Fork Seal Service (Showa BPF) ZX10R | CBR1000RR 

Matt Fellows i really appreciate your comment. My goal this video was to ensure it was as clear as possible. And from your comment, i was able to accomplish that. I hope the rest of my videos are able to help you out as well. I look forward to hearing from you in future vids. Thanks bro.

Thanks a lot! This video was a ton of work to put up but I'm glad that it seems to help many people. I hate it when I watch a youtube video and I don't get to see what I wanted for 5 mins. Really irritates me. I appreciate your comment bro. Ride safe and I hope to hear from you in my other vids. Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss watching all the way from Ireland.. Keep em coming man love them. And I know what your saying about guys rabbiting on and on... And on lol.. Anyways thanks for videos and reply 👍👍

Awesome! I really appreciate that you took out the time to tell me what you think Charles and I thank you for it. I wanted to make this info free to the masses since there was only a paid for video and another one with not much explanation or lighting. So I set out to make the best comprehensive vid I can about this mystifying subject. I'm glad to know that my videos are helping people and if I can make you guys learn, save money and smile while doing it, then I did my job and gave back to the RU-vid community. I really hope your project goes well. (Takes forever so free up an afternoon and order some pizza and beer if you drink) Because we all know that nothing really gets fixed unless you have a drink in one hand and a wrench in the other. Cheers bro! I'm here if you need me.

Xenomorpheus Adam12 thanks a lot bro. Im glad i could help. There was a guy doing these seals that charged for the video and another one that wasn't very clear. So my goal was to make a free and clear explanation of this service. Im glad i could help you out and i really appreciate your comment. I hope my other vids will help you out as well. Cheers bro

@EVil-ob8in that threaded rod tool for those forks is pretty vital. I did the same thing on my first set. Trying to do it without the tool seems difficult. The only way I can see it maybe working is if you force a rubber hose on the end and use that to lift it up. Thanks for the sub. Much appreciated!

Hey thanks a lot for that bro. It took a lot of work to film and edit it all. RU-vid has given me tons of skills and knowledge so i try to do what i can to give back. I appreciate you taking the time to comment what you did. I hope to hear from you in my future videos. Cheers!

No problem! I'm glad you are attempting this job! It's pretty involved but is pretty gratifying. Thanks a lot for posting your comment. It's always nice to hear praise for the hours of shooting and editing it took to make this video. I hope it was enough to earn you as a subscriber. Ride safe! Cheers!

356 classic cars thanks! Im glad you liked it. Please let me know if any of my other videos help you or your friends. I appreciate it.

Thank you very much. I appreciate you taking the time to say that. This video did take forever to shoot and edit but thats just the nature of the beast. Hence why there is so many ads in it. Im glad my vid is able to help you out. I haven't checked but a sub would be greatly appreciated. My channel is all about saving money and DIY through your motorcycle. I dont typically work on harleys but the things i teach can easily apply to just about any motorcycle. I'd love it if you shared my channel with any of your biker friends as well. Thanks again and good luck with your project.

@@TheMotorcycleBoss sure thing man. Just sub'd. Least I could do.

@@NN-cw9rb thanks a lot.

Thank you so much! It really was a lot of work. Took hours to fil & edit. I'm glad you found the video informative and helpful. I hope the video along with this response is enough to earn you as a subscriber. Thanks for watching it and good luck with your projects. Ride safe! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss definitely! Subscribed right away and already found another interesting video! 🤜

Thank you so much! Compliments like that really make all that work worth it! I hope to hear from you in the future. Ride safe!

No prablem. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it

So if i just wanted to change the oil what do i need to remove ? Just the top cap ?

Thanks! My goal was to make this project as understandable as possible. Im glad I could help you. Good luck with your project!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss The Motorcycle Boss I just finished the project and everything went smooth thanks to your video. I did notice my forks were a bit stiffer than usual. I did watch another video and the measuring process was different in that videos. The guy measured the fluid after he put the piston and cylinder back in. What are your thoughts?

