CG125 Fork seals

[deleted111]

I got my CG back in August with the intention of doing it up for when I get my CBT.

I got my CBT yesterday, and now I'm looking at sorting the forks out on the bike.

They're dead. No oil, fork seals are well and truly shag*ed.

Is it possible for me to take the forks apart and fit new seals and oil myself?

Really can't afford to pay through the nose for a bike garage to do it.

Any help/guidance greatly appreciated.



Cheers in advance,
Steve.

[deleted111]

My bike is a 99 model.

Would these be okay to use?

Do I need any sort of specialist tools or with a bit of guidance is it do'able in my garage next sunday afternoon?

Not planning on getting dust seals as my bike's never had them, and it's got gaiters.

Cheers

[stinkwheel]

It's perfectly do-able but can be a bit of a fiddle.

I'm not exactly sure howe CG forks are arranged, the most difficult bit is usually taking out the bolt that goes up through the bottom of the fork (under where the wheel spindle is now). The bit it's bolted to is free to turn so you land up turning the whole lot instead of undoing the bolt.

That said, I'm by no means certain this is the arrangement in a CG. Smaller bikes sometimes just have the whole lot simply pushed together, you just take the circlip out from above the seal and batter them apart. I'd need to see an exploded diagram to see what the arrangement is.

The important thing is that the stanchion is in good nick. If it's all pitted/rusty, the new seals will fail too.

Usually the only special tool you need is a bit of pipe that's wider than the stanchion and narrower than the outside of the seal to drive the new seals in with.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Digit]

The first piece of advice I'd give anyone in this position is simple, buy a manual!
The exploded drawings will help familiarise you with the internal workings, then any info from the board will also make more sense.

Roy.
____________________
Happy daze!

[pepperami]

[salty21]

did the fork seals on my cg yesterday, easiest fork seal change i have ever done, mainly due to the lack of bushes in cg forks, this means you can change the seals with the leg out, doesnt get much easier than that.

just undo the 6mm allen bolt on the bottom of the fork leg (you may have to do this with the spring still in as the damper rod may just spin with the bolt without the pressure of the spring holding it.
Then undo the top bolt and remove all the oil and internals taking note of the order (not that there are many bits in a cg fork). separate the fork and swap the seals.

put everything back in the same order it came out and top up with oil, i found if you fully compress the fork leg and insert the spring then the oil level should be roughly 10mm from the top.
____________________
04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[deleted111]

Cheers for the input guys.

I do infact have a Haynes manual for my bike but it is for the 76-78 model (I think). Definitely cracking on 2 decades out of date, but will this tell me how to do them sufficiently?

Will go scout for the manual and report back!



Cheers,
Steve

[blurredman]

my haynes manual for my CG is years 78-06.

Where'd you get yours from ?
____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 52k.

[deleted111]

Haha. Mine came with the bike, the previous owner never rode it from what I've gathered, but was just a tinkering man.

Bike needed sorting, he sorted it partially but then gave up on it and sold it because it didn't fit in with the old Brit bikes in his garage.

Found the manual, just seeing what it has to say about the forks now.

Anybody know of any online manuals if this turns out to be crap?

Cheers!

[WildGoose]

How do you solve the problem of the spinny bit spinning when you are trying to undo the bottom bolt? I am about to have this fun myself.

Also, how do you tighten it back up again when you are putting them back together?
____________________
So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[pepperami]

you two can swear and curse and then come back on here and tell us how you did it , with lots of pics
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[salty21]

[TimNorwich]

When I had my 2005 CG project I paid £100 for some almost new forks off eBay, I'm sure because your bike is older you could find 2 forks for a fraction of what I paid.
____________________
Speedshite 50cc > Honda XR125L > Kawasaki GPZ 500 S > 02 Honda Hornet > 05 Honda CG125 winter hack > 04 Kawasaki ER-5 > 99 Honda Hornet 600 > Kawasaki GPZ 500 S > 99 Honda Hornet 600 > 05 Honda CBR600F > 01 Honda Hornet

[deleted111]

I'll have a look on eBay man, but cost is my major concern.

Trying to spend as little as possible, so I was hoping that I'd only have to buy seals and oil, bringing the grand sum to <£20.

But if I find it overly difficult to do, I'll definitely consider buying newer forks.

Cheers,
Steve.

[stinkwheel]

[Teflon-Mike]

Get the correct manual, they made a lot of changes to the CG over the years.
But in the meantime, this may help. Wrote a How-To on the topic doing snowies CB125.
HOW To: Overhaul the front forks / Replace fork Seals

Yes, undo, or at least just loosen, the damper rod bolts in the bottom of the slider before either undoing the yoke clamps or the stansion caps. Remove stansion caps and springs before undoing joke clamps and dropping the legs out, to give you purchase to undo stuff!
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[salty21]

[N cee thirty]

i've got a pdf manual up to 1993 i think,i'll send it you if you want
____________________
'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[deleted111]

Cheers for the help guys.

Gonna order my seals and oil on friday I think, when I get paid.

Will start taking the bits apart when I get home today.

Rob mate that'd be awesome if you could fella, thanks
want me to PM you my email?

Cheers,
Steve.

[N cee thirty]

yerr go on
____________________
'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[deleted111]

PM sent

Won't be able to have a look at it until I get home but cheers man.



Steve.

[map]

If you're stuck the this site offers some advice. Look in the Servicing, Suspension and the Winter Riding, Fork Gaiters sections.

I'm sure you've already found the pdf manual for 1977 to 1991 CG125 models (click here). Might give a few pointers, I doubt they've changed radically.
____________________
...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[pepperami]

[deleted111]

Okay this is more challenging than I initally expected.

I've not yet ordered the seals or the oil, I just wanted to pull the forks apart ready for when I did.

I've just been out to the garage with the intention of pulling the forks apart to bring inside to work on, as it's warmer and I can't feel my bloody fingers in the garage.

ANYWAY, I took the front wheel out, no problem.

Then tried to take the forks out. I've undone one bolt (fairy large thing) on the top yoke which showed me a spring. And a lot of oil dripping on to the floor as a result.

Am I doing something wrong? Or should I remove the springs on both sides? Remove my headlight, indicators etc also?

Cheers

A stumped Steve.

[deleted111]

Also, please see my 2nd post. Those are the seals I'm thinking of ordering this afternoon.

Cheers