What oil for '97 750SS with Marzocchi Forks

[techo61]

Guys,
My ’97 750SS has Marzocchi forks fitted and the ’91-’96 Haynes manual says I should use Marzocchi Art. 550009 or SAE 7.5 fork oil. This manual also states we should use SAE 10W20 for the earlier models fitted with Showa GD031 forks. The Ducati Service Manual (’97?) states on page A.11 that I should use Showa S.S8 or AGIP F1 – ATF Dexron however these are shown for the Showa forks only, my Marzocchi’s aren’t listed.

My local Ducati dealer advised that I simply use ATF and that’s all they use in their race bikes (“waste of money spending big bucks when the ATF works great” they said).

So I’ve used Valvoline Dexron-3 however neither the bottle or the website (http://www.valvoline.com.au/products.php?main=3) lists it’s weight. To confuse matters, have a look at this http://www.trials.com.au/techtips/oil1.html.

Can anyone tell me if the Dexron III is appropriate (good and bad experiences) and if it’s not recommended, what should I use?


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[ian43]

I don't have an answer to your question, but could I suggest that you call Terry Hay at "Shock Treatment" (02) 4473 9115. He is a motorcycle suspension guru, and should be able to put you straight.
ATF use in motorcycle forks was common many years ago, but these days there are certain brands of fork oil marketed in a range of viscosities and they make a difference.
Ian

[tricklidz]

I would use Ohlins fork oil.

[OneWheelDrive]

I use Bel-Ray fork oil. I have used this in all my bikes for years.

[Dark620]

I'm using Repsol 10W on my Marzochis, OK,it's a 05 Monster 620, but, since it was a little 'soft' for me, I replaced the 7.5W oil with this Repsol 10W; it has worked great and I was told that, any oil, quality that is, will work fine on our suspensions.

[pegaxs]

Just to give a bit of a dead horse another flogging... and yes i used the search button, and yes i read the manual... obviously the same manual the OP was reading, as it only has the Showa forks listed.

I was going to ask what oil, but this has been anwsered, What i want to know is, how much oil goes into these forks. Is it just a case of pouring in a set amount, or is it a "compress the forks and measure down from the top XXmm" type of measurement...

Thanks

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by techo61

So I’ve used Valvoline Dexron-3...

Can anyone tell me if the Dexron III is appropriate (good and bad experiences) and if it’s not recommended, what should I use?

I've never used transmission fluid in forks. I mean why? There are so many dedicated fork oils available?
I'm a Bel-Ray fan too OWD.
Other than that, I guess the real question is, how do they feel with that oil when riding? The weight of the oil will change the way your forks respond, which also depends on riding style, bike, and rider weight, etc. That's why it's advisable to use a dedicated fork oil that you know the weight of as a starting point.

As for 'pegaxs'... if you cant find the info in a manual, then bleed the forks and measure what comes out of each tube. As accurate as you can. Then use that information as a guide, not a guarantee, but consider it a starting point concerning measurement.

Remember the response of the forks can not only be tweaked by the weight of the oil, but also the amount of oil you use.
Keep the level of each fork tube exactly the same, as best you can.
Use one of those horse-like syringes to add and subtract.
Ride, test, and tweak...

[Chuckracer]

I use ATF in my forks...works fantastic.

[Jmartin]

ohlins