Which and how much oil for front forks?

[klemmy]

I would like to replace the oil in front forks, but there is no information in the manual, how much I should pour in it? Any recommendation for any brand of oil? The bike is Laverda 500.

Thanks

 

[2622]

Good question must be 20 years since I owned one so the brain is hazy to say the least , seem to remember around 180 but could be way off. Usually run 5 to 10 weight but then I am around 75 Kg's  Someone will help am sure.
Put it in fully compress the forks without the caps on and see where the oil level sits.

 

[Brett64]

I think you would be correct Brett, I just did mine on the 750GT and that from memory was about the amount I used.

 

[Jugs_S]

There is a lot on fork oil on the forum. But the serch function has a foibles it serches from the point you are at on. So go to the forum home page first then try "fork oil" in thecsearch bar. I replied to a post awhile ago that listed the volumes from the manual

 

[Tippie]

In any conventional damper rod (not cartridge) type fork the specified amount is invariably (in my experience) about 2cm covering the top of the damper rod with the forks fully extended and any air bled out by pumping up and down. With that amount of oil you can pull hard down on the slider extending it through rebound damping and when it gets to the stop it won?t suck any air. From that setpoint point people often like to add oil and set it up with the slider fully compressed (measuring from the top of the forkleg down) so as to have minimum air gap when the spring is installed, but this is fine tuning. For your 500 you are probably looking at 15wt oil, maybe 10wt. A good idea is to compare if the rebound damping on each side is about the same when you pull down on the sliders, it can point to worn rebound valve.

 

[sfcpiet]

Factory 500 workshop manual states 180cc/SKF150, which I assume is 15W.  Found 10W to give a lot more sensetivity without comprimising damping.

piet

 

[Rusty Spokes]

Put it in fully compress the forks without the caps on and see where the oil level sits.

If you use this method..be absolutely certain the bottom of the fork sliders is perfectly clean with no debris or sludge from years of use without being flushed. Any muck in the bottom of the forks will be pushed up into the sliders/fork tubes and contaminate that big bearing surface and your fork tubes will wear with grooves and slop in them.

 

[Harry Lime]

There is a lot on fork oil on the forum.

True. How true 

H.