Hawk fork upgrade

OneLeggedRider · 04-06-2019, 11:23 PM

Finally got around to doing my forks. They sagged and would bottom easily with me just jumping up and down on it. I drained the crappy oil out and got 170ml out of the right fork and 100ml out of the left! I had to add 9 nickels to the factory spacers to get 50mm's on each side. I was gonna go with 10w fork oil to get a quick rebound but Honda used ATF for many years (late 70's and most of the 80's) and it's 7.5w oil. So I used Polaris/Victory 7.5w fork oil. I put 210ml in each side and the difference is amazing! The forks set 1.125" higher with my weight on them (which is almost double what the .5125" of nickels preload is so I'm getting some preload from the reduced air volume being compressed). They feel firm, set higher and dont feel like a pogo stick when I'm bouncing my 6'2" 265lb a$$ on them. 🙂

Sochin · 04-07-2019, 12:49 AM

I used 240ml 15w and about 6 nickles each side. Works great still for me almost two years later.

Megadan · 04-07-2019, 01:58 PM

For us heavier fellows, 210ml and about 40-50mm of preload works out rather well. I try to avoid too much air spring effect, although at one point I did run 230ml of fork oil.

This is why I put "change fork oil and set rider sag" as one of my "Must Do" items for the Hawk.

04-06-2019, 11:23 PM	#1
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	Hawk fork upgrade Finally got around to doing my forks. They sagged and would bottom easily with me just jumping up and down on it. I drained the crappy oil out and got 170ml out of the right fork and 100ml out of the left! I had to add 9 nickels to the factory spacers to get 50mm's on each side. I was gonna go with 10w fork oil to get a quick rebound but Honda used ATF for many years (late 70's and most of the 80's) and it's 7.5w oil. So I used Polaris/Victory 7.5w fork oil. I put 210ml in each side and the difference is amazing! The forks set 1.125" higher with my weight on them (which is almost double what the .5125" of nickels preload is so I'm getting some preload from the reduced air volume being compressed). They feel firm, set higher and dont feel like a pogo stick when I'm bouncing my 6'2" 265lb a$$ on them. 🙂 Last edited by OneLeggedRider; 10-30-2019 at 01:59 AM.
	1

04-07-2019, 12:49 AM	#2
Sochin Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Montucky Posts: 209	I used 240ml 15w and about 6 nickles each side. Works great still for me almost two years later. __________________ 1991 Kawasaki KLR250
	2

04-07-2019, 01:58 PM	#3
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 7,927	For us heavier fellows, 210ml and about 40-50mm of preload works out rather well. I try to avoid too much air spring effect, although at one point I did run 230ml of fork oil. This is why I put "change fork oil and set rider sag" as one of my "Must Do" items for the Hawk. __________________ 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2010 VFR1200F - http://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20708
	1