[ChopperCharles]

I need to replace my fork oil, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the forks apart. All of my other bikes have a nut on the top of the fork cap, but the EX has a smooth cap with a little divot in the center. How the heck do I get that out so I can add more fork oil after I've drained it?

Also, any idea where I can get a fork brace?

Thanks.

Charles.

 

[bitzz]

Press down on that cap and you will see a snap ring that is set into a grove in the fork leg. Remove that snap ring. Be careful the spring will jump out at you.
Remove the drain plug...then flush out the fork legs with some solvent.

A fork brace isn't really going to do much for you. The EX is such a "Flexy Flyer" that all a fork brace does is move the flex from the forks to the steering head.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Well, I get a bit of a wobble under really hard decelleration. Like, tire near the limits of traction decelleration. It feels like the start of a tankslapper. I'm hoping changing the fork oil to some 15wt (I'm a heavy guy) and a fork brace will elliminate that. I've already checked the steering bearings, and they're tight with no notchiness and no play.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Wait wait wait.... you're telling me that the only thing keeping the fork spring from flying out of the fork and traveling through my face and out the back of my skull while I'm riding is a tinly little 12 cent snap ring?!?!??!?!?!?!??!

I know on a stock bike, the clip ons would keep this catastrophic case from happening, but I have a custom made (by me) triple tree with a 7/8" bar mounted. (I've turned my EX into a street fighter. It's completely naked!)

Charles.

 

[fog]

Wait wait wait.... you're telling me that the only thing keeping the fork spring from flying out of the fork and traveling through my face and out the back of my skull while I'm riding is a tinly little 12 cent snap ring?!?!??!?!?!?!??!

I know on a stock bike, the clip ons would keep this catastrophic case from happening, but I have a custom made (by me) triple tree with a 7/8" bar mounted. (I've turned my EX into a street fighter. It's completely naked!)

Charles.

Ahhh yep.

FOG

 

[dad1]

Relax. I know how light that looks but when you do the shear numbers on that ring you find it's good for thousands of pounds of force yet only sees hundreds, at worse case. It never sees any more than the spring force as it bottoms internally, at the bottom.... of all places. ;D

If that one bugs you, don't look too hard at the wheel bearings. Your whole bike's barrelling down the road at 100MPH sitting on a few little steel balls. ;D

 

[Nick D]

Wait wait wait.... you're telling me that the only thing keeping the fork spring from flying out of the fork and traveling through my face and out the back of my skull while I'm riding is a tinly little 12 cent snap ring?!?!??!?!?!?!??!

I know on a stock bike, the clip ons would keep this catastrophic case from happening, but I have a custom made (by me) triple tree with a 7/8" bar mounted. (I've turned my EX into a street fighter. It's completely naked!)

Charles.

I need pictures. That is all.

 

[Kcrunch1]

Okay pictures:

Picture of 2 legged puller to push down on the fork cap so you can access the little snap rings and as FOG has taught me, after removal of snap rings bend 1/8 of the end inward so next time it won't be so hard.

Picture of the forks completely apart.

If you are only changing the oil you only need to remove the caps though.

[attachment deleted by admin]

 

[Nick D]

Okay pictures:

Picture of 2 legged puller to push down on the fork cap so you can access the little snap rings and as FOG has taught me, after removal of snap rings bend 1/8 of the end inward so next time it won't be so hard.

Picture of the forks completely apart.

If you are only changing the oil you only need to remove the caps though.

If you posted those because of what I said, thanks a million, but I was just saying I wanted pictures of his nekkid EX w/ the bar conversion.

While I'm posting, though, is there a trick to separating the slides from the other half of the fork? I've never torn them that far apart. Is there a clip or anything holding them, or is it just a matter of pulling them apart?

 

[Kcrunch1]

Yes, You have to pry the rubber dust caps off the outside of the upper fork tubes, then you have to take out the snap ring under it, FOG showed me that you have to loosen the hex bolt on the bottom of the forks. They are tricky. First try to turn them without putting any downward pressure on the hex wrench. If you are successful then you can have a beer. If they turn but won't come out, you have to put something inside the upper tube to use as a jam rod against the damping rod when you are turning the hex bolt. Notice in the last picture I have a wooden dowel on the top. It's 2 ft long and it's what I used as a jam rod. After you remove the hex bolt and damping rod, just slam the upper tube a couple of times upward and the oil seal will come out along with the rest of the upper tube.

If you're going that far into it you might as well replace the oil seals, and dust caps, use heavier oil 30-50 weight and modify your springs.

 

[Art1989]

Wish I'd have thought of the gear puller before I fought for 20 mins to get those fricken snap rings out. Thanks for the idea