@@metakmoto Your Dream Is Reality Hey! Im glad your project went well. I felt the same thing when I did mine and all I had to do was adjust my compression and rebound screws on top of the forks. What I noticed is that because you have old fluid, heat-cycled, full of particulates, etc. The overall viscosity of the oil has changed and we become used to it. When we add new fluid, like in my video, I used Honda oil instead of Showa. Although they maybe manufactured to similar specs, the materials used, thresholds, tolerances, and other factors in the manufacturing process can potentially change small characteristics in the oil although I doubt much if any of that is even noticable to the rider. So new oil may feel slightly different because you got used to the characteristics of the old oil. Regarding the piston being inside the assembly before checking the oil level; I don't know where people tend to find this info because many people have commented asking the same thing. Put simply, in the factory service manual, it specifically states what needs to be present inside the fork tube before checking the oil level. Even Dave Moss' video shows this. You can check the oil level with the piston assembly and cylinder sleeve installed but you will want to take note of the oil level before you begin the disassembly then fill it back up to the same point. I hope this was able to free up any confusion you may have had. I'm glad your project went smoothly. I would recommend adjusting your top screws to where you are happy and you should be fine from there. Thanks for taking the time to comment and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and including so much great information in the message. That definitely makes sense and I'm excited to ride now that my fork seal is happy 😁 Again thank you so much for making this video. It helped so much. Have a kick ass day bro 😊

No problem! Nice bike! Thank you soo much for such a great compliment of a comment! I enjoy teaching and I can't stand stealerships and the ridiculous prices they charge. So I'm doing what I can here and there to teach everyone out there how to fix their bikes in the safest, low-cost way possible. Comments like yours is exactly why I do this. And this particular video took a very long time to film & edit but at the time, nobody had a clear video on it except for Dave Moss which you had to pay for. Thanks again and I really am glad this video helped you out! I hope I was able to earn you as a subscriber and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again in the future! Ride safe! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBossI was about to subscribe and download Dave Moss' 899 Showa BPF video as well but spotted your video in time! I contributed to your beer fund!

@@tannercortes6110 I noticed! Thank you soo much! I'm glad I was able to help you. Especially a Panigale, the dealerships probably would've charged you an extra $100 just for that reason XD. I greatly appreciate your donation and I can assure you that it will be used to buy a pack of beer tonight! Have a happy Easter and be safe out there! Thanks again!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss Happy Easter be safe!

No problem! Thanks for commenting. I'm glad I could help! If you need to pick up any equipment, it's all in the description of this video. I hope you subbed if you haven't already. Ride safe and good luck with your projects! Cheers!

No problem. Glad i could help. Good luck on your project. Let me know how it goes

I understand your concern. I have had people in the past have the same question. However, the factory service manual I have for my bike says nothing regarding the piston assembly being present when adding oil. If the piston assembly was added first then yes your oil level will be different. But no. You are not supposed to add the piston assembly before adding oil. Im 100% certain. In case you are curious, it says to add approximately 420mL (14.2 US oz) of fork oil per leg. After disassembly and completely dry: 495 + or - 2.5 mL. I hope this helps

No problem. Glad I could help you. I hope you subscribe snd take a look at my other videos. Hopefully i'll hear from you in my future posts. Cheers!

Hey! Thanks for letting me know. Gotcha. Will do thanks

Glad it helped! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Much appreciated.

Aleksandar Stojiljkovic im glad i could help. So it did make your rebuild easier? Took me forever to shoot this video

Thanks a lot! I'm glad it was helpful to you. When I needed to do my forks, there was little free info on the topic. So I decided to put the most detailed vid on it I could to help everyone else out. Glad it worked out. Good luck with your project and subscribe if you haven't already. Ride safe!

