Forum

[nigelphoto]

Some advice would be much appreciated - I have just bought a 2011 C5 and need to change the fork oil for the 7,500 mile service. The downloadable pdf workshop manual does not seem to have the same top nuts as on my bike (blade screwdriver slot in round chrome nut). On my last bike, BMW F650, the top yoke clamps had to be slackened off then the top nuts undone to be able to refill the forks. Please can someone tell me what the procedure is for the C5 Classic 500? (You may assume you are talking to an idiot for the purposes of this exercise!). Many thanks, Nigel

[jefrs]

Depends on forks. I'm guessing your forks have an angle at the bottom with the wheel axle leading. The latest C5 forks are straight down, mine, have to dismantle them to change oil, nowhere near due yet. The new ones are supposed to have progressive springs, personally I think they could use a bit more damping (thicker oil?) but they do soak up potholes.

Yours should just drain out of the bottom with a bit of pumping and refill from the top. I may be wrong but don't think you have to slacken yokes.

The top nut/seal ought to be a hex drive Allen but previous owner may have changed them for retro slot top. Or did you mean the manual shows a slot-top, in which case they used an old picture.

I've read the pdf manual. Something gets lost in translation and it jumps about. Read it through forwards then backwards and sideways until it makes sense.

Our hosts are pretty knowledgeable, maybe a phone call?

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/ac ... -silkolene

[nigelphoto]

Thanks for the reply. As far as I can tell the fork top nuts with blade screwdriver slots are original. I have a photo but don't know how to post it on here . . . . . It does look as though they should just screw out but the switch leads enter the casquette just above the screws and it doesn't look as though the nuts would just unscrew and come out without fouling the leads, unless the fork tubes were dropped down.

[Beezabryan]

The slotted plugs look like they foul the cables, and they do if you try to lift straight out just the same as my old nail. By wiggling the plug & the cable it will come free, replacement is the reverse of removal

[jefrs]

Scalyback's linky to how to pics and other stuff here

http://gpoclocksystems.byethost22.com/m ... orums.html

[Adrian]

There are some pictures of a C5 (leading axle) fork strip from someone on the US forum here. They changed the design of the forks for some of the pre-UCE Thunderbird, and this was carried on for the early C5 and B5. The design changed again with the loss of the leading axle fork after 2011 on the C5. Perhaps our hosts might be persuaded to show a fork strip and rebuild for UCE forks, including any tips for a quicker oil change!



https://plus.google.com/photos/11753768 ... MCp4ZfToAE



A.

[nigelphoto]

Thanks for the responses guys. . . . .
WTF? The 12mm hex nut under the top slotted chrome ones are blind? So its a complete front end strip down just to change the fork oil! If this was an original Redditch design no wonder E & HP Smith wanted to close it down and sell off the factory!!

[jefrs]

nigelphoto - read the manual again. If you have leading axle then I don't think you have to strip down. The hex should be the oil filler.

If you've tried everything and it has all failed, read the manual.



It concerns me that I do have to strip down my straight-legged C5 to change the oil as it's how one would regulate the bounce and rebound. The compression is good but the stop at lights rebound is like a pogo stick.

[jefrs]

The PDF manual I got hold of describes both types of forks. It's been a quite a while since I've had forks apart but I don't forget, I've got a touch of machine in the blood.