Honda SS8 cartridge fork oil sure looks a lot like ATF..

Lately,I'm just running around w/ my stock worn forks w/fresh seals and worn out stock rear shocks.I'm doing my best to try to dump most of my stuff in storage in prep. for moving right now before the snow flies here in SW PA... I've got my CB400F forks w/ new springs & Honda SS8 set to this point and the CB350 front wheel ready. I plan on getting some new rear shocks later(after I've moved)and then install the front end parts and rear shocks(I'm thinking of some YSS from England) and then tune the suspension.
I'll be setting up the static sag,etc. like the directions on the Racetech springs says then;I don't have gold valves but might get them at a later time.
The weather here gets TOO cold and icy for me and I need to live in a warm climate,always rushing around trying to 'beat the weather' and I'm ready for full time warmth.The storage is a big job.
I'm trying to decide what I'll keep and then take with me in a little U-Haul trailer behind my car...
The cycle is so small I can haul it across my front bumper w/ carriers.
 
I'm in Pittsburgh and do a fair amount of suspension work. CLMotoTech.com

Shoot me an email if you want.
 
hillsy said:
Colour of the oil is not much of an indication of what it is.


I mean, I've seen red brake fluid too - does that mean I can use that in my gearbox ? ;D


FWIW - the last batch of Motul fork oil I got was amber.
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Neither is oil weight for that matter. Comparing Showa 10w to Maxima 10w will give you two different results. It's best to stick with a brand and then change up or down weights.
 
Sav0r said:
Neither is oil weight for that matter. Comparing Showa 10w to Maxima 10w will give you two different results. It's best to stick with a brand and then change up or down weights.
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I'd like to get some Silkolene synthetic 10wt.,do you sell that ?
 
I do not sell Silkolene. Don't get too hung up on a brand or product. Pick one that is accessible, and use it. ATF works, but you can't get it in various weights. So find a local bike shop and use whatever they sell. I use Maxima, but only because I have a reliable supply. The quality of the oil is by far less important because the differences are just that small.
 
Atf sounds great! 1000 times better than the rusty slushy water that usually comes out of forks..
 
something tells me he will be paying nore interest at the bigborestroke kits before too long :D those little engines got lots kit available and a perfect candidate for tinkering !@!
 
xb33bsa said:
something tells me he will be paying nore interest at the bigborestroke kits before too long :D those little engines got lots kit available and a perfect candidate for tinkering !@!
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I have an XL200R engine to install later after I fully rebuild it(which will get me 12vts.!)but presently looking to install an XL185 crank and cylinder into my 81' cases,it's a direct swap as the cases are the same part# as an 81' XL185.
 
Sav0r said:
ATF will work fine. The issue however is that down the road should you desire to change the characteristic of your suspension you then are left without many good options. Do you have options for 3w, 5w, 10w, 15w, etc. in ATF fluids? Not usually, but you do have those options with a lot of fork oils. It should also be noted the fork oils and shock oils often differ. There is a chart out that I have seen that show many brands of fork and shock oil and then shows them with standardized viscosity indexes so that you can get a good idea of what oils do what. That said, the easiest way to stay consistent is to pick a brand and stay with it.
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You have the same options with atf as you do with regular fork oil. The chances are ATF was used because that's what they had on hand. If you want to change viscosity you buy more oil.
 
o1marc said:
You have the same options with atf as you do with regular fork oil. The chances are ATF was used because that's what they had on hand. If you want to change viscosity you buy more oil.
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Marc,
Does ATF come in different viscosity's ?
 
It does come in different viscosities, but if you walk into Autozone you aren't going to find 5 different viscosities. In fact, i'd be surprised if you found it listed on the bottles. ATF fluid has been very standardized at this point. You will instead find it to be Dex, Merc, or one of the other variegated OEM formulations.
 
Sav0r said:
It does come in different viscosities, but if you walk into Autozone you aren't going to find 5 different viscosities. In fact, i'd be surprised if you found it listed on the bottles. ATF fluid has been very standardized at this point. You will instead find it to be Dex, Merc, or one of the other variegated OEM formulations.
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Sav0r,
Please tell me more about this;I could fine-tune my forks w/ the choices.
 
I'm not educated enough on the topic of automatic transmission fluids to really tell you anymore than I already have. All of my cars have manual transmissions. The only reason I ever researched this was for the same reason you are, I was hoping to come up with easy fork oils. At the end of the day, it turns out that it is easier for me just to use designated fork oil. I buy lots of Maxima shock oil already, so when I put in my orders I now just tack on fork oil. Think about all of the time you have spent researching ATF, if you value your time at $20 an hour, you could have bought three or four bottles of fork oil. Sure you pay a bit of premium, but there are no questions about what I put in or take out of my forks at this point. I generally plan for annual rebuilds on my forks, but end up making adjustments to them before I get to a full year. I do not race motorcycles, but I raced cars for many years, and I love tuning suspension so I tend to tinker with it often. It's just not worth it for me to go expirimenting with unknown oils.
 
grcamna5 said:
Marc,
Does ATF come in different viscosity's ?
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No, so if you need something in a different viscosity, you have to buy it just as you would if you only had 10w fork oil and wanted a different viscosity. My point was that ATF is most often used because it is available and, in some cases, is what works. Seldom is it used because it is what is recommended or that it would work better than a real fork oil if you could get it in different viscosities.
 
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