Fz6 fork rebuild

[Mike:p]

So I went to go for a ride but noticed one of my forks was covered in oil. The question is should I rebuild it myself or have a shop do it.
Here’s some information/questions you guys might need to point me in the right direction. In no particular order.
1 I have never even removed the forks from a bike let alone taken on apart. (Good learning experience?)
2 my Fz6 has no adjustments on the fork to adjust dampening or rebound. (Easier ?)
3 I don’t know if I have the necessary tools.
4 I’m cheap (dealer said $250+parts=300ish)
5 How long will take?
6 I don’t plan on riding this bike much more at the track so I don’t need an awesome suspension. (Building a CBR600RR for the track)
7 The forks have the original oil in them.
8 The bike just turned over 30,000 miles
9 what is involved in a complete rebuild vs just replacing the seals? (If I’m that far in I will do everything if I can. )
10 My Fz6 is mostly used for commuting

 

[D-Zum]

That's 10 reasons you need to go to a shop and have it done by someone who knows what they're doing and has the right tools Mike.

You may be cheap, but sometimes it's just worth it to pay and get it done right than to try yourself, f*ck it all up and then end up paying for your mistakes, then paying a shop to undo your mistakes.

 

[Otto Man]

I'd get a seal saver off Amazon or Rocky Mountain ATV and try that first...might be the cheapest fix yet. Working on your own suspension will get you a lot of varied opinions...here's mine.

Personally, I do not have the speciality tools, time, and most importantly, the knowledge, to do it myself. Not all forks require speciality tools. I will say this as well: I have known people to say "Oh yeah it's easy, I do my own stuff" then proceed to chase suspension or tire wear problems. I know of one guy that had a fork failure and crashed hard going into T1 when the one fork leg did not compress and he just immediately hit the deck. So much for saving money for doing the work yourself...

What I would do in your situation, with your given mechanical knowledge in your post: Learn how to pull the forks yourself (It's not difficult, it just seems more daunting than it actually is), and get a suspension shop (NOT the dealer) to service your forks. New seals, fluid, etc, will probably be a night and day difference in feel and handling on your bike. You just aren't aware of it because it's been degrading in performance for the last 30,000 miles.

$300 for parts to service the forks (not counting the cost of the labor to remove/install them on the bike) seems awfully high. Seals and fluid for the forks shouldn't be more than $75. So they upcharge you a bit, say $125...even still. Far from $300. Pulling forks is NOT that difficult, and I would most definitely learn how to remove them myself to save $250. That's a track day plus a nice dinner afterwards!

 

[Mike:p]

Darren and John thanks for the advice. I was really hesitant about doing the rebuild myself. That’s all push I need to find a good suspension shop. I live in north east Tn but I will ship them if I can’t find someone within a hundred miles. That narrows it down to Knoxville, Bristol VA, Asheville NC and anyone inside that triangle. Any suggestions?

 

[Dom17]

Darren and John thanks for the advice. I was really hesitant about doing the rebuild myself. That’s all push I need to find a good suspension shop. I live in north east Tn but I will ship them if I can’t find someone within a hundred miles. That narrows it down to Knoxville, Bristol VA, Asheville NC and anyone inside that triangle. Any suggestions?

You can also ship the forks to someone for work. You will have an extra shipping cost. I will be doing that from now on. I took my forks for my latest refresh at my local stealership and they charged me 325 and told me all my setting were returned to normal. They had every single setting either maxed out or bottomed out. I will be using suspension guys exclusively from now on.

 

[tdelegram]

Thermos Man, just google him.

 

[D-Zum]

Thermosman@gmail.com, Mike Fitzgerald may be the best in the business with suspension in America.

Ship your forks in a plastic rifle case.

Example:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Condition-1-100210-42-Hard-Rifle-Case-Black/41223759

 

[Mike:p]

I have already contacted him on Tom’s recommendation. He has contacted me back and we are working out a schedule for when I can drop them off. I will be driving right past him in about a month. I think I will take the CBR600RR’s suspension to him when I go. He will probably have to ship the forks and rear shock back. Will that fit in the gun case with the forks?

 

[Otto Man]

For most rifle cases, just the forks will fit. Most shocks won't work and will have to be mailed separately.

Thermosman is one of the best in the business. He's the only guy that touches my suspension.

 

[Motofun352]

The FZ6 probably has damper rod forks, right? These are by far the easiest to work on. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is replacing your grips and 10 is rebuilding your engine I'd put this as a 6. You'll need a large vise, some large size allen wrenches for the bottom bolt. Make a seal driver out of a piece of old PVC pipe. Parts and fluid will be about $70. Learning about your bike is important if you're so inclined but not for everyone. Once you're used to doing this job you'll spend more time taking the bike apart and putting it back together than actually working on the forks. My recommendation is if you have a mechanically inclined friend,,,,it's a 2 beer job. (after it's done)....

 

[Mike:p]

Just an FYI, the WalMart I went to this morning had the square rifle cases on sale for $9.97, I bought 2. So if you are in the market for a cheap case like me they might have them wherever you are.

 

[wmhjr]

A couple things.

First - said it before. Thermosman is very good. Equally good is Jon Tyus of CTR. Look at the podium results including MotoAmerica and you’ll see him prominently. I cannot speak highly enough of Jon.

Second, be very careful of using cheap rifle cases. They are less protective than a well padded 8x8x36 box with bubble wrap. They can bend and flex far more. I would never use a cheap case. If you insist on using a gun case get a sturdy (expensive) case. CTR hates those cases and strongly recommended cardboard boxed and bubble wrap. I’ve shipped 3 sets of forks this year alone. That’s what I always use. I bought a stack of those boxes and have enough for several years.

 

[Mike:p]

I have already made arrangements for Thermosman to freshen up suspensions on both my bikes. I just got to get it down there. I’m half tempted to just drive down and drop everything off and take the cases back. I don’t want my stuff damaged. What to do?

 

[Mike:p]

Update. I drove down to Pearson, GA to buy a cargo trailer. On my way back through Atlanta I swung by Michael’s (aka Thermosman)house and picked up my forks for my Fz6 and dropped off the front and rear suspension of my CBR600rr to be freshened up.
He informed me that I need to wash my bike more. Apparently the chrome part of the forks is not perfectly smooth. It’s porous. Particles of brake dust stick to them and ruin your seals as the suspension moves up and down.
He said that I could use windex to wipe the tubes after a track day.
I know that this might be common knowledge to some people but it wasn’t to me. I hope that this info helps the next guy.

 

[Mike:p]

When Thermosman shipped back my forks he sent them to me in a cardboard box. Because he could put more packing material and it’s less expensive to ship. The gun case couldn’t hold as much packing and cost more to ship.
I’m keeping the box for next year.

 

[wmhjr]

When Thermosman shipped back my forks he sent them to me in a cardboard box. Because he could put more packing material and it’s less expensive to ship. The gun case couldn’t hold as much packing and cost more to ship.
I’m keeping the box for next year.

Exactlically. Gun cases seem like a good solution but a good old proper cardboard box is far better. Less costly, more protection. Save the gun cases for - guns.