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2013 CRF 450 fork oil weight

By JimFunn,
in Motorcycle Suspension

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JimFunn

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I've tried searching for this but can't seem to find anything so sorry if this has been covered a million times already but...

 

I have a 2013 CRF 450, run in and ridden for about 4 hours & did oil change on the fork at the weekend. All went ok & rebuilt using Putoline HPX 5w oil (I noticed the OEM oil was like water in the inner cartridge)  Re-fitted and just sitting on the bike the fork feels much stiffer in the initial stroke and gets firm quickly. I've not ridden it properly yet (due to british weather!)..

 

Is this fork oil too heavy / heavier? What is everyone using?

 

Also what fork oil vol. are people generally running on the outer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DHS_sponsored

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Maxima pretty easy to get hold of dude, mxw have it on their site unless someone local has it. Not only is it graded good but it is a really good oil too.

I would look into backing your rebound adjuster out a couple of clicks when you try the forks, you may find the heavier oil helps in the compression side (pretty mushy stock, lots of dive) but it will slow rebound down..

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wblake

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The best oil for airforks is the kyb S1!!

It' very slippery ( the forks moves with a decent tab on the Seat! and the air can get easy out if the pressure drops down!

It' s the stock oil in all kyb PSF Forks!

Hi Wolf...who distributes this oil except Technical touch?

 

I dont believe i seen this online anywhere yet!

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Van Wick

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Honda owners manual calls for there Honda Ultra Cushion Oil 5W. From what I can gather it has been replaced by Honda Pro HP Fork Oil (5wt), at least that's what my local Honda dealer says.

Technical Spec: 17 cst@40, 3.8 @100 with VI @ 115

 

 

What makes the Honda oil so good is that it is a full synthetic oil and it has a excellent friction modifier package, it has good overall damping characteristics and a smooth action but does need to be changed often and is susceptible to fade as its VI rating is lower than some of the aftermarket oils.  Its good stuff if A: you can get it and B: you can afford it

 

I've tested a few oils now and so far these ones are what I can easily get and are suitable as replacement oils for the stock Honda stuff.

 

Maxima 85/150 5w Blue bottle 

It is a good replacement for the stock Honda oil, it's a Petroleum based fork oil with a Lubricinol friction modifier. Everyone uses it and it is as good as everyone says it is. 

Maxima have recently updated there fork oil technical spec sheets on their website, now listed as being.

 

Technical Spec: 16.2 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 202

 

Amsoil Shock Therapy 5W Light

This is also a good quality synthetic oil that is often overlooked. On paper it has a better technical spec than Maxima and being Full Synthetic it should go longer between oil changes when compared to petroleum based fork oil. It's good stuff from my testing with a good consistent feel with little fade on longer rides. Maxima might be just a tad better due to its friction modifier package from what I can feel on the forks when moving the upper leg up and down on the stanchion, the forks and seals seem to slide a tad more freely with the Maxima. 

 

Technical Spec: 15.9 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 209 

 

Putoline

I've been using and testing Putoline oils for some time now and recently come back to this brand as I'm busy revalving my bike for technical enduro use. After some recent discussion with a local tuner got me thinking about fork oil rating and how they affect damping, he uses there 2.5w rather effectively to get some excellent results on his revalved fork.

 

Putoline it a good quality affordable synthetic fork oil and its clear in color which I also prefer. The additive package is also good and it comes in various weights which makes it ideal for ratio mixing.

 

Problem with the Putoline HPX R 5w as pointed out, it has a very high cst@40 and overall it's a thicker oil which can be used effectively if you want to slow down your rebound and add some more compression damping without having to revalve.

 

Technical Spec: 22.5 cst@40, 5.07 cst@100 with VI @ 162 

 

Putoline HPX R 2.5w is the opposite of the 5w, it is basically like water due to its excellent cst@40 and VI rating and comes in very handy if you want to speed up your rebound and soften your compression

 

Technical Spec: 6.74 cst@40, 3.0 cst@100 with VI @ 485 

 

The 2.5w technical spec is one of the best that you can get for a fork oil, it's more like a shock oil than anything else and has one of the lowest cst@40 and highest VI rating. It is pretty close to Red Line Like Water Clear.

However on its own it can be a little thin and does effecting the damping, great for woods riding but the valving does need a little work to get optimized.

 

What I have been testing lately with Putoline is mixing the 2.5w and 5w using a fork oil mixing ratio calculator I found online to get different cst@40 spec with the added benefit of keeping a high VI rating to prevent fade. I'm currently testing a Putoline mix of 65% 2.5w with 35% 5w to end up with a 14 cst@40 rating which brings it down to a 3w to 3.5w oil. With this mix the VI rating of around 300 to 350.