Giannis thanks a lot. RU-vid has helped me a lot in my life offering me information anywhere from rubiks cubes to cheat codes and how to tie a tie. The least i could do is offer my knowledge back to the community that has helped me grow so much over the years. Im glad you liked my video and i hope it was easily understood. I really appreciate your support and im very happy you took the time to comment on this video. I hope the rest of my videos help you out more. If there is something i can help you with, please dont hesitate to let me know.

Hello again. I happened to service my BPF's about a month ago and your video was my go to guide. It all went smoothly as i felt like I've done this thing before! A tip to anyone who may try. I didn't have the golden racetech tool so I welded together two 27mm nuts and made it happen. After i was done,I welded an extra 34mm nut on top of this new tool so as to make it easier to grab on to it while you are trying to thread it in. So basically an improved version of the tool at the cost of maybe 2€.

No problem. RU-vid has helped me grow a TON! Least I could do is return the favor. This video will never go down unless I don't have a choice in the matter. It's helped a lot of people. All I ask is that you use my affiliate links in the description before you order something, and if you subscribed, it would be a big help. I just post motorcycle mechanic-related content here so you may learn of a new tool or skill that could help you save money. I appreciate your support and I hope I hear from you in my future videos. Check out my channel trailer and see if my channel is a good fit for you. I'd love to have you on board. Ride safe and good luck with your project! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss I used your affiliate links for the tools. I subbed and smashed the bell! Thanks man.

@@MonkeyButtRides Thank YOU! It's greatly appreciated!

Lol thanks a lot! Im glad i was able to help you. I saw the same thing and that was why i made it my point to have as detailed a video as possible for free. Please dont mind the ads. That was how i was able to get around charging for this video. Please feel free to throw this video and my channel around to help everyone. I appreciate you taking the time to write this comment. Cheers

Im glad the video was able to help you. As long as you have the tools and your service manual, it's a simple job just time consuming.

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I was trying my best to make it as thorough as possible. I'm glad you found it useful. I hope this was enough to earn you as a subscriber. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Good luck on your project! Ride safe! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss I will definitely subscribe. Check out my RU-vid channel when you have a chance. I use a similar approach and try to show how to do MC repairs with regular everyday tools whenever possible. Have a great weekend!

@@tomscyclerecycling8242 will do. Thanks!

Thanks! Glad to help. It'll be a good 2-4 hour job for the average person so be prepared for that. Music, maybe a friend, and lots of beer (but not too much). Good luck with your project. Lmk how it goes. Thanks for taking the time to tell me what you think.

Lol. Thanks for the comment. Im glad i can help you.

Thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate it! Glad I could help. I hope you subscribed if you haven't already! Ride safe. Cheers!

daniel Silvis im really happy this video could help. It was definitely a pain to make which is why there are ads. But i would rather make things as free as possible for you guys. I hope the rest of my videos will help you or your friends out. Im looking forward to getting your input in future vids. Thanks bro

Thanks for your comment! If you happen to have gone through some of the other comments on this video, this difference has already been addressed. In the ZX10R factory service manual, the oil level is checked as shown in this video. This rebuild method also aligns with Dave Moss' video tutorial on these as well. I spoke to Showa themselves regarding this and they confirmed the order specified in this video. However; manufacturers such as Honda may recommend a different method & specs; which is fine. Always follow the order specified by your factory service manual. Aside from that detail, the disassembly and reassembly are the same regardless of manufacturer. I hope this helps!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss Many Thanks, Mr.Boss, you are right, it's specified in the Honda Workshop for the CBR1000RR BPForks (only). Anyway, I followed your advices with the plastic bags and the elctrical tape and it worked phantastic! I'm very happy with the results. Keep up the good work....

