Thread: Oil levels/weights in forks?

Finally got parts to rebuild my 888. I've always used 7.5 wt oil. I remember Mr. AG mentioning he's messed around with different oils with success.

I'm about 220 with gear and am running green springs on both sides with the compression set at the middle interenally and cranked externally. It feels great in the mid and bottom of the stroke but the top end on little high speed stuff is a little "rattley". Would less viscuous oil take care of that? The rebound feels good on everything.

Any thoughts on brands/types/wt's/levels that might be cool?

The type of adjustments you can/should make depend on which 888 you have.

Zoch recommends Golden Spectro, my dad swears by Red Line. PJ1 is dirt cheap at the moto shops, and supposedly it works just fine. Go-Ride sells Maxima, so that's what I use.

I switched to 5wt in my Z1, and I don't really dig it. The compression damping has to be cranked up to be effective, to the point that it effects the end of the stroke and limits travel...in short.

'05 888rc.

Do you have a low-speed compression sleeve installed?

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Do you have a low-speed compression sleeve installed?

Negative but it sounds nice.

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Negative but it sounds nice.

Heh. The '04 and '05 had a problem of riding too low in their travel due to a lack of low speed compression damping, which causes it to feel harsh in corners and at speed through rough sections. I'm just guessing, but I think that's most likely your problem.

Go-Ride has a great tuning article on that fork, that explains this issue and the sleeve way better than I ever could. I put one on my 888R, and it definitely makes a difference.

Edit: little more info here and here.

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Heh. The '04 and '05 had a problem of riding too low in their travel due to a lack of low speed compression damping, which causes it to feel harsh in corners and at speed through rough sections. I'm just guessing, but I think that's most likely your problem.

Go-Ride has a great tuning article on that fork, that explains this issue and the sleeve way better than I ever could. I put one on my 888R, and it definitely makes a difference.

Edit: little more info here and here.

Dude, I owe you a beer. You described what I'm feeling. The go-ride article is exactly what I needed.

I can vouch for the sleeve.


I can probably also vouch for covering up holes with burly packing tape.

New news. You guys rock! I didn't have any packing tape so I changed the old oil out and it was nasty...must have been awhile. Went with Gold Spectro 7.5 wt. I covered the top four holes with a cut out of a Miller High Life can and some zip ties. Worlds difference. It feels really good. I started with just the top two "big" holes and it helped but wasn't what I wanted. Now it's pretty good. I'm going to get a couple more days in and pull it apart to see how the ghetto solution is holding up.

FYI-I talked to Marz about this before trying it and both the sales guys I talked to knew nothing of the compression sleeve but they were going to have a tech guy call. Never got a call but after looking around, those compression sleeves are around $100. I think go-ride has a cheaper option.

theres a tech guy you can contact directly on mtbr...maybe even with a phone number?

just look for the marzocchi tech support threads in the shock section

Originally Posted by Conundrum

FYI-I talked to Marz about this before trying it and both the sales guys I talked to knew nothing of the compression sleeve but they were going to have a tech guy call. Never got a call but after looking around, those compression sleeves are around $100.

FKN idiots.

It's amazing those guys stay in business.


Kind of wierd that you got the desired feel out of covering the TOP holes first. If you remember the way that cartridge looks, there's a progression of holes. As the piston crosses each one (top to bottom) they essentially get taken out of the system leaving the bottom ones.....which then get sealed off in order.

Considering how undersprung they designed those things, what you did actually makes sense to 'tighten up' the stroke.

Glad it worked. Wish I'd thought of that when I had one

I thought it was weird too when I was messing with the cartridge out of the fork. There was a guy who posted on farkin that's about my size who said he did the top two and it worked for him so I tried it. It didn't give the results I was looking for but close. The top four feel good now. I think the top end of the travel is still a little "loose" but it's so much better right now in the bottom majority of the travel. When I pull it apart to check it, I'm might cover the 5th just to see.

I was a little nervous to tear into my fork but I pretty much know the ins and outs of it now so it's pretty cool.

I may be wrong but I think you need at least one hole open.

Messing with those holes won't do jack for the top of the stroke though. They only come into play at the bottom out range. The compression damper on those forks is an "ending stroke" compression damping.

Green is heavy, but I think they make one spring stiffer. I'd see if you can find it and just install one of them. You know how to change the preload on them right? C-clips, sping cap etc?

Conundrum, I may be misunderstanding you, so sorry if you already know this. You don't have to disassemble the fork to play w/ the sleeve. Just tip it upside-down and let it drain for a bit, undo the foot nuts and pull the lowers.

Oh, and on the preload. Be real careful w/ that C clip. It likes to drop down into the fork when you're not paying attention. Ask me how I know that.

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Conundrum, I may be misunderstanding you, so sorry if you already know this. You don't have to disassemble the fork to play w/ the sleeve. Just tip it upside-down and let it drain for a bit, undo the foot nuts and pull the lowers.

Oh, and on the preload. Be real careful w/ that C clip. It likes to drop down into the fork when you're not paying attention. Ask me how I know that.

........while holding a towel on each of the stanchions.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

I may be wrong but I think you need at least one hole open.

Messing with those holes won't do jack for the top of the stroke though. They only come into play at the bottom out range. The compression damper on those forks is an "ending stroke" compression damping.

Green is heavy, but I think they make one spring stiffer. I'd see if you can find it and just install one of them. You know how to change the preload on them right? C-clips, sping cap etc?

Originally Posted by kidwoo

........while holding a towel on each of the stanchions.

Running green on both sides, got the c-clip in the middle setting (the stiffest was just a bit harsh), and learned to pull the lowers. I also learned the towel lesson but we won't talk about that. I'll leave that bottom one open. Nice idea on the stiffer spring...I'm kind of a plump fellow. Thanks for the help.

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Running green on both sides, got the c-clip in the middle setting (the stiffest was just a bit harsh), and learned to pull the lowers. I also learned the towel lesson but we won't talk about that. I'll leave that bottom one open. Nice idea on the stiffer spring...I'm kind of a plump fellow. Thanks for the help.

You're not so much plump as these forks really were undersprung. I'm 165 and ended up with two green springs by the time I sold mine. The springs also soften up over time.


Something to consider too is that you have TWO springs EACH with a preload setting. You can leave one in the middle and set one at the highest preload setting. They don't need to match.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Something to consider too is that you have TWO springs EACH with a preload setting. You can leave one in the middle and set one at the highest preload setting. They don't need to match.

I've been adjusting them to match playing around. If you wanted to tighten one, does it matter which side? Compression first?

Originally Posted by kidwoo

You're not so much plump as these forks really were undersprung. I'm 165 and ended up with two green springs by the time I sold mine. The springs also soften up over time.

Very interesting. You've got me curious about trying one medium and one stiff. What color are the mediums?

Originally Posted by Conundrum

I've been adjusting them to match playing around. If you wanted to tighten one, does it matter which side? Compression first?

Nah, doesn't matter. They're just springs. Side doesn't matter. They're function is not intimately tied to their respective dampers or anything.

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Very interesting. You've got me curious about trying one medium and one stiff. What color are the mediums?

I think they're just gray.

I'll tell you when I get home........in like 30 minutes.