With riding weather fast approaching it's time to think about changing your fork oil. "Well", you might say, "I didn't ride that much last year, so it's OK." Therein lies the issue. You need to change your fork oil not because the fluid is "worn out", but because water tends to collect in all closed areas that don't get heated.

For instance, we don't need to be concerned about water in the final drive, because it gets hot enough to "cook off" any water that may be present. Water can come from general bike washing or from condensation. What ever the source, it can't get out without being drained or heated.

I generally recommend you use a synthetic "fork oil" rather than ATF or other common mineral oils. The synthetic will stretch the life of your internal components, a lot of which are no longer sold by BMW. There are lots of good synthetic fork oils available, but if you have no experience in this area, then one of the best brands is Bel-Ray.

► You'll find that 7W or 8W is offered for forks that where ATF was originally specified. This is great on S-type bikes with flat bars because the long stroke front end will absorb all the shock that would otherwise go into your shoulders.

► If your riding position is a little more upright, then you might try 10W for better control when loaded or riding 2-up.

Most of these synthetic oils are sold by the liter, meaning you can get 2 fork oil changes from one bottle. If you are in doubt as to how to accurately measure the liquid, then I suggest a 69 cent plastic baby bottle.

Hope this helps.