Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Quick easy question (I hope)..

After sorting my tired pressures out im now wanting to reduce the dive/bottoming out of the front end.. Planning on replacing the Oil to start with i.e. 15w

Just wondering once the load is taken off the frontend i.e. centre stand when I take the end caps off to add the new oil do the fork spring "jump" out?

Will I need a 2nd pair of hands to help get the forks back together or is it something I can do by myself?


Tony

Yes they jump out.

Replacing the fork oil with something thicker will reduce the *rate* at which the front end dives, but if you are bottoming out, then you should probably check that your springs are not beyond their service limit (ie how stretched/saggy they are) and also you should think about the air gap.

The standard gap (fully compressed fork, from top of the insert to the oil level at horizontal) is 135mm i think.

Getting forks back together is not so hard. Can be done solo.

If you plan on replacing the top and bottom guide bushes etc while you are at it you better have a rattle gun!

Thought they might..

Im not 100% they are bottoming out but they get very close.. Its the dive im more concern out.. Ill change the Oil and check the spring length to make sure its within spec.. Im trying to keep costs to a min. so im hoping just the oil needs changing..

Im got the ZZR manual so I have all the specs..etc

Ill give it a go tomorrow evening... This is going to be interesting...

Thanks for the advice..

Tony

Generally when i do it I just slowly take the top cap off and keep my hand above it pressing down a bit ... they will jump a little bit not so much as to take your hand off.