The Hodaka Club Forum

Is there away to measure the amount of oil in the forks to see if it needs oil added? That is without disassembly of the front forks?

The front end of the Road Toad, all of a sudden, went spongy & I need to see if it lost oil. Is there a measurement from the top of the fork tube which can tell me whether it’s low or not?

And how do I know if a new seal is blown? Thanks in advance! Victor

Resonator V2-25 covers the subject.
If you have a blown seal it will announce itself with a mess of oil everywhere. Even a slight seepage will be obvious.

Well the Resonator covered 34mm forks but not 30mm. So it’s remove wheel, drain, measure & refill time..... oh well..... Victor

You may already be headed in the following direction . . . but I recommend taking a "dipstick measurement" of oil depth over the top of the damper rod with:
1) Forks fully extended
2) Springs still in the forks

With that measurement, all that will be needed at a later date is to prop up the machine, pop one fork cap at a time and check the dipstick oil depth. (no need to pull the spring to check) Re-cap the fork leg, then check the other one.

Ed

On the same theme, is the fork seal supposed to seat all the way against the stop in the seal nut? I whanged on it with a seal driver with about as much granuch as I felt prudent but couldn't get it to bottom out. Of note, they are now roughly at the same depth as their predecessors were. They are the seals without the steel band. I installed them dry per recommendations. I'm working on an 01 Dirt Squirt. Thank you.

The article in the Resonator doesn’t cover the 30mm forks just the 34mm. I was hoping to find level info for the 30mm. May be time for another Technical Tip article.....

I saw the green stake you used. I’ll try something like that. Maybe I can measure one of the other bikes I know is full and get a reading that way to determine if the Toad is low. It just seems, all of a sudden to feel spongy & collapses too easily. Victor

Question? Is there a way to drain the forks without removing the wheel & axle? I wish there was a drain screw... Victor

There is a drain screw. It is one the outside of the lower legs, just above where the bottom is welded on.