411 Drops of Fork Fluid

This past Sunday's Pachaug rock pile ride with the custom-blended thinner fork oil went pretty well.
This is because, for the first time since I started riding the WR-250FP on the first weekend of this past August, the front fork finally shows a willingness to move enough when hitting all those sharp and pesky bumps out on the trail.
The thin fluid in the forks is now about a 2.5 wt instead of the original 5 wt, and thin fluid means the hydraulic damping on compression will be reduced.
It was quite a difference and a welcomed improvement.
Even with a well-worn rear tire, I was regaining some of my lost confidence through the rocky sections where the stock fork did not work to my satisfaction, and that was a good feeling.
With two new tires, things would feel even better, and for the time being, at least, I will run the fork with this fluid inside of it.

This is not a perfect and final solution, however, as I believe only internal revalving mods will be a final solution.
The reason is that thin fluid also reduces hydraulic damping in the other direction:
Rebound damping.
Where the reduced compression feels like it's just what the doctor ordered, rebound damping now feels a bit too light, meaning the fork bounces back a little too easily.
Thank God it is at least acceptable due to the average speeds on the Pachaug enduro loop being less than quasar (to cop a term from Jody Weisel from Motocross Action Magazine).
If the trails were more like my favorite whoops-through-the-pine-needled-woods section, the faster rebound would be more of a problem.
But, then again, the stock fork performance on that section was just fine and dandy.
So, at least for now, I'm sticking with this latest compromise - it is an improvement in overall action and satisfaction.

As of right now, the rear shock is at Nasin Machine for another routine fluid change, something that suspension guys recommend you do after so many hours of use.
To be honest, the main reason I chose to get that done this week is not because I've logged so many hours since it was initially serviced (this past August), but because I have the feeling the Honda HP 5 wt fluid I chose (because I had some left over from the Honda CRF-450X9 handy at home) is a little bit too heavy with the cooler weather we get this time of year.
The feeling on the bike is as if the oil seems thicker in cooler weather, and this jives with what I read on suspension fluid viscosity comparison charts.
So, I'm having Tom at Nasin Machine put some of the recommended fluid in there:
Kayaba K2C shock fluid, which is a bit thinner at cooler temperatures.
Funny, how a Kayaba shock will be getting Kayaba shock fluid, eh?
I probably should have done that from the start.
Now I know.
Actually, I knew that decades ago, but, I guess I had a moment.  :)

The shit weather forecast for the weekend looks like an on-and-off rainy one.
I'm hoping that they are as wrong about that as they were as wrong about yesterday's forecast, where it was supposed to be sunny and it rained and drizzled all day.

-John