 

I'm using in both the Inner and Outer chambers and so far I like the fork action on the shim stacks I'm testing.

 

My conclusion and personal experience from the oils that I've used and currently testing is Fork Oil and its technical specification and ratings are super important aspect to consider, not only do they affect how the fork or shock damping performs, different rated oils and mixture combination can also be used as supplement adjustment in place of revalving your suspension or as a secondary fine tuning element on revalved suspension.

 

If looking to replace stock fork oil, you can't go wrong with Maxima, Amsoil or the Yamaha KYB 01 oil as they all have a similar cst@40 rating. Maxima would be the better of these 3 though if anything the friction modifier can be felt in the fork action.

 

If you want to test a lower cst@40 with a higher VI rating use the Maxima Racing Shock Fluid (light, 3wt), no mixing required.

Edited by Van Wick
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DHS_sponsored

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Honda owners manual calls for there Honda Ultra Cushion Oil 5W. From what I can gather it has been replaced by Honda Pro HP Fork Oil (5wt)[/b@], at least that's what my local Honda dealer says.

Technical Spec: 17 cst@40, 3.8 @100 with VI @ 115

What makes the Honda oil so good is that it is a full synthetic oil and it has a excellent friction modifier package, it has good overall damping characteristics and a smooth action but does need to be changed often and is susceptible to fade as its VI rating is lower than some of the aftermarket oils. Its good stuff if A: you can get it and B: you can afford it

I've tested a few oils now and so far these ones are what I can easily get and are suitable as replacement oils for the stock Honda stuff.

Maxima 85/150 5w Blue bottle

It is a good replacement for the stock Honda oil, it's a Petroleum based fork oil with a Lubricinol friction modifier. Everyone uses it and it is as good as everyone says it is.

Maxima have recently updated there fork oil technical spec sheets on their website, now listed as being.

Technical Spec: 16.2 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 202

Amsoil Shock Therapy 5W Light

This is also a good quality synthetic oil that is often overlooked. On paper it has a better technical spec than Maxima and being Full Synthetic it should go longer between oil changes when compared to petroleum based fork oil. It's good stuff from my testing with a good consistent feel with little fade on longer rides. Maxima might be just a tad better due to its friction modifier package from what I can feel on the forks when moving the upper leg up and down on the stanchion, the forks and seals seem to slide a tad more freely with the Maxima.

Technical Spec: 15.9 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 209

Putoline

I've been using and testing Putoline oils for some time now and recently come back to this brand as I'm busy revalving my bike for technical enduro use. After some recent discussion with a local tuner got me thinking about fork oil rating and how they affect damping, he uses there 2.5w rather effectively to get some excellent results on his revalved fork.

Putoline it a good quality affordable synthetic fork oil and its clear in color which I also prefer. The additive package is also good and it comes in various weights which makes it ideal for ratio mixing.

Problem with the Putoline HPX R 5w as pointed out, it has a very high cst@40 and overall it's a thicker oil which can be used effectively if you want to slow down your rebound and add some more compression damping without having to revalve.

Technical Spec: 22.5 cst@40, 5.07 cst@100 with VI @ 162

Putoline HPX R 2.5w is the opposite of the 5w, it is basically like water due to its excellent cst@40 and VI rating and comes in very handy if you want to speed up your rebound and soften your compression

Technical Spec: 6.74 cst@40, 3.0 cst@100 with VI @ 485

The 2.5w technical spec is one of the best that you can get for a fork oil, it's more like a shock oil than anything else and has one of the lowest cst@40 and highest VI rating. It is pretty close to Red Line Like Water Clear.

However on its own it can be a little thin and does effecting the damping, great for woods riding but the valving does need a little work to get optimized.

What I have been testing lately with Putoline is mixing the 2.5w and 5w using a fork oil mixing ratio calculator I found online to get different cst@40 spec with the added benefit of keeping a high VI rating to prevent fade. I'm currently testing a Putoline mix of 65% 2.5w with 35% 5w to end up with a 14 cst@40 rating which brings it down to a 3w to 3.5w oil. With this mix the VI rating of around 300 to 350.

I'm using in both the Inner and Outer chambers and so far I like the fork action on the shim stacks I'm testing.

My conclusion and personal experience from the oils that I've used and currently testing is Fork Oil and its technical specification and ratings are super important aspect to consider, not only do they affect how the fork or shock damping performs, different rated oils and mixture combination can also be used as supplement adjustment in place of revalving your suspension or as a secondary fine tuning element on revalved suspension.

