What f'n weight is type e fork oil???
Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
When I changed my fork oil I found the same problem.
Not everyone uses the same rating.. some are light-med-Heavy.. some are 10-20-30, some are 5-10-15-20 and them some use letters like HD...CONFUSSING....
I just put in what My Indy carries and recommended... Which is a little heavier than what it came with in her..
I really don't even remember what brand it was. but seems it was their 20w which was just the med weight, not the racing stuff.. He uses Rev-tech so It was prob that brand.
Heres what I've found for HD fork oils.
"E is 5 wt
B is 10 wt
SE is 15 wt
SE heavy (racing) is 20 wt
Not everyone uses the same rating.. some are light-med-Heavy.. some are 10-20-30, some are 5-10-15-20 and them some use letters like HD...CONFUSSING....
I just put in what My Indy carries and recommended... Which is a little heavier than what it came with in her..
I really don't even remember what brand it was. but seems it was their 20w which was just the med weight, not the racing stuff.. He uses Rev-tech so It was prob that brand.
Heres what I've found for HD fork oils.
"E is 5 wt
B is 10 wt
SE is 15 wt
SE heavy (racing) is 20 wt
Last edited by oct1949; Jun 20, 2012 at 09:45 AM.
Taken from the Amsoil site:
"Refer to the owner's manual for individual capacities, proper disassembly and further recommendations. Owner's manuals may refer to weights when recommending suspension oil. These weight numbers are arbitrary because no industry standard exists for classifying suspension oil. The numbers can range from 2.5 to 30, depending on the manufacturer."
So, I guess there really is no actual answer. Some other manufacturers say the type E crosses with their 5w, and some say it crosses with their 10w.
As to the OP's question about what fork oil to use with the Ricor Intiminators , Ricor specifically recommends Amsoil STL. The Amsoil site claims this to be a slightly lighter weight than the type E. Their STM, slightly heavier fork oil, crosses with the type E. That being said, I have been running the type E with my Intiminators with no apparent adverse side effects. It's the lightest HD fork oil, and is probably close enough to a 5w to not make much of a difference. Just my .02, but based on my experience. Hope this helps more than confuses!
Also, when you change the fork oil, make sure to fill about 1/3, then cycle the shocks a number of times to work the oil past the Ricors. Otherwise, the oil just sits on top of the Ricors and the recommended amount of oil will overflow the top of the forks. Makes a really big mess, not to mention you lose track of how many ounces you're putting in (and how many ounces spilled out) requiring another drain and refill. Ask me how I know.
"Refer to the owner's manual for individual capacities, proper disassembly and further recommendations. Owner's manuals may refer to weights when recommending suspension oil. These weight numbers are arbitrary because no industry standard exists for classifying suspension oil. The numbers can range from 2.5 to 30, depending on the manufacturer."
So, I guess there really is no actual answer. Some other manufacturers say the type E crosses with their 5w, and some say it crosses with their 10w.
As to the OP's question about what fork oil to use with the Ricor Intiminators , Ricor specifically recommends Amsoil STL. The Amsoil site claims this to be a slightly lighter weight than the type E. Their STM, slightly heavier fork oil, crosses with the type E. That being said, I have been running the type E with my Intiminators with no apparent adverse side effects. It's the lightest HD fork oil, and is probably close enough to a 5w to not make much of a difference. Just my .02, but based on my experience. Hope this helps more than confuses!
Also, when you change the fork oil, make sure to fill about 1/3, then cycle the shocks a number of times to work the oil past the Ricors. Otherwise, the oil just sits on top of the Ricors and the recommended amount of oil will overflow the top of the forks. Makes a really big mess, not to mention you lose track of how many ounces you're putting in (and how many ounces spilled out) requiring another drain and refill. Ask me how I know.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 2
From: New Hampshire
FYI I think 15w works the best for me -almost all my bikes have been changed to 15w in them and everyone I put it in, I felt it firmed them up for the better.
