I'm planning to remove the front forks on the bike (zr-7s) to replace the old fork oil with fresh oil.

But I don't have the proper allen bolt sockets.
Would someone be kind enough to check the allen bolt size for the front axle?
Also, if possible, the size of the smaller locking bolts for the front axle?

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I'm also curious about the fork upper clamp bolts and fork lower clamp bolts sizes.

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Does anyone know the torque specs for the front axle bolts--I can't seem to find it anywhere in the service manual.
The torque specs for the all the clamp bolts are specified at 14 ft.lb, but apparently, there is no torque spec for the axle bolt itself, or maybe I'm blind

I think I found the torque specs for the front axle. It's 72 ft.lb
It wasn't in the suspension chap (chap 11) but is under General Information section 1-11.

I think off memory that the axle bolts are 12mm and the locking bolts are 5 or 6mm. I will check when I get home from work. The most important torque is the one for the fork clamps. Not enough and the forks will slip through after a big bump in the road. Too much and you can crush the fork tube.

12mm for the axle and 6mm for the locking bolts.

Thanks Wado!

I'm surprised that there are only 3 clamp bolts for the fork tubes on each side (one for the upper yoke/clamp and two for the lower yoke/clamp). There's a lot of weight for 3 clamp bolts to hold...

Originally Posted by zr7_interloper

Thanks Wado!

I'm surprised that there are only 3 clamp bolts for the fork tubes on each side (one for the upper yoke/clamp and two for the lower yoke/clamp). There's a lot of weight for 3 clamp bolts to hold...

It's the thickness of the clamps that are the key to supporting the bike. Why not upgrade the forks while your at it

Sounds tempting...
When I first got the bike (feb 2011), the springs and oil in the forks probably had not been changed for years. I took it out for a high speed run over some questionable roads and blew out the fork oil seals. When I limped the bike back home, found that the fork inner tubes had been scratched badly. So after spending a bundle on new springs, new fork inner tubes and mechanic's fees, I find it hard to justify any more expense on the front suspension at least for a while

Just curious, how much did you pay for the fork inner tubes?

At the time when I needed the forks, I couldn't find any on Ebay.
I wasn't sure what other bikes' forks were interchangeable with the zr-7's.

My mechanic ordered them from Kawasaki. I think they were aroud $130 or thereabouts for each inner fork tube.

Wow, I was quoted alot more than that. That's a part of the reason I did the fork upgrade. Just keep your eye out for a cheap set on ebay.

Is there a list of front forks that are a simple swap with the ZR-7?

How to build a ZR-7e(s)

The above link provides information on the 2 easiest fork upgrades you can too. It details the fitment of a ZZR600/ZX6E fork or the better ZX6R(f) fork. A great side effect of the fork upgrade is that the brakes are upgraded as well

Depending on your time, budget and a little bit of engineering almost any fork can be made to fit.

To be honest the upgrade to the ZX6R(f) fork is more than enough for everyday riding. Put in race tech springs matched to your weight and it's perfect. Just make sure your rear shock is in reasonable condition, the rear has a massive effect on what the front is doing. If you pogo over bumps then your rear shock is shagged. Do the rear shock first then the forks, or both at the same time. Both at the same time is good because it feels like a new bike when you first ride it

easy shock upgrade!

The above link has information on a cheap shock upgrade.