Fork seals gone in <1000 miles?

[Snorty]

Got my forks done last September. Done a handful of ride outs on them. Not even 1000 miles, got oil all over my front wheel and disc now.

Is it reasonable to expect garage to look FOC?
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[STONEY!]

I would think that due to the time your pretty much out of luck, still worth a try though!

any wear/pitting on the forks?
been doing any wheelies lately? (looking at profile pic lol)

I would try it on nicely at first, see how it goes from there.

[Ste]

You're a 200kg fatty?

[stinkwheel]

Did they replace the bushes?

If there's no pitting, you probably need new bushings.

Or you could try scraping out any dust out from under the seal with a bit of margarine tub lid. They sometimes leak because there's dust and muck trapped under the seal.
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“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.

[Snorty]

I paid £212 for the forks servicing including the bushes and everything else which was fucked inside.

This also included setting the forks and rear shock to my weight.

I got it done last year and put the bike away, I've been out on it on a handful of rides, I'd be surprised if it even reached close to 1,000 miles. (Was supposed to be ready for summer!)

There's no pitting on the forks, and I'm not a 200kg fatty, just a 95kg one.

I've lost so much oil out of the forks I think they're going to need doing again now anyway...

Can forks go from braking too hard? (No intentional wheelies since that last pic ).

Now I have no working bikes after some twat tried stealing my ZX9 and pushed it over!
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Iain.]

Genuine seals or cheapo pattern ones?

Seal clips can go rusty and fail causing the seal to pop out - happened on my Bandit.

Wheelies damage fork seals quickly if you smack it down too hard. Bushings, pitting etc as listed above.

[MarkJ]

Try scraping any muck out like stinkwheel said, an old camera film negative can be used too.

Also some bikes have low stiction seals which can dry out so it could be that. The Ohlins forks on the RSV were notorious for this, if a bike was put away for winter you had to bounce the forks every few weeks in your garage/shed to keep the seals supple. I think some companies make some grease for keeping seals supple, could try that?

[Eddie Hitler]

First set I ever replaced a few years back fucked up 20 miles down the road due to poor fitting on my part, didn't seat them properly and was too soft on hammering them down. Could well be the same has happened, although 1000 miles would suggest something else? Only way to be sure though is replacing them again, if it continues.

[Snorty]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11102857_10155284532740332_3894721205255102413_n.jpg?oh=6458b723571df40b9faf283b6e47db01&oe=55BE7796&__gda__=1438510835_95f925f0ac7e664675f77161f769c5a0

https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11070175_10155284532590332_5727934518610271811_n.jpg?oh=56f97fac589452fc2f563657787c4491&oe=5576223C

Who wants to have a go on my front brake lever? This picture was taken after wiping down the forks, brakes and wheel, then taken for a 3 mile journey at very low speed.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Snorty]

Came back to my bike to find the front wheel with a pool of oil sat on top and around it...

Definitely leaking fast because that's not from riding it!

Work was done in September, bike has done <700 miles as I know what the odo reading was now.

Took it to garage, luckily he took my word that I haven't been smashing it or done many miles (avatar pic was before I realised cost of fork seal replacement ).

Happy days considering it's almost 7 months later

Slowest ride of my life to the garage, only the centre line on the front tyre was oil-less. Probably hit 15mph max
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Polarbear]

Good that the garage is repairing you forks. Shouldn't matter how hard you ride the bike, it still shouldn't leak.

I would guess thay must have damaged the seal fitting it for that to happen.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[P.addy]

Triples fork seals are still sealing despite numerous single wheel incidents, so wouldn't put it down to that unless badly fitted anyway. Nice of them to sort it for you

[Tritey]

My ZZR seals went. I invested a fiver (may be a couple of quid more now) in one of those seal tools. Brilliant, worked first go. No more leak and I saved a fortune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wlzfoVroSY

You can also use camera film as mentioned earlier in the thread.

[covent.gardens]

This is something I'm struggling with, my seals need doing for the third time in 3 years. There's some pitting but I did the araldite trick and sanded, so the forks are actually smooth-as now. Can't understand why I only get 5k - 6k from them. The problem starts with noticing black powdery remnants on the forks (presumably the seal wearing away) then soon after that I get a leak. Would the "bouncing up and down" every few weeks to keep the seals wet, apply to the seals in a CB500? Because this time and maybe on previous occasions they did start to go on the first few rides after being not used for ages.

[MarJay]

[Rogerborg]

[Tritey]

Yes but to cut an Irn bru plastic bottle you need a water cooled angle grinder with diamond tipped cutting discs. Made of proper stuff see...

[0l0dom0l0]

Simple answer to this.

Never, ever, ever under any circumstances use non oem oil Seals. It's just not worth the hassle.
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.