forks feel sticky

[hannesd]

hi guys,
the forks on my '00 ec 300 (i think WP) got some new oil recently.
but when i put myself on the bike, the forks won't really sag.(was the same before i swapped the oil)
i didn't put thicker oil in, just 5W.
i allready took the preload washers out.
to make them sag, i hold the front brake in and then push forward and then i can compress them but feel somewhat sticky.
didn't really overtighten the clamps.
forks should be straight,don't look busted.
when riding it's pretty puch ok, but i suppose forks should work softly without sticking,right?

anyone have an idea?

thanks, hannes.

 

[stainlesscycle]

are they binding? did you tighten the axle/pinches in the proper sequence?

 

[jostby]

My WP's are the same. Always have been.

 

[hannesd]

My WP's are the same. Always have been.

sticky too? so it could be a normal thing?

 

[hannesd]

are they binding? did you tighten the axle/pinches in the proper sequence?

i might try and check that but to my knowledge, they are correctly tightend.
thanks for the comment,i might/ could have overlooked something simple as this

 

[Todd5774]

My WP's were the same which is why i changed to the Shivers, i normally like WP stuff but i couldnt get on with those WP 43 forks.

 

[stainlesscycle]

my wp's have no issues - then again i sent them out to ltr and they've been stellar ever since..

 

[GMP]

Any fork will feel like that to a point after sitting in the garage for awhile, but WPs in particular are sticky. The coated Shivers are pretty good. Once they warm up and the oil gets moved around, they should be fine. If still sticky then, you have issues.

 

[Bailey28]

When I had my '06 KTM the WP forks did the same thing. I could never get any consistent sag measurement. I did polish the tubes a little with #0000 steel wool but they were really never great.

They would soak up a big hit fine, but the small stuff was rough.

 

[sbeec]

are they binding? did you tighten the axle/pinches in the proper sequence?

What is the correct sequence for tightening the axle/pinches?

 

[stainlesscycle]

make sure your tubes are straight. with wheel and caliper off you can spin the lowers and see if anything is bent. make sure axle is greased (including right larger diameter that sits in axle boss). do not overtighten lower triple clamp bolts.

1) Tighten axle nut to specification. (At this point you might need to tighten one of the right side axle pinch bolts so the axle does not turn. Make sure to loosen this after axle is tightened.)

2) Tighten left side pinch bolts (brake side) to spec.

3) Take the bike off the stand. Hold your front brake and push the front end down in the stroke a few times, this will align the forks on the axle. (If you have a wall, place the front tire up against it and do the above procedure.) While the forks are DOWN in the stroke have a buddy tighten the right side pinch bolts to the specs. (or use a ratchet strap to hold forks down in their stroke)

Note: The right side axle boss needs to be free. Before tightening, you should be able to move it slightly in and out on the axle. If this is not free, take a thin flat blade screwdriver and open up the axle boss.