Forking Mystery Oil

[speedrattle]

i race, and i am not a team. but when i am at the racetrack, everything i do is focused on going faster. i cut a lot of corners to make a bit more speed.

i am currently the fastest in my class by less than 1.5 mph, so whatever i can do to husband that speed is important.

thiis philosophy stuff is not really germaine to fork oil, bui i do 135 mph on 20W50 motor oil in sort-of stock 1970s triumph forks.

 

[sikatri]

i race, and i am not a team. but when i am at the racetrack, everything i do is focused on going faster. i cut a lot of corners to make a bit more speed.

i am currently the fastest in my class by less than 1.5 mph, so whatever i can do to husband that speed is important.

thiis philosophy stuff is not really germaine to fork oil, bui i do 135 mph on 20W50 motor oil in sort-of stock 1970s triumph forks.

Didn’t mean to imply a talented individuals couldn’t do the same as a race team. My point was that the average motorcycle owner is not in your league or a team’s league.

 

[speedrattle]

Didn’t mean to imply a talented individuals couldn’t do the same as a race team. My point was that the average motorcycle owner is not in your league or a team’s league.

no no i understand

but anybody can test, and what works for you is more important than any shop manual recommendation. on forks, try the factory recommendation first. then maybe try tractor hydraulic fluid. then ATF, then different weights of motor oil. then marvel mystery oil, or sperm whale blubber. or olive oil.

the right answer is only a few tests away, typically, and the reward is something that works really well, for you.

there are no rules in tuning except to test and find whatever works best. it is a super rewarding process with no down side.

 

[speedrattle]

maybe its worth adding a bit more?

when youre looking at factory recommendations on our machines, there are three things to remember. first, the recommendations are for average machines in average use. second, the tuning recommendations are for british conditions and british use. third, they are old recommendations.

none of these things may apply anymore. take ignition timing, maybe full advance of 38 btdc at around, what, 2500 rpm with springs? maybe thats perfect, but do you live at the same elevation as the meriden factory? if you live in denver, at 5000 feet, the 38 degree figure can be advanced some to recover a bit of horsepiwer, maybe to 39 or 40. if your machine is worn and has lost compression, advancing the spark may band-aid some of the power loss.

if you have added high compression pistons or a less restrictive exhaust, maybe you should retard the spark a little. the same goes if you are running modern low octane fuel. the old figure of 38 may be too advanced.

you can guess about all this, or just go to a quiet road with a friend and a stopwatch, and measure the changes. it only takes a morning's testing to see for sure what works and what doesnt. im always testing stuff- jets, timing, different carbs, different types and lengths of exhaust. sometimes you discover that what the factory recommended is still the best way, and sometimes you discover that changing things doesnt matter. but sometimes you find advantages.

 

[grandpaul]

...then marvel mystery oil, or sperm whale blubber. or olive oil.

the right answer is only a few tests away, typically, and the reward is something that works really well, for you.

there are no rules in tuning except to test and find whatever works best. it is a super rewarding process with no down side.

Ummmmm.... I can think of one downside to using olive oil in an ICE...

 

[speedrattle]

Ummmmm.... I can think of one downside to using olive oil in an ICE...

what about castor oil? peoples still swear by that stuff. the japanese used fish oil in their hydraulic shocks tbrough tbe 70s, at least.

until recent decades sperm whale oil was an ingredient in ATF. its still a premium lubricant in mechanical watches i think. probably hard to get except from japan or norway

i would recommend caution with olive oil though. much of the stuff is counterfeit these days, and is actually canola

lol