Author Topic: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?  (Read 5338 times)

Offline cmgies

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2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« on: February 23, 2016, 07:22:24 PM »
Looking around on the site I couldn't seem to find the approximate amount of fork oil that the 2013 V7's take.  Any thoughts?  I'm in the middle of a front end upgrade and want to be ready with the fork oil for when the parts arrive.

Thanks!
Michael Gies
'73 R75/5 (sold it)
'07 Norge (sold it)
'13 V7 Special

Offline guzzisteve

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2016, 09:30:40 PM »
150mm below edge, tube extended
"Pray through Carlo & your bike shall be healed"
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Offline cmgies

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2016, 12:43:54 PM »
150mm below edge, tube extended

Now I'm really confused.  I had read about how to do this with the measurement method, but it seems to me everything I have read, including the shop manual, says that you should have the fork compressed when measuring the oil level.

It says "Oil level (from sleeve rim, without the spring and with the stem at the end of the stroke) 150 mm.
Michael Gies
'73 R75/5 (sold it)
'07 Norge (sold it)
'13 V7 Special

Offline drlapo

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2016, 02:29:26 PM »
Damn that's a confusing statement
Every bike I've worked on, except bikes in the 60a and early 70s, measure the air gap with the tube compressed w/o spring
The manual says 150mm , 6inches and I just assumed that is with the tube compressed

Offline ohiorider

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2016, 02:41:59 PM »
My 2003 Bonneville fork oil was measured with spring removed and fork compressed.  Leave it to Guzzi to say 'at the end of the stroke,' but then not defining which end, extended or compressed.  :azn:
Main ride:  2008 Guzzi 1200 Sport (sold July 2020)
2012 Griso 8v SE (sold Sept '15)
Reliable standby: 1991 BMW R100GS
2014 Honda CB1100 (Traded Nov 2019)
New:  2016 Triumph T120 (Traded Dec 2021)
New:  2021 Kawasaki W800

Offline malik

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2016, 05:02:41 PM »
From memory, the 150mm air gap equates to around 400ml, each leg. So a 1 liter bottle does the job. Do they sell fork oil by the liter in your neck of the woods? I am about to confirm that soon, the oil in the Special feels like it needs refreshing.

I can't remember whether the tube was pushed in or pulled out. I will have to check the carious instructions I followed, because whatever I did, it worked a treat.
2010 V7 Classic, 2014 V7 Special
1996 1100 Sport Carb (in NZ), 2004 V11 LeMans (in UK)
Carberry Enfield V-Twin, 2008 Royal Enfield Electra, 2006 RE Electra 535

Offline drlapo

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2016, 05:07:03 PM »
MG recommends 5-20 motor oil for the forks or 7.5 hydraulic fluid (fork oil)
I remember that early long travel USD forks on some MX bikes used 5-20 oil successfully

Offline pyoungbl

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Re: 2013 V7 - Fork Oil Capacity?
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2016, 05:25:05 PM »
Remember that the air gap is part of the progressive resistance of the suspension.  If you measure air gap with the fork compressed and allow 150mm air gap you will have a huge air gap to compress when everything is back together and the forks extended.  In other words, you'll only get about a 2:1 or 3:1 compression ratio...not enough to make much difference.  The thing is that you don't want so little air gap that the forks are locked up before full travel.  I settled on 130mm air gap as best for me.  Suspension settings are on the order of a black art, there are guidelines but they are just a reference point.  Oh, and I'm NOT a suspension expert.

Peter Y.
Growing old ain't for sissies.

'13 V7 Special (red/white)

 

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