Fork oil level vs volume GS650GLD

[Guest]

I am wondering if anyone else experiences the same major discrepancy. Every two years I take the forks apart to service. Since i TOTALLY EMPTY THE TUBES, I only measure the ammount of oil 228 ml per Suzuki manual for the GLZ., and go on my merry way. Today, after I cut the springs and going for the normal cleanning procedure, decided to use the squirt bottle top method of leveling the oil.

1. reassembled the forks.
2. poured 228 ml of oil each.
3. pumped a few times and left the tube all the way at the bottom.
4. measure the straw length to 248 ml, per manual.
5. pumped away to the preassigned level.

I am puzzle, is it normal to pump almost 50 ml back out? The exact same amount came back out from both tubes. Should I just put back the oil and go by volume, I am effectively left with about 180 ml instead of 228. Give me your opinions on what to do.

BTW, yes, I did it with out the spring as per the manual, and I took 5 coils of the original spring hoping to eliminate the need for air, since I have not mastered the process of putting 15 lbs of air evenly in both tubes

[Richsuz]

NO ONE with an opinion or comment on expererience? How do I know I have too little or too much oil?

[apopleptic]

Most important is that they are even.
Not sure about which which you would be better going by though, volume or fluid depth. I would go with what you had been doing unless there was a problem.

[bwringer]

Oil level is what's important.

Oil amount is irrelevant.

You may have air in the forks. If you had the forks completely apart, make sure you pump them slowly several times after dumping in fork oil until bubbles stop coming up.

[Nessism]

This whole "how much oil" business is irrelevant as Brian says, the only thing that's important is that the damper rods are covered and the level between right and left is reasonably close. There is trapped air in the forks when the caps are installed, and this trapped air is compressed when the forks compress, which provides some extra cushioning effect to ward off bottoming. Just get the oil level close and worry not.

[Richsuz]

great, I will leave it at 178 ml then. I am reasonably sure that the level is the same with. If I bottom out in the next few rides, I will add the oil back. Thanks