Pathfinder fork oil, and other info etc?

[Robert]

Hello,
I`m refurbishing my Pathfinder and forgott what oil and how many ml fork oil the Pathfinder`s fork needs!
Regards
Robert

[Robert]

Can anybody help me?
Robert

Hello,
I`m refurbishing my Pathfinder and forgott what oil and how many ml fork oil the Pathfinder`s fork needs!
Regards
Robert

[John Wakefield]

Robert, the trouble is that the Pathfinder is not a very popular model in Greeves circles & has been considered by many as 'not a proper Greeves' subsequently there are few being restored, & few spares available. One person who may be able to help you, as he has just done a nut & bolt restoration of a Pathfinder is Dave Pink. Dave is not on the computor so its a telephone call I am afraid.

I realise you are in Germany which will not help in finding spares. Hope this helps, I know little about the Pathfinder myself.

[Brian Thompson]

Pathfinder Fork Oil.

Hi Robert,

Forum member 'Bearingman' will probably be able to help with this question when he sees it. You could also try sending him a PM in order to draw his attention to it? I'm sure if he has the info he'd be happy to pass it on to help you out.

If not, someone will know...C'mon chaps, can anyone please help Robert out with this info?

Brian.

[Bearingman]

Hi Robert,

Forum member 'Bearingman' will probably be able to help with this question when he sees it. You could also try sending him a PM in order to draw his attention to it? I'm sure if he has the info he'd be happy to pass it on to help you out.

If not, someone will know...C'mon chaps, can anyone please help Robert out with this info?

Brian.

Hi Brian,

I should have it noted somewhere. I rode my Pathfinder this past weekend for a 2-day trial near Lake Tahoe (very rocky) and my forks were topping out a bit and bouncing around a little too much, so I'll have go through some of the NNM archives and see what they take...I might have guessed on my fork oil level on my forks, hence the topping out.

Question for Robert...Would your Pathfinder have the 32mm Ceriani fork or the later model Metal Profiles fork?

In the meantime I can post some pictures of my Pathfinder for Robert and pass on any tips I may have for him. The Pathfinder is still pretty much Greek to me and I am still learning about this little Greeves.

I hope to be back soon with an answer.

Kenny Sykes
USA

[Brian Thompson]

Pathfinder info.

Thanks for helping out Kenny, it's much appreciated!

Brian.

[Colin Sparrow]

Hi Robert. The answer is 130cc of light fork oil in each leg.

[Brian Thompson]

Sherlock Sparrow!

Nice one Colin! Where did you find the info?! (Unless it's 'classified' of course...)

I've looked everywhere I could think of and drawn a blank....

Watson

[Colin Sparrow]

I asked Dave Pink when I saw him yesterday at Founder's Day...

[Peter Rotherham]

Pathfinder Fork Oil.

COLIN.........That's cheating!

Now, as you are so learned......how much (In English Pints please none of your silly Eurobabble "CC's" {weren't they a Pop Group?} please), and what sae weight of oil goes into my Mk II Leading Links as on the TES please?

Complete Novice.

[Colin Sparrow]

COLIN.........That's cheating!

Now, as you are so learned......how much (In English Pints please none of your silly Eurobabble "CC's" {weren't they a Pop Group?} please), and what sae weight of oil goes into my Mk II Leading Links as on the TES please?

Complete Novice.

I didn't realize oil viscosity could be quoted in pints - but I bow to your vastly superior knowledge and experience of course.

(goes to workshop, hacksaws open a Greeves fork damper, pours out oil, tries to work out answer, fails miserably...)

Whoops, going off topic - somebody moderate me. Please.

[Bearingman]

Hi Robert. The answer is 130cc of light fork oil in each leg.

Hi Colin,

Thanks! I could not find anything on the 32mm Ceriani fork in any of my notes.

I wished Greeves would have put this info in their "Illustrated Parts List" manuals.

Kenny

[Peter Rotherham]

Fork Oil

Hi Kenny,

As Cerianis weren't a GREEVES product, but 'bought in' they probably included a leaflet with the original sales literature. This is standard practise today with Hi-Fi equipment in cars, etc., Also, I'm sure that many riders experimented with amounts & viscosity of fork oil. I know that in the '70s & 80's when we were testing tyres for Dunlop, I had to change this in my Bikes to see what effect soft or hard damping had. The only one that was left as standard was the Gold Wing (K1) as that needed very solid tyre walls or the handling was awful at speed.
We found that ATF was better than commercially available fork oil and, strangely, didn't 'blow' fork seals on the BSA/Triumph forks as oil did. My Norton used to score the stanchions whatever was used and leaked after 2 - 3,000 miles. I had mates who rode with small sponges strapped to the fork legs to mop up the fork oil!

[Peter Rotherham]

Fork Oil TES

I didn't realize oil viscosity could be quoted in pints - but I bow to your vastly superior knowledge and experience of course.

(goes to workshop, hacksaws open a Greeves fork damper, pours out oil, tries to work out answer, fails miserably...)

Whoops, going off topic - somebody moderate me. Please.

Thanks Colin.....I took the screw out of the top of the fork leg and started pouring oil in. It took an AWFUL lot before I realised why my right leg felt wet! (NO the incontinence hasn't returned). I know now that LL forks don't have oil in the legs. So much for my superior knowledge. Why didn't I ever notice this before? (LOL as my son says!) My Workshop floor resembles a certain BP Oil spill now.

As to moderating......May I suggest a VET?

PS....Don't ever lose the humour from this forum....some others I've been on are awful.

Peter R.

[Bearingman]

Hi Kenny,

As Cerianis weren't a GREEVES product, but 'bought in' they probably included a leaflet with the original sales literature. This is standard practise today with Hi-Fi equipment in cars, etc., Also, I'm sure that many riders experimented with amounts & viscosity of fork oil. I know that in the '70s & 80's when we were testing tyres for Dunlop, I had to change this in my Bikes to see what effect soft or hard damping had. The only one that was left as standard was the Gold Wing (K1) as that needed very solid tyre walls or the handling was awful at speed.
We found that ATF was better than commercially available fork oil and, strangely, didn't 'blow' fork seals on the BSA/Triumph forks as oil did. My Norton used to score the stanchions whatever was used and leaked after 2 - 3,000 miles. I had mates who rode with small sponges strapped to the fork legs to mop up the fork oil!

Hi Peter,

Great story on fork oil and leaky forks!

I remember one of my first motocross races on a very cold winter day in northern California, I had put 40 weight motor oil in my Ceriani's!, needless to say, the action of the forks did not work very well in the cold, they kind of stayed in one place! If I recall I changed over to ATF... the forks worked much better!

I think I used any oil my dad had opened on his shelf in his work shop...who knows what I put in the gearbox, primary and mixed in with the fuel!


Kenny