125-200cc ding in fork tube

There is a dent running cross ways on my fork leg (approx 0.5 - 1mm deep). Looked inside and there is a subtle flat spot (looks worse from the outside). Is this in a position that will mess with the action of the internals - or is it out of harm's way?

Also, I just bought the bike - the frame numbers are on black strips that got masked off from the white frame paint (see bottom pic). Is this how they are from the factory, or is a re-spray?

Thanks for any thoughts.

The way the frame number is painted it is the way it came. The dent if not that bad should be fine .

remove spring, slowly compress the inner leg, watch for it hitting anything or any sings of stiction. if its not stiction free do not ride it if it slides smooth and nothing including the spring comes close to the ding inside you can run until you get a new one. that's a pretty bad smack and i'd replace it ASAP.

I would say the dent could be a problem with possible binding inside. If you over torque your pinch bolts you can cause binding of the forks. The only good thing is it is at the top.

Thanks guys. Not looking great - I took out the spring and slid up the fork tube. It binds with 70mm to go before the axle clamp end reaches the outer tube wiper. I'm guessing that 70mm is usable travel.

would be crappy if you hit a big kicker, and one of your fork tubes compressed and stuck on landing, while the other one was trying to rebound.

Thinking out loud, maybe you could , very gently, insert a pipe expander, like from a muffler shop, and ease it back out? Might give it a little, very little, heat too?

Inverting the tube and filling just that spot with water and freezing it, like an exhaust pipe, might work too, but you lose some control that way. I think I'd want to have the wrench in my hand turning the expander.

I would recommend replacing the tube, and getting over it. You trust your life to that forktube. Above and beyound all the relevant recommendations about stiction and binding, the structure of the forktube has been compromised. The circle is the strongest geometrical shape. Your forkleg is no longer a circle in that area. While it is unlikely, it is many times more probable that it could fracture-fail, or fail by kinking, than an unmolested one. A new leg will cost less than a few missed workdays, a trip for x-rays, or a stay at the hospital. Always Error on the side of caution!

Yes definitely my school of thought. My other option is to use a set of newly prepped Showa 49mm conventional forks that I have on my other bike. They're from the 98 RM125, twin cartridge and a great fork. The triple is the same offset as the WR and would just need a stem machined to adapt them.

Are you racing SX/MX or trails? I'd still pop it out and keep an eye on it unless massive hits were in the cards. I had a set of WP CC on a 505 that got raced in MX with a nice scar right in that same spot from a first corner scuffle. I never gave it second thought and I'm sure it was missing half the thickness there.

Always better to be safe, but if you aren't out smashing big triples...

You a gambling man?

It would only take one incident that was "unexpected" for that fork to bind up, and possibly throw you off, resulting in god knows what...

What fork is that?

45mm Zoke....48mm Kayaba....50mm Zoke?

Well, since I ride bikes I guess I am! I've also bent back rim dents and just watched them after a few races, bent back handlebars that got crashed and even raced a fork with leaky seals! I live on the edge!

I'm seeing a dimpled dent, not a crushed, twisted tube. If he is trail riding it, well, there are riders on far worse condition bikes and suspensions doing just fine. Pop it out, watch it and keep an ear for a used tube in the mean time. If he is hucking major leg swag over Cesar's Fountains, then yeah, replace it first.

50mm Marzocchi, open cartridge type.

I'm more likely to use full travel due to 'unpolished' riding technique on the trail rather than landing triples. Riding into holes and trees has taken years of practice.

I'm asking if you were able to smooth that ding back out, not ride it as is. I'd not be too concerned about the tube failing in those circumstances. I wouldn't ride it as is either.

I'd pop it out if I could.

Too bad you are in NZ..I'm sure I could find a extra tube.

No worries about location - even with shipping it's got to work out cheaper than buying new from Marzocchi agent. If you had one spare could you let me know how much you'd want for it. Thanks.