1987 CR500 suspension refreshing

[MX500]

My 87 CR500 is all stock, all original. The fork seals are starting to seep and it rides a bit low in the stroke (probably due to low oil volume). The forks are super soft, maybe a bit too soft. I'm getting within 4 inches of bottoming out just from hauling ass on smooth dirt hills... The rear seems fine, but is a little bit rough over choppy high speed bumps. It is definately out of balance, the front just seems too soft and the rear end it a bit too stiff. I'm 6'1" about 185 with riding gear on. I think I'm about on the border of needing heavier fork springs.

Has anyone on here tried the speed sensitive oil from http://www.smartperformanceinc.com/ ?

My friend with a YZ250 loves this oil and swears by it, but I'd like the opinion of more "normal" riders, because my friend is a much faster rider than myself. I prefer just trail riding and hillclimbs, I'm almost never on a motocross track.

I can get the forks and shock revalved for my weight and riding style and rebuilt for ~$500 from smart performance, or I could just rebuild them myself and install the speed sensitive oil. Which would you guys go with?

[Tharrell]

Your springs are probably sacked.
Face it, they're old.
If you're not on a track you probably want a soft ride but not sacked.
Have you tried just adding a little air?
You can put a couple of pounds in and it makes a big difference.
I can't find a free length measurement in the manual for the fork springs.
The oil will affect the speed of action for the most part.
If it were me, I would experiment with a little heavier oil and air pressure.
If I were racing it, yeah I'd send it out and spend the money.

[87CR500Rider]

The forks are easy to rebuild. I'd order the springs (for your weight), bushings and seals since they're all probably worn out. Those forks deliver a pretty sweet ride when setup correctly.