Fork Oil Problem For the Mechanical Wizzies Out There!

Need help with this one guys!
I am doing a Fork oil and seal replacement on my new/old winter hack, recently acquired, which is a GS 500E 1997.
The manual says it needs 377cc of oil, once added you should measure down from the top of the tube and the level should be 105mm down from the top.
I did this and found that the level was more like 240 mm from the top (quite a long way below the level it suggests) All this should be done before the spring is put back in.
What do I do, add oil until it's only 105mm from the top or leave the quantity at 377cc as the book also says?
I have checked my model number to confirm the figures and the forks look like the original GS ones so I am perplexed! Please Help!

 

have you got the front of the bike off the ground?maybe if its on the ground it will be right

 

I resemble that remark Horny!. Jim, if you put too much oil in, air gap above the oil will be too small and the springing will be very stiff. Are you measuring with fork tube extended or compressed? Can you look on a Suzuki Forum for the answer? Or a Clymer manual.?

 

Just found this;they do it with spring in and without measuring level?
Step 10 - Springs and washers
Put your spring (old or new, depending on what you're doing) into the now empty fork leg. Place a washer on top of the spring.

Step 11a - Fork oil change only
Measure out between 375mL and 382mL of new fork oil in your measuring cup and pour it into the fork leg. Put the spacer back in and compress the spring, washer, and spacer with the fork cap. It helps to have a friend compress the spring while you screw the cap on via turning the fork leg. BE CAREFUL! If you feel the cap starting to cross thread stop IMMEDIATELY and unscrew the cap and try again.
Repeat steps 9-11a with the other fork leg. Be sure to use the same amount of fork oil in each leg. Reinstall through the reverse steps 1 through 8. There! You're done! Hooray!
Dispose of your fork oil in a proper container. Old motor oil bottles work great.

 

have you joined up to gs500e owners forum? gs500e.co.uk . il have a nose later and see if theres anything on there. nice helpful bunch of peeps on there. Im trying to remember how i did mine when i swapped over to progressive springs .... il see what manuals i have as have both a haynes and i think a clymer in .pdf somewhere. Also chelskitel has a gs500 so might be worth seeing if he has done his lately .his is the older shaper one wheres mine is a k4 so the forks are diff. the earlier ones had 2 types of fork, those without and those with front preload adj, and clipons and the later models had upright bars and no adj , so the amounts of oild differ from what i remem.

 

Oil level is meassured from the top of the tube with the fork spring removed and the leg
fully compressed:
Oil levels from top rim
UK EK to EM models, all US models = 99mm
UK EN toEY models = 105mm
UK K1 models onward = 91mm ... says Haynes...

 

hope that helps fella

 

btw the reg/rectifier units are notorious for going tits up on these so if you have some charging issues, gimme a shout as i have a spare working unit from k4 . I picked u a new one from a wrecked k6 bike with 5k on the clock from the states with some other bits real cheap.

 

Given the difference in available space, i'm thinking Jimbo isn't compressed

135mm = a tad over 5" - average travel for a RWU'er

 

Yes have joined but waiting for a mod to authorise me.

 

Have pushed the tube down as far as it will go.

 

Yup did it with the fork spring removed and leg compressed, well sitting at bottom of travel anyway

 

This one is nearer what I thought, i.e. put the spring in but the Manual definately says without the spring! Iam totally flumoxed???

 

put a spring in and measure the gap, if it matches assume a mistype. Test and confirm on the road

 

ok is that a haynes manual?

 

Yes matey

 

My thoughts as well but what damage, if any could occur if I over fill?

 

poss pop the seal if put under sufficient load

 

i havea suzuki service manual and it states 377ml for that year too so rigth amount, athough it reckons air gap is 99mm