Servicing your forks just got easy

Ten easy tasks that will make your front end feel like new

1 Take a stand

Changing your bike’s fork oil is a fairly straightforward job but you have to make sure you have means of supporting the front end safely while the wheel and forks are removed. This rules out a conventional paddock stand, so your best bet is a stand like this abba unit that supports the motorcycle from the swingarm pivot.

Slide out the spindle 3

Loosen the front wheel spindle nut then remove it, taking the weight of the front wheel at the same time. Gently lower the wheel and remove the spacers, placing them on a work surface in a logical arrangement that indicates which side they fit. Check the rotation of the wheel if it’s not obvious and place it to one side.

Twiddle the caps 2

Loosen the fork caps prior to removing the forks, because trying to undo them once out of the yokes will be more difficult. Then undo the caliper bolts and any brake hose clips that are retained on the stanchions. Undo and remove the front mudguard. On older bikes it will also be necessary to undo the speedo cable if fitted to the front wheel hub.

Measure and record 4

Measure the fork protrusion from the top yoke to the top of the stanchion, then make a note of this measurement for re-assembly. The forks can now be removed. Undo the bottom yoke pinch bolts first, loosen handlebar clamps if required, and then carefully loosen the top yoke pinch bolt. Have a hand on the fork leg because it will slide out as you unscrew the bolts.

Split the stanchion 5

Place the fork leg in a vice and undo the already loosened fork cap. Be prepared for it to pop off. When it does, the chrome fork stanchion will have nothing to hold it up, so as it sinks down remove the exposed spring and any spacers before placing on a clean cloth on the work surface.

Blast it clean 7

Even though there may appear to be no oil left inside the fork leg there will still be a significant amount adhering to the side walls of the tube and the fork internals. Use liberal amounts of brake cleaner to rinse out the old oil. Rinse it several times until the cleaner comes out clean. Tip up the fork to drain out all signs of the cleaner.

Mind the gap 9

You can measure the required air gap with an oil level tool, or if you don’t have one it can still be measured with a vernier gauge or metal ruler. When the air gap is set, give the fork tube a few pumps up and down, then re-check the level and adjust if necessary. Re-assemble the spring and any spacers, and tighten the fork cap by hand.

Dump the oil 6

The old oil needs to be removed, so invert the fork leg and pour the oil into a drain tray. You can pump the fork leg to help get the last dregs out. Leave the stanchion to rest with the bottom in the drain tray, this will allow the residual oil to drain out. Use brake cleaner to clean the spring and spacers.

Measure and add 8

Check in a workshop manual for the grade of oil your bike needs. The manual will also detail the precise method of how you measure the oil required. For example, it might give an air gap figure, this is the amount of distance between the oil level and the top of the stanchion. It will also give a figure for when the fork is compressed, minus the spring and spacer.

Rebuild and torque up 10

Refit the fork in the bike, making sure that the handlebar position is the same. Pay close attention to the fork protrusion that was measured prior to disassembly. Do up the yoke pinch bolts gently at first, then torque them up to spec as per workshop manual. When you install the front wheel, check the for the correct procedure.