If looking to replace stock fork oil, you can't go wrong with Maxima, Amsoil or the Yamaha KYB 01 oil as they all have a similar cst@40 rating. Maxima would be the better of these 3 though if anything the friction modifier can be felt in the fork action.

If you want to test a lower cst@40 with a higher VI rating use the Maxima Racing Shock Fluid (light, 3wt), no mixing required.

That sir, is a superb answer! Thank you.

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wblake

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Honda owners manual calls for there Honda Ultra Cushion Oil 5W. From what I can gather it has been replaced by Honda Pro HP Fork Oil (5wt), at least that's what my local Honda dealer says.

Technical Spec: 17 cst@40, 3.8 @100 with VI @ 115

 

 

What makes the Honda oil so good is that it is a full synthetic oil and it has a excellent friction modifier package, it has good overall damping characteristics and a smooth action but does need to be changed often and is susceptible to fade as its VI rating is lower than some of the aftermarket oils.  Its good stuff if A: you can get it and B: you can afford it

 

I've tested a few oils now and so far these ones are what I can easily get and are suitable as replacement oils for the stock Honda stuff.

 

Maxima 85/150 5w Blue bottle 

It is a good replacement for the stock Honda oil, it's a Petroleum based fork oil with a Lubricinol friction modifier. Everyone uses it and it is as good as everyone says it is. 

Maxima have recently updated there fork oil technical spec sheets on their website, now listed as being.

 

Technical Spec: 16.2 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 202

 

Amsoil Shock Therapy 5W Light

This is also a good quality synthetic oil that is often overlooked. On paper it has a better technical spec than Maxima and being Full Synthetic it should go longer between oil changes when compared to petroleum based fork oil. It's good stuff from my testing with a good consistent feel with little fade on longer rides. Maxima might be just a tad better due to its friction modifier package from what I can feel on the forks when moving the upper leg up and down on the stanchion, the forks and seals seem to slide a tad more freely with the Maxima. 

 

Technical Spec: 15.9 cst@40, 4.4 cst@100 with VI @ 209 

 

Putoline

I've been using and testing Putoline oils for some time now and recently come back to this brand as I'm busy revalving my bike for technical enduro use. After some recent discussion with a local tuner got me thinking about fork oil rating and how they affect damping, he uses there 2.5w rather effectively to get some excellent results on his revalved fork.

 

Putoline it a good quality affordable synthetic fork oil and its clear in color which I also prefer. The additive package is also good and it comes in various weights which makes it ideal for ratio mixing.

 

Problem with the Putoline HPX R 5w as pointed out, it has a very high cst@40 and overall it's a thicker oil which can be used effectively if you want to slow down your rebound and add some more compression damping without having to revalve.

 

Technical Spec: 22.5 cst@40, 5.07 cst@100 with VI @ 162 

 

Putoline HPX R 2.5w is the opposite of the 5w, it is basically like water due to its excellent cst@40 and VI rating and comes in very handy if you want to speed up your rebound and soften your compression

 

Technical Spec: 6.74 cst@40, 3.0 cst@100 with VI @ 485 

 

The 2.5w technical spec is one of the best that you can get for a fork oil, it's more like a shock oil than anything else and has one of the lowest cst@40 and highest VI rating. It is pretty close to Red Line Like Water Clear.

However on its own it can be a little thin and does effecting the damping, great for woods riding but the valving does need a little work to get optimized.

 

What I have been testing lately with Putoline is mixing the 2.5w and 5w using a fork oil mixing ratio calculator I found online to get different cst@40 spec with the added benefit of keeping a high VI rating to prevent fade. I'm currently testing a Putoline mix of 65% 2.5w with 35% 5w to end up with a 14 cst@40 rating which brings it down to a 3w to 3.5w oil. With this mix the VI rating of around 300 to 350.

 

I'm using in both the Inner and Outer chambers and so far I like the fork action on the shim stacks I'm testing.

 

My conclusion and personal experience from the oils that I've used and currently testing is Fork Oil and its technical specification and ratings are super important aspect to consider, not only do they affect how the fork or shock damping performs, different rated oils and mixture combination can also be used as supplement adjustment in place of revalving your suspension or as a secondary fine tuning element on revalved suspension.

 

If looking to replace stock fork oil, you can't go wrong with Maxima, Amsoil or the Yamaha KYB 01 oil as they all have a similar cst@40 rating. Maxima would be the better of these 3 though if anything the friction modifier can be felt in the fork action.

 

If you want to test a lower cst@40 with a higher VI rating use the Maxima Racing Shock Fluid (light, 3wt), no mixing required.

there is a lot off confusion with oils! some brands 2.5 is the same with others 5wt....

 

Here is a table with the manufactures specs http://transmoto.com.au/Comparative-Oil-Weights-Table/

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