why do RS use 0-30w oil?

[nathanm]

or should all companies be doing this.

Couldn't you just use a fixed weight for the lower legs?

 

[Calvin27]

I thought most people just use motor oil?

 

[pink poodle]

To increase the likelihood that you by their service products.

 

[nathanm]

I thought most people just use motor oil?

they may well be similar/same, but personally for the sake of $20 I'm happy to buy something made specifically for the operating temps/performance of a mtb fork that requires replacement every 50 hours as opposed to an oil made for vehicle operation requiring replacement every 10000 kilometres.

 

[Daniel Hale]

they are using motorbike engine oil, 30w is quite thin, 0 means it has a decent viscosity at 0deg..they don’t want it sludgening..apparently derives from Maxima Ultra 0w30 ester synthetic motorbike engine oil, 3wt susp fluid has roughly same characteristics, i just use whatever low weight moto susp fluid i get my hands on, something with low iso number

 

[Flow-Rider]

they may well be similar/same, but personally for the sake of $20 I'm happy to buy something made specifically for the operating temps/performance of a mtb fork that requires replacement every 50 hours as opposed to an oil made for vehicle operation requiring replacement every 10000 kilometres.

Engine oil works a lot harder than fork lower leg oil, you wouldn't see anywhere near the loads or the temperatures. The temperatures at what fork oil is rated at is different from brand to brand anyway.

 

[moorey]

You can buy large bottles from moto shops for 1/10 of the price. Harley’s use it, but virtually nothing else.

 

[nathanm]

but why do they use specifically an oil that has a 0 winter weight? Surely the fork doesn't need a lower viscosity on cold start up? Shirley they could just use a std 5/10/15 weight oil in the lowers like they have before, or is this another stupid standard?

Also why do you have to buy 125/250/500/1000ml of a product you only need to use 10/15/20ml off ffs. I've got 975 ml of left over 15wt oil already.

 

[moorey]

Also why do you have to buy 125/250/500/1000ml of a product you only need to use 10/15/20ml off ffs. I've got 975 ml of left over 15wt oil already.

Because what a crock selling in tiny bottles each time.
Wasteful packaging for something that needs doing pretty regularly.

 

[Calvin27]

but why do they use specifically an oil that has a 0 winter weight? Surely the fork doesn't need a lower viscosity on cold start up? Shirley they could just use a std 5/10/15 weight oil in the lowers like they have before, or is this another stupid standard?

Maybe the whole fork was designed with low viscosity to start with. Unlike a car engine, the lower number probably has more importance than the higher number as most of the time fork oil is not going to be near 100 degrees C.

 

[nathanm]

Because what a crock selling in tiny bottles each time.
Wasteful packaging for something that needs doing pretty regularly.

I disagree. it would make more sense to at least have a single use product (like in a syringe so you don't have to buy that too) for infrequent users, therefore you don't have the actual oil itself going to waste. At a minimum you're looking at 6x services so 2-3 years worth for me.

it more seems they are selling it in shop amounts to discourage home mechanics.

 

[Flow-Rider]

I disagree. it would make more sense to at least have a single use product (like in a syringe so you don't have to buy that too) for infrequent users, therefore you don't have the actual oil itself going to waste. At a minimum you're looking at 6x services so 2-3 years worth for me.

it more seems they are selling it in shop amounts to discourage home mechanics.

Use the 2 stroke oil syringes without the rubber seal, the thumb-pull ring ends up snapping off but you can bolt a flat piece of ally or steel to the end of the plunger and they last for years. Rockshox also sell 120ml bottles.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/hoppy-hoppy-oil-mixing-syringe/106746.html#q=Syringe&start=1

 

[moorey]

I disagree. it would make more sense to at least have a single use product (like in a syringe so you don't have to buy that too) for infrequent users, therefore you don't have the actual oil itself going to waste. At a minimum you're looking at 6x services so 2-3 years worth for me.

it more seems they are selling it in shop amounts to discourage home mechanics.

So...waste a syringe each time too. Worse than @Haakon

Buy 125mm (I buy by the litre), a 50c syringe, and put it on the shelf to last you years.

 

[moorey]

I don’t see how selling it in 125mm, when you use 20 a service, plus some to soak in the foam rings, is discouraging the home mechanics.

 

[Haakon]

So...waste a syringe each time too. Worse than @Haakon

Buy 125mm (I buy by the litre), a 50c syringe, and put it on the shelf to last you years.

What did I miss?

 

[Haakon]

Motorcycle shop for damper oil, any decent synthetic car motor oil for the lowers.

 

[moorey]

What did I miss?

Killing the environment as usual.

 

[moorey]

Would only be an shitchunt act if they specified some proprietary oil that could solely be bought off them at $50 for 20ml. Otherwise, I seriously don’t understand the problem.

 

[Haakon]

Killing the environment as usual.

Oh right. Stupid environment, it knows what it did....

 

[Daniel Hale]

Stupid environment, it knows what it did....

let humans breed