KZ750B Fork oil Q

Just tonight drained her out, was dirty black and smelled like burnt electronic stuff, is it worth the chance the seals are good and just refill or not even waste the juice in her?

Cash is VERY tight and needing a ton of stuff I need priorities, any help always appreciated. Oh the bike has 13K miles. No records of maintenance and the condition I got her in could have been in excellent condition except the past few tumbles in 2002 which really took it's toll.

Thanks in advance as always!

Jeff

If the seals are not leaking don't mess with them. I use synthetic transmission fluid in my forks. I don't bother with the expensive fork oils. They are a waste. Once you drain the forks, put in about 1/3 the recommended amount of fluid and close them up. Work the forks up and down for a few minutes to circulate the fluid vigorously. Drain the fluid and refill to recommended level. Using transmission fluid I change the fluid about every two riding seasons. The Harley guys have been using trans fluid for years and I learned it from them. Depending how much dampening you want you can use ATF+4 for soft or the "Universal" Synthetic (I use Valvoline) for a bit more dampening because it is a bit heavier.

I recommend using real fork oil because it has chemicals in it to keep the seals pliable. ATF might be OK, I never tried it, but not sure how to adjust the viscosity to the right value.

I recommend using 15W fork oil for street riding on a 750B (that's what I am running). 10W is too soft. Get a quart bottle of 15W fork oil. Pump the forks dry and then fill the forks with new oil, put the tops back on then pump the forks for a while to circulate it. Take the drain plugs out and pump the forks dry then refill and you are set.

Thanks very much for the help, wish I had a center stand to do this revival. I have been using a cherrie picker which helps a lot but working in half a garage makes things interesting.