Posted by Bob Alcorn on July 29, 2000 at 23:58:33:
Hi everybody,
I just had two new Metezler 880 Marathons installed on the bike. They look and behave beautifully. However, my mechanic noticed that, when he took the axles off, there was absolutely NO grease to be found anywhere. Ya gotta love dealer prep! When my mechanic took it for a test ride after installing the tires, he noticed the front suspension was quite soft with a lot of fork travel. The bike is a leftover '96 which I purchased last year and have put about 4000 miles on it. When I compared it directly to my Honda Rebel 450 which just had a fork oil change and new seals, I too noticed the difference in stiffness. A pretty light pressure on the handlebars can cause the fork to almost bottom out. I'm wondering if the dealer filled the forks with the correct type and amount of oil. My question is this. The Clymer manual says that to change the fork oil, the whole fork assembly must be removed, because there is no drain plug! They also recommend a yearly change. How can that be? I can't believe there is no way to drain and change the oil short of a few hours labor charge.
Any helpful hints or comments are welcome.
Thanks and ride safe,
Bob A.
PS: I re-installed the rebuilt carbs, caliper, and master cylinder on my recently acquired 1975 Honda 400f Supersport which many on this forum had said would be a fun ride and they were right. Quick and nimble, it's a totally different kind of fun than the Savage, which is more like a rhino than a gazelle. It started on the first try ! (Hey, it's a Honda.) I am having some electrical problems, probably caused by moisture after sitting for over 10 years in an unheated shed. Also, the electric starter doesn't work. But I kind of like using the kick start. I wish the Savage gave me the choice.