stiffer forks??

[Yamaha_Rules69]

The forks on my Yamaha Tri Moto 200 seem so soft, much softer than when I bought it last year. I lifted the fork boot, and it looked like there was water on top of it. Maybe it got inside the forks?? I understand that the seals may be bad. Is there any way to drain the shock oil out, and put new in? What kind of oil to you use for such a thing? It also seems like sometimes theres oil leaking near the bottom of the fork. Does anyone know whats wrong? Thanx.

[wanta250r]

You can buy fork oil. There may be a seal, gasket, or o-ring on the bottom that may need to be replaced
my .02

[86350X]

I just replaced the oil in my 350X forks, I used 5wt fork oil, which is what was in it stock, All Idid was change the fluid and theyare much better.. I don't know abot a yamaha, but on a honda, you simply,
1. remove forks from bike
2. Remove the fork caps ( the cap at the top)
3. remove springs
4, remove the small bolt at the botom
5. Drain all the old fluid
6. Put the little bolt back in
7. fill the forks with the proper amount of fluid ( your local dealer should be able to tell you exactly how much)
8. reinstall springs
9. reinstall fork caps
10. put the forks back on the bike.....
If you want them to be stiffer, use a heavier oil than what your bike came with,, for instance I could have put in 10 or 15 wt. to make them stiffer than original. Good luck

[Jeb]

Another easy way to make your forks stiffer is to make yourself some preload spacers. You can make them out of PVC pipe. get a size where the o.d. of the pipe just slips into the upper fork tube. Cut it to the desired length. It's such an easy and inexpensive mod that you can expirement with different size spacers to dial in exactly the ride your looking for.

[Yamaha_Rules69]

Interesting idea with the pvc pipe. The forks dont have a valve on top, and I cant figure out how to get the forks apart. Any one else have this problem?

[plkmonster2]

there is little clips that you need to take out where to seals go. you can't fill 200 shocks without taking them apart. then pull the shock apart. sometimes it takes some pulling.

[Yamaha_Rules69]

Thanx plkmonster. I'll have to try that. Is it complicated to put back together, or is it just a single spring that goes in the tube?

[Dynofox]

Jeb, I've read about using spacers and heavier wt oil in the 85 Z forks to make them not dive as much while braking. I had my Z forks rebuilt with 15 wt oil instead of the stock 10 wt. Once I get some ride time on it i'll let you guys know how it turned out.

[plkmonster2]

there is only 1 spring in the tube. it is easy to reasemble, but again it needs some help. i compressed the shock a bit by putting it under a tractor so the seal wouldn't pop out when the spring was pushing against it. dyno, i thougjht that the z and most other trikes use 5 wt? are you sure it uses 10?

[TimSr]

Usually it doesnt even require disassembly or fork removal. You simply take the caps off the tops, and there is a drain plug or screw somewhere near the bottom. The take the plugs out, pump them up and down a few times, and refill them through the top. My 85 Z got 2" spacers, and 30wt which helped drstically for MX. Now that Ive slid the tubes up in the clamps, I need more spring, so I ordered progressive rate springs, and am going back to 20wt fork oil.

By the way, anyone know how much fork oil an 85 Z is supposed to have? I should have written down after last fork oil change!

[Yamaha_Rules69]

Yo TIM SR-- The forks on the YTM 200 dont have the valves on top, or a drain plug near the bottom. They are cheaply made, nothing like the forks on my 200x. The forks only have about 100mm of travel from what I've heard. Mine are so soft right now, that when you sit on it, they almost completly bottom. Definate in need of oil change. We'll see what happens. Thanx

[plkmonster2]

if it botoms out when you sit, it could be the springs...

[TimSr]

Im not very familiar with the YTM200, but if its got no caps or plugs, are you sure your forks are actually shocks? Ive seen, especially in minis where they run a spring only, but no dampening. Sometimes the bolts that allow them to come apart are located underneath the axle, and teh axle must be removed first.

plk is right too, in that if it bottome when you sit on it, you dont have enough spring, and heavier oil weights wont help.

[plkmonster2]

i have a 200 and the shocks are cheaply made :( you have to take the seals out to fill them with oil, and they do use it.