SV650.org - SV650 & Gladius 650 Forum - View Single Post - SK3 fork oil level, weight and general confusion

kolu · 31-08-20, 08:16 PM

Hi all,
I understand this theme has been discussed ad nausea but there isn't many recommendations for tall and light riders out there for just street riding. I've read all I could and also seen some videos, notably the "what can I do with an SV650S!?" from Dave Moss but the answers seems conflicting with the service manual and Haynes.

My specs:
140 lbs, 5' 10", SV650S K3 (so with adjustable preload)

1) I'd guess my stock springs are fine.
2) I have my preload set to factory (2 lines visible), rear shock on factory (pos 4).
3) I have replaced the old (probably stock) oil for a fresh RockOil SVI 10 (cSt@40C 33.2, VI 170) with oil level 94 mm exactly as recommended by Service Manual and Haynes
4) After the oil change the front end feels more "bouncy", responses faster to road but it was a bit tiring in the first moment. It almost feels like the system was under-dampened.
5) I removed about 20 mm of oil from both forks which improved everything significantly, the ride is smoother/softer but now the front end dives in a bit more.

Am I correct in change for a bit thicker oil (Silkolene RSF 10 with cSt@40C 47, VI 303) to dampen the movement a bit as a good step?
I'm going to check my sag tomorrow - that is actually very important, right? Should I set it to 25-33% of total fork travel (130 mm) with my weight on just by adjusting the preload? And then try to match the rear to the +/- same?

Regarding oil level - some recommend around 110-120 mm gap, I've read that it should be same as fork travel, Dave Moss says 130 mm, manual says 94 mm... What the heck? I plan to do 130 mm gap initially and then I can easily top up if it feels too soft, or is that idea flawed?

Sorry for lengthy post, my head is spinning... Thanks for all advice!

31-08-20, 08:16 PM	#1
kolu Junior Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: London, UK Posts: 28	SK3 fork oil level, weight and general confusion Hi all, I understand this theme has been discussed ad nausea but there isn't many recommendations for tall and light riders out there for just street riding. I've read all I could and also seen some videos, notably the "what can I do with an SV650S!?" from Dave Moss but the answers seems conflicting with the service manual and Haynes. My specs: 140 lbs, 5' 10", SV650S K3 (so with adjustable preload) 1) I'd guess my stock springs are fine. 2) I have my preload set to factory (2 lines visible), rear shock on factory (pos 4). 3) I have replaced the old (probably stock) oil for a fresh RockOil SVI 10 (cSt@40C 33.2, VI 170) with oil level 94 mm exactly as recommended by Service Manual and Haynes 4) After the oil change the front end feels more "bouncy", responses faster to road but it was a bit tiring in the first moment. It almost feels like the system was under-dampened. 5) I removed about 20 mm of oil from both forks which improved everything significantly, the ride is smoother/softer but now the front end dives in a bit more. Am I correct in change for a bit thicker oil (Silkolene RSF 10 with cSt@40C 47, VI 303) to dampen the movement a bit as a good step? I'm going to check my sag tomorrow - that is actually very important, right? Should I set it to 25-33% of total fork travel (130 mm) with my weight on just by adjusting the preload? And then try to match the rear to the +/- same? Regarding oil level - some recommend around 110-120 mm gap, I've read that it should be same as fork travel, Dave Moss says 130 mm, manual says 94 mm... What the heck? I plan to do 130 mm gap initially and then I can easily top up if it feels too soft, or is that idea flawed? Sorry for lengthy post, my head is spinning... Thanks for all advice!