84 KZ700 A-1 Fork Oil?

Does anyone know the fork oil capacity? I've gotten multiple specs but none specifically for this bike. changed the oil and put in 230ccs of 10 weight. front end is a bit mushy and occasionally bottoms out. I've been told my springs may need to be replaced. bike only has 5K miles on it.

thanks

Treeman, if no one gets to you today, I have an owners manual for your bike (but at home) and I'll post an answer tonight.

Treeman wrote:

Does anyone know the fork oil capacity? I've gotten multiple specs but none specifically for this bike. changed the oil and put in 230ccs of 10 weight. front end is a bit mushy and occasionally bottoms out. I've been told my springs may need to be replaced. bike only has 5K miles on it.

thanks

You will be happier with 20W.

Springs don't wear out in 5k miles.

Well, the owners manual has no information on fork capacity. However, there is a pdf of a shop manual at the following address:

kz.mbsween.com/manual.html

When I replaced the springs in my KZ700 fork for WP-progressive springs, I filled it up with 20W oil.

I used an airchamber of 140mm. That means you assemble the forklegs apart from the springs and the topcap. Then you compress them fully. Fill them with oil until the oillevel is 140mm below the top of the innertube.
After that you can reassemble the forks.

Worked fine on my bike! It now dives a lot less under braking.

Unfortunately I have some pitting on the innertubes so my forkseals are damaged after a few months, and the forks start leaking, and the bikes starts wobbling at 80 kph.
I gues for me it's the last excuse I needed to upgrade to modern suspension and 17" wheels...

Oh one warning! If you want to put airpressure in the forks, be sure to use a handpump! Only a very small amount of air is needed, so using a compressor will blow the seals...
If your airvalves on the top of the tubes are leaking, you can replace them with the same valves you use in your tyres...

just went through this with my bike. Use 20 weight oil. I had 10 weight oil in my forks and thought i needed new springs until i changed to 20 weight. Man what a difference

thanks Mike

Manual is not specifically my bike but probably has the same forks.

Treeman wrote:

thanks Mike

Manual is not specifically my bike but probably has the same forks.

Yes, that is the Kawasaki shop manual for your bike, go to the table of contents and the KZ700 is included as a supplement.

This is Great Mike, Thanks!

Any one figure out how many CC of oil to put in afer replacing the fork seals? I am replacing the seals in my KZ700 looking for the correct amount of CC's to put back in.Thanks

Measuring the airchamber is just as accurate and much easier...