I change my fork oil every 2 years. If i road track I would probably do it annually. Fork oil is like any other oil, It breaks down and then does not function the way it was intended, thus causing unnecessary wear and tear as well as loss of performance in your forks. When I first changed mine out, I was shocked at how dirty it was. Removing your forks is longer job then just removing the front tire is. I do my own maintenance so I change out my fork oil when I change my front tire to kill two birds with one stone. The shop may give you a bit of a discount if you get it done at the same time since they are already removing the front tire, that is time that can be removed from the fork oil change service.

 

first of all you cannot get all the fork oil out of them unless they're taken all the way apart. that means pulling the internals out and pumping the oil out of the valving.
so this job is best done by a suspension shop or a mechanic qualified to do this kind of work.
and yeah this should be done every 2-3 years of street use.

 

:sing Please disregard this advice.

If youre on a budget its real simple to change your fork oil.
First loosen the cap from the fork leg while its clamped in the triple. (big adjustable)
Remove the fork leg from the bike... and remove the cap. Dump contents into
a container you can measure the amount of fluid from. Pour some distillates like kerosene in the forks and compress them a few times to rinse out any debris.
Turn upside down and drain into a clean pan. Refill the shocks with new fluid from a container. Its important to know how much fluid you are putting in the forks because too much will "stiffen" the fork travel. Be sure the clean the fork leg and wiper/seal area with some mild degreaser. Check the seals for cracks or imperfections on the stancion. Reinstall fork.

 

hmm im wondering how much is a fork oil change going to cost.

 

If you hand a shop a set of forks...If it was more than $75 run away. Now if they have to remove the forks from the bike... youre looking at a few hours labor.
Fork oil is cheap... like $6/qt. Labor costs money!

 

About 300 with new seals

 

Here on Vancouver Island, Canada, there is guy here that is very well known for his suspension work and If i bring him my front forks, he charges 100 or 150 CAD I believe for a full service.

 

You should replace the strut oil in your cars too. How frequent? Don't know. But it stands to reason that you should do this as often as you do with your bikes.

 

I agree. I replace the strut oil in my cars all the time.

 

Haha did you just quote and comment on your own post.

 

Nevermind me. Just posting Schiz. :wink:

 

So, I noticed in another thread, (click here), that someone wanted to replace a single fork arm. I'm assuming that he's not just doing the tube, but the internals as well. It has been my understanding from working with other vehicle types, that *all* suspension and braking should be done in pairs where applicable. Someone else there, at least initially, suggested otherwise.

@yamahacrazy, what are your thoughts on that? What would a rider notice in having one strut/damper and/or spring, perform differently on the left versus right side? Bump steer? Bent axle? Visible tire wire characteristics? Thanks.

 

the forks can be done independent. some bikes like the older (just a few years ago) R1 had one fork for rebound and the other for compression. so they were doing 2 different jobs independent of each other. most bikes have the forks identical with rebound and compression in both forks. but they don't necessarily have to be.
it's different from cars because on a motorcycle the forks are attached to the same wheel. I've even heard of some having two different spring strengths.
brake pads you will want to do together. but that's the only thing.

 

Great explanation. Thanks YC. :smile: