Joined: 09:59 am Jun 12 2003
- Country:
- Location: Midwest
Oprah is good for something!
*** Administrator //***
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
****'95 KDX 200/****
"People ate cows a thousand years ago for the same reason we eat them now. Cause they are easy to catch.We're not savages,we're just lazy. A cheetah could taste like chocolate heroin. But will never know. Those bastards are fast!!! "
- Lutz
- Supporting Member I
- Posts: 185
- Joined: 09:27 pm Nov 15 2004
- Country:
- Location: North Shore of Lake Superior
-
- Supporting Member III
- Posts: 245
- Joined: 04:06 am Nov 16 2004
- Country:
- Location: Blountville, Tennessee
- wanaride
- Supporting Member II
- Posts: 460
- Joined: 12:05 pm Dec 20 2004
- Country:
- Location: Salisbury, NC
I guess I'm the odd man out here, when I changed my fork springs & oil (about 500 miles on the bike) both forks had very nasty gray oil in them; no globs here. I was shocked at how bad that oil looked, but again, it was very much in liquid form.
I love someone with autism!
2006 KTM 250XCW
2003 KDX200
2006 CRF70
2006 KTM 50 Mini Adventure
2006 KTM 250XCW
2003 KDX200
2006 CRF70
2006 KTM 50 Mini Adventure