Fork oil exchange

[SpencerPJ]

Does anyone exchange the fork oil as a maintenance item? I've got a 2013, with 35k. No issues or leaks, garage kept, mostly on center stand.

[Sorcerer]

93,000 miles on mine when traded never a problem. Then again I’ve been anal about cleaning bugs off of them.

[F6Dave]

Years ago most bikes had a little drain plug at the bottom of the fork, and the manual would call for a regular change. I did it a few times but it could be a mess because that oil would spray all over. Now I only change it when I'm replacing a fork seal. You don't change oil in a shock absorber, so why do it in a fork?

[SpencerPJ]

You don't change oil in a shock absorber, so why do it in a fork?

Good point! I was just making sure it wasn't like brake fluid, attracting moisture somehow and mucking up the internals.

[F6Dave]

Fork oil is essentially ATF. In fact, the manuals for older bikes often specify ATF in the forks, and some people still use ATF to save money. ATF is a type of hydraulic fluid, as is brake fluid. It's my understanding that hydraulic fluid is usually mineral oil based while brake fluid is some kind of glycol which makes it hygroscopic.