Thanks a lot! I'm glad that this video helped you or was at least entertaining. Just trying to get better with camera angles and editing techniques. I appreciate your comment and I wish you the best! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss will definately use your video next week. I'm getting the ractech part in a few days. Seals and oil are already in the cave. I saw another video , the guy explained the spring HAS a smaller side , that needs to come down. I'll take note of that if i can spot any difference. Good luck with the next video's! Greetz CJ

@@cjsgarage3662 Thanks! And I would really appreciate it if you purchased the RaceTech tool through my Amazon Affiliate link in the description if you haven't purchased it yet. Please keep me informed of the spring if there is anything noteworthy. I appreciate the comment and I wish you the best with your project! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss ai, already ordered it. And I didnt entered the cult of Bezos yet ;)

Glad it was helpful. It was a pain to shoot buy I'm glad it can help so many people. Your comment is appreciated. Ride safe!

Thanks! I really appreciate the support! I've honestly just been lazy and haven't had many video-worthy projects for a great while. I'm sure I'll start back up again. Just no clue when. Maybe when the next decent project arises or if I get a hair up my but and at least put out a quick tip. Glad the video was helpful and I greatly appreciate the positive boost. Hope to hear from you again in the future. Ride safe! 🍻

Awesome. Good luck on your project. Keep in mind, everything i used in this video for the most part is in my description.

Thanks! It was a lot of work but it was worth it. I'm glad it helped you out!

¡ja ja! Entiendo. Trabajar en bicicleta con amigos siempre es un momento divertido. Pero si no tienes una cerveza en la mano, ¿hiciste algo? - Google Translate

PJ Weidman thanks a lot. Im doing my best. I hope this video and my others will help youband everyone else in some way

Thanks! I really appreciate that. I hope it was enough to earn you as a subscriber! Ride safe! Cheers!

Thanks a lot! It took a lot of work to make this so i really appreciate you letting me know what you thought.

Thanks a lot. You want to measure the height of the oil first, then drain. When you fill it back up, you just get it to match the same level as before that you measured.

Nick 636n8r thank you very much. I hope to do a vid on the BFFs but idk when ill have to do it. There is a video on youtube that you have to pay for to see these taken apart but i wanted to make this a free vid for you guys but took me and my gf a buttload of time to do. Hence why there are so many ads on this one. I'm very happy i was able to help you and everyone else understand how these work. Thanks for the comment bro. Greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Took a lot of time to make. I'm glad you found it helpful. I hope it was enough to earn your sub! All I do is post projects and tips about motorcycles to help you save money. Ride safe! Cheers!

You definitely got my sub man, rubber side down brother

Thanks! I hope I was able to earn you as a subscriber. If you have any questions, I read all commonts. Ride safe! Cheers!

Not a problem. I hope it helped you out enough to earn you as a subscriber if I haven't already. Thanks for the comment. Ride safe!! Cheers!

Thanks! I hope it helps!

Thank you very much

Yes. I am aware of that method as well. If you take a look at my latest fork video, I switched to using a simple sandwich bag and it seems to be a bit easier than the milk jug method in my opinion. Plus I always have sandwich bags and don't always have an empty milk jug or water bottle around. And I don't want to keep a scrap like that in my toolbox. I also see the sandwich bag as being much softer on the seal as far as edges are concerned which can further reduce the risk of slicing up the seal during installation and removal. I hope you give that method a try some time and tell me what you think. In any case, thanks for commenting and I really appreciate you taking the time to watch my video. I hope it was helpful. Ride safe! Cheers!

Hey thanks! No problem. I like to make videos to help out as many people as possible. I this helped you. Stick around for my other vids. You might get some useful information from them.

I've received multiple comments like this. 100% when you check the fluid level in these forks, you do it without the damper as indicated in the factory service manual. You can fill the oil level with everything installed but you have to know what the oil level is supposed to be with all parts assembled which most service manuals do not include that spec because they aren't supposed to be filled that way. The reason my suspension felt weird was because that bike is my daily driver and any time you get old fluid and swap it out with new fluid, you will feel a difference. So simply my settings were tuned for the old oil. I just had to turn some screws for the new oil.

Randy Smith no problem. Thanks for the comment. I hope my other videos are helpful as well.

Thanks! Glad you liked it. Batman is a nut for sure. I hope my video helped and I hope you subbed in case you haven't yet. Good luck on your projects! Cheers!

