In my case, changing in the 1K to minimize the dive of the front end when braking... using the SE Heavy. Less expensive to try first before changing for progressive inserts.

 

Do a fork oil change after 20k and you'll see why. The oil looks like you took a lb. of metal paste and mixed it into the oil--dark, very dirty, and smells awful. Do it again in another 20k and it's just as bad, or at least mine was. I will change every 10k from now on.

If the service interval is 50k, which requires disassembly and inspection, why not do the simple oil change every 12k as was the service interval with older bikes? (10k is easier to remember.) Can it hurt? Then if you want to disassemble at 50k go ahead, but I'll probably wait, as when I disassembled one of the forks on my old RK at 100k for a leaky seal everything looked good, including the bushing.

 

iclick - Tnx for the how to. I use Red Line heavy suspension fluid with great results. Doesn't seem to get as nasty and as HD dino and will let it go 20k and see how it looks.

 

thats how I did it ...but I heard you can suck it out of a bolt hole and inject it back in.

 

I did this a few weeks ago and ended up using what's called an adjustable box wrench to remove the fittings at the top of the forks. Do a search on the internet and you'll see them. I used an impact driver to remove the drain screws.

I had the wrench in my tool box and it worked well for me.

I took the ignition switch out in the "off" position so I could move the forks. I also removed the spacers and nuts underneath it to remove the plastic panel under the switch in order to remove the bigger panel that includes the rocker switches in order to get to the top of the forks.

 

I just leave mine in the "off" position, straight-up 12 o'clock. I try to keep it away from the left lock with the switch removed, not that it would hurt to put it there, but it works fine this way and no tool is needed.

 

The first time I did this job I used the 36mm wrench in the bike's stock tool kit, but the second time it would not budge the right fork cap. Since 36mm is a bit too small I didn't force it and purchased a 1 3/8" combination wrench at Amazon for $13 shipped, which did the trick. Unfortunately that one doesn't seem to be available anymore.

I haven't had to resort to impact drivers yet, but almost did the first time. Next time I'm going to replace the Phillips drain bolts with Allen or hex.

I use the same technique and it has always worked. I'm not sure what would happen if you pulled the handlebars to the left locking position with the switch removed, though, so I keep it away from there just as a precaution.

 

I made the device you are referring to a couple of years ago to service my 2009 and buddies bikes. It is basically a 12" piece of plain copper tubing that is configured to hook up to a Mity Mite vacumn device. You pull the screws out of the bottom of your fork tubes and hook up the tubing device and simply pull about 20 or so inches of vacumn to empty the tubes of old oil. To refill with new stuff you pull another vacumn with the new oil in the reservoir and when you reach 20 inches or so of vacumn you release the valve and it is sucked back into the fork tubes. Elapsed time is 20-30 minutes, start to finish and you remove no tins, switchs, etc. It is slick, Top.

 

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Nice write up.