Don't forget....

[Zook]

I was happily tinkering with my recently purchased GS1000G last night and decided to drain the fork oil since there was nothing left to do that wasn't going to cost $$$.
I had already rebuilt the entire brake system, the carbs, all the usual things suggested to do on the old GS bikes, sooo....

I knelt down, screwdriver in hand and with the drain pan under the fork leg proceeded to remove the drain screw.....
The oil shot straight at me , and do I need to explain where it hit?
Quickly I put my hand in front of the drain and deflected the stream into the pan, noticing...that fork oil sure looks clean...did I really need to go through this?

Moving to the other leg I first released the air pressure in the fork and then removed the drain screw. Not surprisingly, it went into the pan.

So, let it be known next time you change fork oil, first release the air in the fork!

[seuadr]

noted!

[Dogma]

Yeah.... release the air even if you think your seals are so far gone that there can't possibly be any pressure left in there.

[geisterfahrer]

And...after you have drained one fork tube, and open the drain screw for the second, the forks will SUDDENLY COLLAPSE, shooting oil all the way across the garage , not to mention handlebars that come close to giving you the dope slap you so richly deserve .

[Zook]

That's another thing to remember, I already had the jack under the engine, that was the FIRST thing I did.
They may not collapse as the spring will actually be holding the bike up, the oil is for damping the fork action...but once you take the fork cap off, it's 'look out below"!

[cvmgtwowheels]

Dually note for now may forget in a day or two. How often should the fork oil be changed? Have never even thought about that before.

[Zook]

Odd...the factory manual says to inspect every 7,500 miles, but no change interval.

Quantity is 241 ml, or 8.4 oz. This is on a rebuild. Just an oil change will be less. There is a measurement method, also. With fork caps off, spring installed you measure from the top of the fork tube to the oil level a specified amount.
Someone will chime in with that measurement.

This on a GS1000.

[Giblet]

"First" release the air pressure? Where's the fun in that?

So, let it be known next time you change fork oil, first release the air in the fork!

[123repeater]

I was thinking about the fork oil change recently and this is good info for a newb like myself.

[bonanzadave]

I made a couple oil catcher / deflectors out of plastic pop bottles by cutting holes in them and then taping them in place. I had already experienced the dirty fork oil spray the garage thing. Not fun. I filled up the forks with WD40 and pumped and drained them a couple times. Once clean and throughly drained I added a cup of 10W fork oil to each fork.

[rudy]

I'm gonna make it into a contest when I do mine. Pump the air up to 20lbs and let er fly! See if I can catch it all or not. Also not gonna put the stand under the engine. I like a challenge!

[Dogma]

I'm gonna make it into a contest when I do mine. Pump the air up to 20lbs and let er fly! See if I can catch it all or not. Also not gonna put the stand under the engine. I like a challenge!

Just make sure it gets onto YouTube.

[rudy]

Just make sure it gets onto YouTube.

Will do man! Even I'd like to see me do that. Gotta catch a masterpiece like that on tape and share it with the world....... though, there may be some kind of beeping sound drowning out my narrations......

[Buffalo Bill]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Odd...the factory manual says to inspect every 7,500 miles, but no change interval.

They must mean, Don't waste your time.