Merci! Aucun problème

2 Wheels thanks for your comment. I may do one in the future. No time soon unfortunately but the time will come. I appreciate your support

Thank you very much. It was a lot of work to make the vid but im sure it will help lots of people. Thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think. I hope some of my other vids will be of some use to you as well. Cheers

@@nickrider5220 your thanks is much appreciated. Even tho I haven't posted in years, I still respond to everyone I can. The video will forever be relevant as long as there are Gen4 ZX10's still on the road. Glad to be of service! Ride safe!

Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad this video was helpful to you and I hope this was enough to earn you as a subscriber. Please keep in mind that if there are any tools you need in order to complete this job you can find them in the video description as well as a link you can click on if you are so inclined to buy me a coffee. :) best of luck with the project and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Ride safe! Cheers!

Thanks! I try my best!

Thank you very much! I did what I could to be as detailed as possible. I'm glad you found it valuable and I hope this was enough to earn you as a subscriber. Ride safe! Cheers!

Daniel Woodhouse thanks bro!

Hey it's better than paying $200 plus at a shop right? Glad this video was able to give you the confidence to work on it yourself! Rebuilding forks is a pretty involved job as it takes forever but it is truly rewarding and fun when you are already halfway through the project. I never look forward to a fork rebuild project but I always have fun. Hopefully you will enjoy the project. Grab a few beers and crank up some music, maybe even invite a friend over. It's a good time. I hope your project goes well and I hope this was enough to earn you as a subscriber. Ride safe! Cheers!

Wojciech Szkutnik thanks! I hope i was able to help you out in some way. I appreciate your input.

Service manual indicates to measure the oil level as you say. However; I was following Dave Moss' video on this where he does it prior as shown in this video. The reason the forks felt a little off was because they were leaking and I had less oil than I should've before this install and I got used to it. All I needed to do was adjust my compression screw and it went back to normal. Been years riding with them like this and absolutely zero issues.

@@TheMotorcycleBoss That makes sense that the fork level was adjusted to compensate for the removal of said parts. That information would be harder to find than the service manual. I "think" and i could be wrong but the service manual calls for 84mm vs RACETECHs suggested 115mm and this would probably be the reason why even though its not clearly stated.

No. The air gap was checked correctly. The damping rod and rod guide are not supposed to be installed when checking air gap. However, if you know the oil level after they are installed you can check it then. But it will take a very long time to do that because the damping rod and guide have such a small tolerance. My suspension felt off because i had new oil and not the old oil anymore. I just adjusted the rebound and compression and years later, still perfect suspension.

Thanks a lot! Glad to have you.

Thanks! No I didn't both forks are exactly the same. I did the first fork off-camera to get my tool list in order and understand the camera angles I had to achieve. Since they are both exactly the same, no need to film the other one anyway. Thanks for your comment! I hope this was enough to earn you as a subscriber. Ride safe! Cheers!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss I thought that the internals were different in each leg? On my 2018 ZX6R the left leg has the two little screws and the right has one large torx looking screw in the center.

@@dinot71 No problem. The forks I am working on in this video are the Showa Big Piston Forks (BPF). The forks you are referring to that your bike has are called the Showa Separate Function Fork or (SFF). That is the teardown video you are looking for.

Google Translate: Спасибо за ваш комментарий. У разных производителей могут быть разные уровни масла и процедуры, которым необходимо следовать в отношении одного и того же продукта. Если вы будете следовать тому, что написано в заводском руководстве по обслуживанию Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R 2011 года, а также пошаговым инструкциям Дэйва Мосса по этим амортизаторам, Вы заметите, что в обоих случаях они оба ясно показывают, что уровень масла необходимо проверить, как показано в этом видео. Ваша обеспокоенность по этому поводу разделена с другими, поскольку я слышал, что другие обращаются по той же причине. Из-за этого я трижды проверил правильную процедуру и мою литературу на своем велосипеде, и это должно быть сделано таким образом. Надеюсь, это прояснит ситуацию. Катайтесь безопасно! Ваше здоровье!

