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Fork Oil already black/dirty after only 6 weeks of use?

3K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  LaidBackLane 
#1 ·
I'm having the forks rebuilt with new Honda OEM pieces/parts. Have a broken seal on left fork (that rattles like a b*stard) and I decided it'll be best to just go and buy all the parts inside the forks so that my new mechanic rebuilds the forks to specs as per Honda's specs. My previous mechanic was a ruin and messed up big time. The bike is a 2007 VTX 1300 Spokes, so I just went ahead and spent a good chunk of $$$ to replace all parts except fork springs. My Honda mechanic said it was NOT needed to buy all those parts for the front/forks, but I"m probably keeping this bike, so why not give her a brand new front.

Right, so the bike is with a Honda mechanic whom I trust and the forks were completely dissembled today to see it all. Honda called me and mentioned if I wanted to put new fork oil because the current fork oil was coming out "too" black and it'd be a pity to put all those new parts with the current blackened used oil. It's only 20 bucks, so I told him to go ahead.

Now, here's the issues, the fork oil was put just 6 weeks ago. How the heck does it get so black/dirty so fast? I asked the Honda rep (not the mechanic) and he mentioned it's normal with the setup I have and with bikes so heavy like this one (I also have windshield and heavy lightbar). It doesn't mean that the current blackened fork oil doesn't work; it's just that it's already dirty.

I thought fork oil got black after a year of use, not 6 weeks.

Current setup: standard Progressive springs + Honda OEM spacer (NOT Progressive's spacer) + 15wt oil. This is the setup I got 6 weeks ago when I changed from 10wt to 15wt and I'm loving it (great ride).

P.S. The broken seal did drip a little oil too during those 6 weeks (very small amounts), so maybe dirt and dust got in?

I may be able to get pictures of the current fork oil, btw.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks. Yes, these are the pieces that were damaged or needed to be replaced.

51447-KA4-711 -- ring slider
91254-MM8-003 -- dust seal
51414-KCR-003 -- bush guide
51415-KCR-003 -- bush, slider

I bought 15 more pairs of other OEM parts that go on the front forks to be replaced. My mechanic said it wasn't needed to buy all those parts, especially since it would be more money being thrown at the bike, but I want to have new forks since the bike is 10 years old.

I'm just surprised to know that the oil was so dirty after just 6 weeks. I've read fork oil should be changed yearly and that it comes out black. But 6 weeks? Unless the fork oil becomes black quickly yet continues to work fine.

Yes, new fork oil (15wt) is going in as I purchased all those different OEM pieces/parts for the front to be replaced and be like brand new.
 
#10 ·
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Agree but maybe it is on purpose so we get frustrated, take it to the Honda shop, then since it is not easy the labor charge goes up. Yes, I am a bit skeptical. Seems cars are the same way.

The good thing is that these Honda VTXs are so reliable compared to some more popular brands...
 
#5 ·
Chuck will maybe back me up on this, but most fella's will only change fork oil every 2 years or so, along with the other fluids as part of Bi-annual maintenance. Unless you put a TON of miles (KM) on her!
 
#7 ·
I actually think it's more like 2 years as you say. We're planning on doing 3,000 to 4,000 miles in a trip we're heading out in a couple of weeks. We will encounter stupidly-high temperatures, and, last year when I did a similar trip, I noticed that the bike started to dive again after having put Progressive springs. When the fork oil was removed, it looked like black goo.

Perhaps high temperatures affect fork oil considerably? I'm talking of 110+ F temperatures and boiling pavement for thousands of miles. The bike rode very smooth and like a queen during these extreme scenarios though.
 
#6 ·
Yes, changing fork oil is a nuisance. I would do it as well as I would do some other wrenching too, but I have no space where to do it for now. So only solution for now is to have a Honda mechanic do all the wrenching for me.

The bike is so trouble-free and bullet-proof that I really hope this is the last and final trip to the mechanic aside from valve adjustments if I don't do it myself when the time comes.
 
#8 ·
Had a quick chat with Honda again. Turns out that my previous mechanic inserted one of the rubber bushings incorrectly which is what was causing vibrations. The Honda mechanic who's re-assembling the forks is going piece by piece and has noticed two mistakes already made by my previous mechanic.

That's what you get when you use a cheap mechanic and don't wrench on your own bike or use a Honda mechanic who deals with Goldwings day in and day out.

Good news is that it's an easy fix and that the headlight dampener (bought from Bareass Choppers) went in perfectly!

Probably will have the bike by tomorrow or Friday (will update about taming of vibrations).
 
#9 ·
Out of curiosity, how much are they charging you for the front fork rebuild? I was going to have my dealer install some Progressive springs in mine, but they wanted $350 for just the labor, which I though was rather high. I'd be interested in what your dealer charged?
 
#12 ·
Careful with what you flush them. ATF is usually recommended because it's cheap and does the job, and some even put ATF in as the fluid medium of choice.
 
#13 ·
Very simple mechanism. Put G.W progressives in at 20,000 or so, and saw 0 wear on anything. Put in all new, and still in at 67,000 now. I will not touch again unless it leaks. Too much tamper is no good for any hardware. Like I said: simple mech. with no combustion ,how much can go wrong?
 
#14 ·
Bit of an update:

Forks were rebuilt and I got the bike today. Only got to ride around 50 miles. I've got all the OEM parts purchased put into the forks. The parts replaced do look new, except for the damn rubber bushing that was rattling. It isn't even damaged, just a tiny crack on it. The rest of the fork parts looked new though and the bike has 17,500 miles and 10 years of age. I'm impressed to say the least with how new all replaced parts looked after 10 years. Shows how good Honda is at engineering motorcycle parts.

The bike seems to handle better now. It's more responsive to steering input and cornering seems to be improved slightly. It does seem a bit more sensitive now, but it may be that I was used to riding with the damaged rubber bushing that leaked and the front behaved a bit more different. Let's just say that, now, the front of the bike seems more solid and better planted on corners. The front takes bumps better. Incredible what a small part being damaged can do to the handling of a bike.

Dartanuan, I don't have the invoice with me right now but I think all of it is quoted as 3 hours and a little bit more (3.3 hours I think). That's dissembling everything on the forks, then assembling them with almost all parts being brand new OEM parts.
 
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