Any way to check if you have enough fork oil while the forks are in the bike?

Please guys, need the help. I've taken the bike apart too many times this week. LOL

Yep. Just take out the fork endcaps. (You may have the clamping screws of the upper triple to get them loose.) Then take out spacers and spring and completely compress the fork. If you measure front and rear and take the mean you came pretty close to what you would have measured with the fork vertical.

Without X-Ray it will be difficult to do with less disassembly.

Ok I don't really get what you said. I can get it verticle with them in there, not a problem (rafters + straps)

I should take out the springs? How?

What should the measurement be?

The only way I can think of would be to "pop the lid" on one fork tube at a time and measure the distance from the top of the tube to the oil level.

Only a few problems with this approach.  The "correct answer" will differ depending on:

A) whether you have stock springs or Progressive springs (or other).

B) whether the springs are left in the fork or removed before you measure.

The worst part is that I don't know of anyone who has recorded any measurements done this way, with any of the possible permutations, let alone all of them.  

It's too bad I didn't think to take such measurements yesterday, when I was helping my neighbor relace his fork seals. 


EDIT:  MarkusN's method sounds reasonable.  I have never tried to fully compress the forks with the wheel still mounted on the bike, so ...?

If you DO compress the forks, you will need to remove the springs.  They'll stick way out of the tubes anyway.  The easiest way to fish out the springs is with a telescoping pickup magnet, or just a wire with a "hook" bent into the end.

Personally, it sounds harder to get everything right using a "shortcut" method than just biting the bullet and taking the front end apart.  Do you have a manual?

Could you take the top off one side, and do the ol' "how far up does the oil go on a stick" method?

Yep, that's what we're talking about.  But knowing how far up it should go on the stick is the trick. 

Well I was on some choppy pavement the other day and had to brake rather hard and ever bump bottomed, I think that means too little.

Nope. The GS fork is notorious for bottoming out on hard brakes on rough pavement. (At least with the original fork springs.)

Quote from: Kerry on May 29, 2006, 08:56:11 AM
Yep, that's what we're talking about.  But knowing how far up it should go on the stick is the trick. 

Err...what I mean is a way to tell how far down it is from the top of the fork tube. On the directions for the progressive suspension I got, it said to measure from the top down; and that the level should be "x distance" from the top of the tube. 

Okie, so if I'm getting this right it should be 3 7/8 inches from the top of the tube at full compression without springs/spacers.

Stock springs cause I'm poor.

You'll have to be careful when doing the "full compression" bit.  I can see it now:

* Remove handlebars to get at fork caps

* Remove first fork cap, pull out spacer and spring (slooowly, to let oil drip off)

* Remove second fork cap

* SPLASH! as the front end drops and the oil in the second fork goes all over the place.

In other words, make sure to prop up the front end before you start. 

LOLOL I didn't think of that  Would have been a bad day for me.