Fork oil

[winchman]

Now back to the Honda XL.
Had a big fight with the forks, they are in bits now when I rebuild them should I use fork oil or is there a cheaper alternative? Could put the old smelly stuff back?
Only stripped them to powder coat the leg things

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Now back to the Honda XL.
Had a big fight with the forks, they are in bits now when I rebuild them should I use fork oil or is there a cheaper alternative? Could put the old smelly stuff back?
Only stripped them to powder coat the leg things

Stick with fork oil mate. Worth buying a brand you can blend. Good for tuning forks to desired feel mixing weights

 

[mike os]

Stick with a good brand of fork oil

 

[Rannsachair]

It is not too expensive for all the oil forks take I usually go go for Castrol, Fuchs, Motul or Halfords own.

 

[frank horton]

if ur stuck or out of brass Red Auto transmission oil will do.......all my Harley's got that......no probs......

 

[pedrobedro]

Get some good oil and don't put too much in or the seals will leak. And don't reuse the old seals and stop being cheap it doesn't always pay in the long run

 

[winchman]

Get some good oil and don't put too much in or the seals will leak. And don't reuse the old seals and stop being cheap it doesn't always pay in the long run

But I well known for my short arms and deep pockets

 

[dobbslc]

I've used Rock oil and it seems good stuff.
The old smelly stuff you drained out probably was old fork oil......

 

[winchman]

Just ordered new seals, will order some oil next week very difficult to remove, don't look damaged but might as well fit new as I don't want to re assemble and find they leak!
I was really struggling and didn't want to damage them so went for a cup of tea and looked on line! No I didn't do it this way.

I used this, just luckily I had a couple of larger ones worked a treat
https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/automot...qhRlfIVWUAmPkr6xNTX9v-8-F1AfsTyRoCSnYQAvD_BwE

 

[pedrobedro]

Last ones I did the seals cost £7 a side. The ones that came out didn't look damaged to the naked eye but the oil was coating the disc on one side. Check the stanchions for nicks and rust spots while they are out.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

But I well known for my short arms and deep pockets

My Dad used to say "Buy cheap, buy dear" - but that was before the days of Banggood, I wonder what he'd have made of them and their likes.....

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Alway known it as buy cheap buy twice.

My Dad used to say "Buy cheap, buy dear" - but that was before the days of Banggood, I wonder what he'd have made of them and their likes.....

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Alway known it as buy cheap buy twice.

Same idea, but being Scots the emphasis was on avoiding shelling out twice to get the same job achieved.

 

[mangocrazy]

Swimming against the tide here, but Honda used to recommend ATF (10 weight) for the older damper-rod type forks. Not sure what is fitted to the XL, but they do stand a chance of being damper rod forks. If the forks are cartridge type, use the correct grade of proper fork oil. I like Silkolene or Motul.

 

[Shox Dr]

Use shock oil. We used Putoline. But others are as good.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

But I well known for my short arms and deep pockets

Use cheap or old fork oil and they’ll be in short casts too. Crap oil can make a great handling bike feel like an absolutel horror to ride and be downright dangerous

 

[Ashley Burton]

Fork oil isn't even expensive when I bought some Putoline stuff

 

[PhillipM]

Rock Oil is okay and stocked most little shops, cheap too. I run Silkolene RSF in more vital stuff, which is the dogs danglies and probably not much more money given how little you need for a bike (It is when your dampers take about 12 litres though )

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Belray was specced for my last bikes Showa forks. Expensive but worthwhile. In trials suspension setup is critical

Check a manual for your year for Hondas recommendation

 

[Bill Edwards]

To a non biker, what’s special about fork oil?
What exactly does it have to do that something such as ATF, thin engine or hydraulic oil can’t?