@@TheMotorcycleBoss спасибо. Тоже желаю приятной и безопасной езды. На самом деле, я не учел одной вещи, этот амортизатор стоит на другом мотоцикле. А я посчитал, что если амортизаторы одинаковые, то и процедуры одинаковые. Мой стоит на zx6r. Конечно, у них должны быть разные настройки и количество масла. Моя ошибка. Извиняюсь. Теперь все встало на свои места. Да кстати, видео отличное. Вы очень детально показали как это делается. 😉

@@Timingchain Переводчик Google: Без проблем! Я рад, что вы высказали свое мнение. К счастью, сейчас все прояснилось. Я ценю, что ты мой друг в мотоциклетном сообществе, и я надеюсь, что смог заслужить тебя как подписчика. Не стесняйтесь обращаться к нам, если у вас возникнут какие-либо вопросы, и я сделаю все возможное, чтобы ответить вам как можно быстрее. Оставайтесь в безопасности!

Scusa. sono un idiota e anche se per un secondo hai parlato spagnolo. nessun problema. Spero che troverai utili le informazioni del mio canale. Speriamo di avere notizie su di noi nel futuro. ¡viaja seguro! 😂

@@TheMotorcycleBoss Italia e Spagna siamo cugini, è molto simile! Tanti auguri per natale!!!🎅

Jason Bradley Elmore haha! Thanks bro. I really appreciate your support. Im glad you liked the video and i hope it can help you when you do your forks. Please take a look at the rest of my videos and see if any of those can help you further. Thanks a lot!

wallace miranda thanks. I'm doing what i can. I appreciate your support

google translate: grazie mille! è stato un sacco di lavoro ma spero di esserti stato d'aiuto. per favore iscriviti e viaggia sicuro!

Gian M thank you. Took a lot of effort to do. I hope this helps you

The fork oil level is actually supposed to be measured without the piston and the cylinder. However; if you are only doing a fork oil service and dont have the tool to remove the cylinder, you can measure the level before draining the fork. Then you will know what level to get it back to. But the specification for oil level is never with the dampener assembly inside. Otherwise you run the possibility of overfilling. I hope this helps you. Thanks for the support.

@@TheMotorcycleBoss is this possible to replace the seals without the racetech cylinder tool?

I don't believe so

Thanks! I have no idea if that year has the same forks but I'm glad to help and I appreciate your sub! Keep in mind that there are links to all my tools in the description if you want to pick anything up. Thanks for the comment and good luck with your project.

svengalino lol thanks bro. I hope it helped you

You should be able to twist it to the correct position no problem

Thanks a lot! I hope it helps!

Thanks! Yes. You should take everything apart to change the seals. However, if the seals are fine and you just need to replace the oil, you don't need to remove the cylinder that requires that special tool although it will take forever to drain and fill. You could use a nut of some sort but i don't know what size it is at the moment. You can look up the tool and it should indicate its dimensions.

Thanks! I'm glad you found this helpful. I hope it was enough to earn you as a subscriber! Ride safe!

Bo problem. I hope it was helpful!

Tim Vella thanks! I hope my video helps. i showed you all of the tools i used in this video at 8:55. Good luck with your project

There should be no issue using a breaker bar against it but wrapping a towel or rag around the breaker bar should work just fine. It'll take a lot more force to severely damage the fork in that manner. I hope your project goes well!

I have never tried before but I think you can. Although refilling with oil to the proper level i would imagine would be a nightmare.

@@TheMotorcycleBoss only one way to find out lol

@@lucianoromero777 absolutely. I've had a few other people ask the same question before. Please let me know how it goes. I'd love an update.

@@TheMotorcycleBoss haha I’ll try to yank the fork apart with that sleeve still in and see what happens I believe it should come all apart but we’ll see 🤷‍♂️