Just about to take my bike to the suspension guru.

[Nic]

I have about 600ml of 5W Castrol fork oil left over from the last change so I just bought another ltr off the bay. I managed to find some for $15.96 with free postage.
Dirt cheap auto, what a joke, they want $32 for the same product. Might have been cheap when they first started out, not any more.
Anyway, I've decided I'm gonna change the oil very soon.
Strike while the spanners are hot.

[Hooli]

As you've had the forks in and out a lot lately it might be worth changing the pinch bolts. When fully tightened they tend to bend near the head and I've had one snap in the past. So now I change them when they've been used 3-4 times and can normally see a bend in some I take out

[Nic]

As you've had the forks in and out a lot lately it might be worth changing the pinch bolts. When fully tightened they tend to bend near the head and I've had one snap in the past. So now I change them when they've been used 3-4 times and can normally see a bend in some I take out

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out.

[BlueDragon]

As you've had the forks in and out a lot lately it might be worth changing the pinch bolts. When fully tightened they tend to bend near the head and I've had one snap in the past. So now I change them when they've been used 3-4 times and can normally see a bend in some I take out

I've never had that problem..  Are you using a torque wrench?

[Nic]

As you've had the forks in and out a lot lately it might be worth changing the pinch bolts. When fully tightened they tend to bend near the head and I've had one snap in the past. So now I change them when they've been used 3-4 times and can normally see a bend in some I take out

I've never had that problem..  Are you using a torque wrench?

Me either but why not, I do mine up by hand, very rarely do I use a torque wrench on anything.
I just got back from Canberra on the bike, turned out the sun is shining today. Picked up the stock springs, Laurie asked me how the bike is going, I told him it depended on the quality of road. We talked a bit, he was cool, somehow I reckon I might have painted too black a picture of the poor dude, anyway, live n let live.
Which brings me to my final conclusion, there is still a bit of a buzz in the bars but the more I ride it the less it annoys me. When the bike is leaned over you can really appreciate the heavier springs, it's so much more planted/sure footed, like a new/different bike.
The down side of course are the incessant bumps, however at this point I'm inclined to leave the race techs in there. I did the cable tie fork travel test, the whole way there and back without doing any serious braking I had about 25mm before bottom out. Just before I got to my driveway I did too emergency stops and the gap remained the same. That would suggest I could back off a little pre load but I'm on 5 lines now so I'll leave it as is for now. Compression and rebound are both at 7 clicks out.
One very curious thing, after I sucked out the extra oil the other day there was a real loud squeaking grinding? sound in the forks both in going down and coming up. It was worrying me and I didn't want to ride 170Ks with that going on so:
Before I set off this morning I put back into the forks a small amount of oil, I just guessed how much to put in, with the extra oil the squeaking was now gone, what the hell is that all about.
So looks like I'll be doing a 115mm air gap with these springs.
       While I was in Canberra I went to 5 places looking for a liter of Castrol 5W fork oil, narda, none to be had, I decided I can't wait for the liter I bought on line to get here so I bought 2 liters of Motul, $65 if you don't mind. The Castrol can be used next time and then back to 1 liter of Motul.
Then I went to the bolt shop and bought 20 8x35mm Allan head bolts for the pinchies, $11.
The ride home was real good and I think I'm getting more used to the heavier front, I absolutely love it when it's leaned over, you hit a bump and the bike is dead true, awesome, oh but all those bumps
While I was at one of the bike shops they told me my Brando jacket was no good, obviously trying to sell me a new one, they loved my 70s leather gauntlets though and said they have lots of guys asking if they sell them. I got mine from England, I told em I was stuck in the 70s.
Right, that's it, end of saga.
Thanks for all the comments, interest and suggestions. Is there anything to be learned here, I'd say yes, put the springs in yourself, it's pretty easy and definitely a real good thing if your roads are decent.
Of course now there's the rear but for now that'll have to wait, I do want a pair of the blue springed  Nitrons back there one day,

[Hooli]

As you've had the forks in and out a lot lately it might be worth changing the pinch bolts. When fully tightened they tend to bend near the head and I've had one snap in the past. So now I change them when they've been used 3-4 times and can normally see a bend in some I take out

I've never had that problem..  Are you using a torque wrench?

No, I never do. But on some bikes once the forks are clamped in you can see the recess for the bolt head is slightly inclined compared to the threaded hole for it. I ended up replacing my bottom yoke after two snapped, I've not seen it since. So it could be down to manufacturers tolerances.

[Nic]

There are some ham fisted dudes out there as well, when I worked on Honda fours you'd be heli coiling till the sun went down, esp under the cam cover where there are umteen 6mm alloy threads.
Never used a torque wrench back then either, all by feel.

[Hooli]

I've had to helicoil five of the cam cover bolts on my 14. They are M7 and I stripped everyone just doing the bolts up with my fingers, before attaching the rachet. Bits of these bikes appear to be made of cheap cheese.

[Nic]

I've had to helicoil five of the cam cover bolts on my 14. They are M7 and I stripped everyone just doing the bolts up with my fingers, before attaching the rachet. Bits of these bikes appear to be made of cheap cheese.

Or someone has helped it along before you?
I'm just changing the oil in the forks, waiting for the bubbles to stop, the oil I sucked out before with the clear tube, I said it wasn't black but not far off, well with a big bucket of the old stuff looking back at you it's as black as coal. 7,000Ks and two years, doesn't take much to blacken up the oil. The Motul is clear.
Also it appears the race tech spring is shorter and with it must come an aluminium spacer and extra washer, those two things and another washer with a flange on it all fall out into the oil. I had to completely dismantle one of the forks so I could figure out how the three things went in. So I've made some notes in my manual.

[Hooli]

I've had to helicoil five of the cam cover bolts on my 14. They are M7 and I stripped everyone just doing the bolts up with my fingers, before attaching the rachet. Bits of these bikes appear to be made of cheap cheese.

Or someone has helped it along before you?

Unlikely as the bike had under 7,500miles when I got it and has never been in a garage for anything except tyres & MOTs.

I do my fork oil every year or two as well. As you say it blackens quickly & you can feel the difference. The first time the fork legs were full of sludge, which I washed out with petrol before reassembly.

[grog]

Its a pity they dont have fork drain plugs as in old days.

[Hooli]

Some newer bikes still do, I saw those on a early 2000s BMW the other month and mentioned it's a good idea.

[grog]

Dont think too difficult to do, i just dont want to be first.Were just 6 or 8mm holes with bolts with O rings. Same thoughts about grease nipples in steering head.

[Hooli]

Don't the compression adjusters on the bottom of later forks unscrew? would taking them out work?

I've got the early forks with seized compression adjusters so not sure.

[BlueDragon]

old habits die hard for me I guess.  Back in the 80's my brother owned a motorcycle shop.  Had the big 4 Japanese manufacturers as well as Ducati, Husqvarna.

I worked there after school each day and on weekends.  Building the bikes out of the crates that they came in from Japan, as well as assisting the head mechanic.  He would always tell me to use the torque wrench with re-tightening bolts. Always had the workshop manual out and worked off it all the time.  Especially with the race and stunt bikes we worked on.  So I've always had several torque wrenches in my tool kit and use them all the time..  old habits , but passed on by a very fastidious mechanic who taught me.