Can I ride the bike with oil sweating from one front fork?

[Guest]

I am planning a 2000 kilometer-ish trip, the shop can't get the simmerings before after I'm back. After I ride there is a few drops of oil around the fork leg. So its not leaking a ton.

Is it safe to ride with it? What happens if it runs out of oil?

I am having it fixed, but Id really like to bring my bike on the trip. But obviously if Im going to destroy the suspension or something I will borrow a Yamaha or something.

What do you think?

 

[LAB3]

You'll probably experience wacky feeling steering as the oil continues to leak and chances are your front tire will cup. Fork seals aren't that big a job and shouldn't cost more than $25 in parts and $10 for oil. How much will a new front tire run you?

 

[Guest]

You'll probably experience wacky feeling steering as the oil continues to leak and chances are your front tire will cup. Fork seals aren't that big a job and shouldn't cost more than $25 in parts and $10 for oil. How much will a new front tire run you?

Cost or labour isn't an issue. I think the fork job sounds complicated so I want the shop to do it, the problem is getting the rings here (they said they'll have them by the 8th). I need to hitch a ride over the mountain (possibly icy, bellow freezing), and Ive gotten an offer to go on the 4th.

What do you mean by "will cup?" My tire is Bridgestone Battlax BT45, think they are around 150 usd. Will the oil ruin the tyre or will the tyre deform because of uneven suspension?

 

[Cipher]

People very often ride with leaky seals and one day the leak miraculously stops.
Are actual drops rolling down the fork leg? Or is it a slow seeping leak.

The latter I would take the risk.

 

[Guest]

People very often ride with leaky seals and one day the leak miraculously stops.
Are actual drops rolling down the fork leg? Or is it a slow seeping leak.

The latter I would take the risk.

It is pretty slow. The fork is wet with oil (like a few drops) and the rubber dust-stopper (I assume?) sometimes has a little oil on the back. Its not running down the leg, and it does not appear to get near the rotors. Like, a few drops. I was paying attention to it today and it doesn't seem like a lot.

I will absolutely have them fixed (have an appointment on the 8th), but getting to ride across the country would be great (I need the bike trailered down, because of the ice/snow on the mountain). Sadly I can only get it trailered the 4th. Id have to postpone the fix until after the weekend though (to have time to get back without being exhausted).

I could borrow a modern bike, I have the norweigan equal to tripple a, and I have the time to camp somewhere if I get stranded. But Id much rather have my bike.

 

[RichDesmond]

Put the bike up on the centerstand. Now, inspect the leading edge of the upper fork leg very carefully. Do you see any nicks or dings? If you do, take some extra fine steel wool and lightly buff those dings. Don't need to make them disappear, just knock the rough edges off.
About a 30% chance you can stop the leaking this way.

 

[LAB3]

Swapping seals isn't technically complex but there's a lot of steps involved. Guess my point was doing it yourself. If you have a shelter such as a garage it's worth considering. Adding confidence in the knowledge you can do something you never did before extends far beyond your motorcycle!

Had one bike that leaked to the point where the oil contaminated the brake pads, this was only after 500 miles (About 800km in the sane countries) This left me with a bike that cornered horribly and had almost useless front brakes. Yes, they mysteriously stopped leaking, when the oil was drained out.

 

[ptegsotic]

Put the bike up on the centerstand. Now, inspect the leading edge of the upper fork leg very carefully. Do you see any nicks or dings? If you do, take some extra fine steel wool and lightly buff those dings. Don't need to make them disappear, just knock the rough edges off.
About a 30% chance you can stop the leaking this way.

and how about the flexible thin plastic hook (carved milk container?) that you sneak in between upper fork leg and seal, and do a 360 deg 'scrape' just in case there's a grain of dirt, sand, norwegian basalt, that you can remove? (approx 5% success rate )

 

[LAB3]

Here's a good explanation about tire cupping, they talk about car tires but the same concept applies.

https://www.utires.com/articles/cupped-tires-reasons-repair-prevention-faq/

 

[Guest]

Put the bike up on the centerstand. Now, inspect the leading edge of the upper fork leg very carefully. Do you see any nicks or dings? If you do, take some extra fine steel wool and lightly buff those dings. Don't need to make them disappear, just knock the rough edges off.
About a 30% chance you can stop the leaking this way.

