Hello, so recently my bike started leaking some oil from the left fork. I took it to the dealer but they charge ridiculous prices for labor (not counting the parts). So I kinda wanted to ask for some general advice, precautions or do's and dont's, ect.... before proceeding to buy the parts and doing it myself. Also if you guys could help me find some cheap but good parts (Including suspension oil, i don't even know what type it uses). Thanks in advance, I appreciate any help from anyone. ~Cheers
you may not have to replace the seal just because it leaks. Often there's dirt under the seal that can be removed with simple tools. https://rideapart.com/articles/easy-fork-seal-repair
You know what, I was told the same thing by someone else, I might look into that as well, fork feels fine, no stiff or leaking too much oil. Thank you guys!
You may also be able to get non-OEM seals a little cheaper--Check with Halls Cycle, that's where i bough mine a while back. Also, you might buy a pair of these Kriega fork seal covers: https://shop.revzilla.com/motorcycle/kriega-fork-seal-covers Had two bad seals on the same fork, one replaced under warranty, the other I did myself. Since putting the Kriega socks on I've done triple the mileage (on far dirtier terrain) with no fork seal work.
Thanks, Next ill look into to it.. *Update* So I ended up only buying the seals for 1 fork, Costed me around $107 plus the oil, I took it to a shop in Mexico (recommended by a few bikers) and they charged me $40 for the seals and oi replacement, BUT , they told me my Forks (the chrome part) was already damaged and needed to be replaced in a couple months (5-6). So theres that now. Guess that solves the issue for now ill. Hopefully I don't need to buy a whole new suspension. Thanks everyone for the help.
I had my local motorcycle shop (service and accessories only, no bike sales and not affiliated with any brand) replace a leaking fork seal on my Terra about 12 months ago. He just used after-market seals made for 46mm Yamaha fork. I can't recall whether he replaced the dust cap or refitted the OEM.
You should be fine with reusing the dust caps. Some fork socks are definitely a better investment than new dust covers.
It would sure be good to know what Yamaha fork that seal came from. Any way you can find out from him?
Be careful on the fork seal covers. If you don't clean them out frequently the dirt that gets trapped in the seal cover starts to act like an abrasive and wears on the sliding tubes. A few guys that used them on Stelvios for longer periods had fork tube wear from not cleaning them. Personally I think I'd only use them if I was looking at some really muddy conditions. I have a set I bought for my Stelvio but don't use them much out here in the very dry west.
Unless the damage on the sliders is really deep they can be sanded down and made to look like brand new. This is part of the normal service we do at Zip-Ty. Not pushing our service, it's just important you know the "industry standard" so you don't drop a bunch of money into something you might not need. Plus, if they are that bad, then the seals will start to weep pretty soon in the same spot and you should be able to easily see the damage if you put the bike on a stand that allows the forks to drop all the way down.