IMHO my new to me 07 heritage is way to soft in the suspension, front and rear, well it is a "soft"-tail right? LOL After 5k miles I come to the conclusion mine needs a stiffening up in the suspension dept.
IMHO my new to me 07 heritage is way to soft in the suspension, front and rear, well it is a "soft"-tail right? LOL After 5k miles I come to the conclusion mine needs a stiffening up in the suspension dept.
No, with the Rico Intimidators, they spec the thinner stock oil type "e".
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Minot ND
Taken from the Amsoil site:
"Refer to the owner's manual for individual capacities, proper disassembly and further recommendations. Owner's manuals may refer to weights when recommending suspension oil. These weight numbers are arbitrary because no industry standard exists for classifying suspension oil. The numbers can range from 2.5 to 30, depending on the manufacturer."
So, I guess there really is no actual answer. Some other manufacturers say the type E crosses with their 5w, and some say it crosses with their 10w.
As to the OP's question about what fork oil to use with the Ricor Intiminators , Ricor specifically recommends Amsoil STL. The Amsoil site claims this to be a slightly lighter weight than the type E. Their STM, slightly heavier fork oil, crosses with the type E. That being said, I have been running the type E with my Intiminators with no apparent adverse side effects. It's the lightest HD fork oil, and is probably close enough to a 5w to not make much of a difference. Just my .02, but based on my experience. Hope this helps more than confuses!
Also, when you change the fork oil, make sure to fill about 1/3, then cycle the shocks a number of times to work the oil past the Ricors. Otherwise, the oil just sits on top of the Ricors and the recommended amount of oil will overflow the top of the forks. Makes a really big mess, not to mention you lose track of how many ounces you're putting in (and how many ounces spilled out) requiring another drain and refill. Ask me how I know.
"Refer to the owner's manual for individual capacities, proper disassembly and further recommendations. Owner's manuals may refer to weights when recommending suspension oil. These weight numbers are arbitrary because no industry standard exists for classifying suspension oil. The numbers can range from 2.5 to 30, depending on the manufacturer."
So, I guess there really is no actual answer. Some other manufacturers say the type E crosses with their 5w, and some say it crosses with their 10w.
As to the OP's question about what fork oil to use with the Ricor Intiminators , Ricor specifically recommends Amsoil STL. The Amsoil site claims this to be a slightly lighter weight than the type E. Their STM, slightly heavier fork oil, crosses with the type E. That being said, I have been running the type E with my Intiminators with no apparent adverse side effects. It's the lightest HD fork oil, and is probably close enough to a 5w to not make much of a difference. Just my .02, but based on my experience. Hope this helps more than confuses!
Also, when you change the fork oil, make sure to fill about 1/3, then cycle the shocks a number of times to work the oil past the Ricors. Otherwise, the oil just sits on top of the Ricors and the recommended amount of oil will overflow the top of the forks. Makes a really big mess, not to mention you lose track of how many ounces you're putting in (and how many ounces spilled out) requiring another drain and refill. Ask me how I know.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 704
Likes: 0
From: NE Alabama
I found a good combination that works well with my ricor's. Motorex 2.5 weight oil and Race Tech linear springs. It rides and handles very well, much better than stock.
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I don't think you will ever get a concrete answer to this question. Unlike motor oils, which must meet API/JASO spec, there is no standards body for fork oil. So, brand-A 5w could be (and likely is) different from brand-B's 5w. You said you need it for your Ricors? Ask them what brand 5w they suggest.
I had a thread going on this quite some time ago, and although there is good info, no conclusion:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/frame...fferences.html
I had a thread going on this quite some time ago, and although there is good info, no conclusion:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/frame...fferences.html
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Minot ND
so... I have the bike back together. I used some 5w oil. Have ricors. I put them together as per the manual and ricors instructions. I filled the oil to the spec measurments. It seems a little soft to me. Can I add a little oil and it stiffen up a boit, or do I have to go up on oil weight?