I will definitively try this. Can I take the dust cap off easily? With the forks still attached? I tried screwing it off, but it does not appear to be threaded...

Swapping seals isn't technically complex but there's a lot of steps involved. Guess my point was doing it yourself. If you have a shelter such as a garage it's worth considering. Adding confidence in the knowledge you can do something you never did before extends far beyond your motorcycle!

Had one bike that leaked to the point where the oil contaminated the brake pads, this was only after 500 miles (About 800km in the sane countries) This left me with a bike that cornered horribly and had almost useless front brakes. Yes, they mysteriously stopped leaking, when the oil was drained out.

I would consider swapping them myself usually, my issue now is that all the tools from the garage is gone (my work is moving), and that I won't have the new seals before the shop does. I am confident the next time it needs new seals I will do it myself (but I think they last fairly long).

I have allready ridden 950 kilometers like this, and it still has oil and I haven't noticed any brake issue. I feel the steering is different than the Yamahas Ive been riding, but Im thinking narrow tyres are more likely than odd suspension. The tyres also have snaky patterns in the middle (Battlax BT45).

and how about the flexible thin plastic hook (carved milk container?) that you sneak in between upper fork leg and seal, and do a 360 deg 'scrape' just in case there's a grain of dirt, sand, norwegian basalt, that you can remove? (approx 5% success rate )

This I am apprehensive about trying, Im scared I might increase the problem. Also Id have to use a juice contianer (milk here comes in cardboard).

Here's a good explanation about tire cupping, they talk about car tires but the same concept applies.

https://www.utires.com/articles/cupped-tires-reasons-repair-prevention-faq/

Oh, that is a lot less problematic than I though. I think these tires should be good for about 12 000 km, 2000 km of uneven wear won't make that much of a difference. And when the rear is bald (3mm) Ill replace both (Im not riding while it is snowing with bald tires). In generall I don't trust another persons tires or fluids (never know what happened to the tires, or what fluids they used, when I was young trusting fluids made me kill my Corollas transmission crossing a mountain).

 

[RichDesmond]

I will definitively try this. Can I take the dust cap off easily? With the forks still attached? I tried screwing it off, but it does not appear to be threaded...

You can’t take it off, but you should be able to pry it up. There’s typically a lip on the inside of the dust cap that sits in a groove on the lower fork leg.

 

[bccap]

I am planning a 2000 kilometer-ish trip, the shop can't get the simmerings before after I'm back. After I ride there is a few drops of oil around the fork leg. So its not leaking a ton.

Is it safe to ride with it? What happens if it runs out of oil?

I am having it fixed, but Id really like to bring my bike on the trip. But obviously if Im going to destroy the suspension or something I will borrow a Yamaha or something.

What do you think?

You can try this for a temporary fix.... I used it one time and it worked til I got around to changing the seals.....

 

[ptegsotic]

You can try this for a temporary fix.... I used it one time and it worked til I got around to changing the seals.....

likely the video I saw.
tough to trust a 'viccy' of course ... but it did work for me once!

 

[Rob S.]

When I first got Suzi in 2013, I brought it to New York Motorcycle in Queens, a Honda-Kaw-Yamaha-Suzuki dealership for inspection. Guy took a quick look and said it won't pass, fork oil is leaking onto the brakes. No big deal, seals are $100 and change parts and labor. Mechanics looked to be barely half as old as the bike.

A few months later, a real builder/tuner/racer changed my springs and told me the the axle clamps (crimps?) had been installed backwards.

And yeah, I rode for about a week with both forks leaking onto the brakes.

 

[Redman]

It can be wett and drip a little for a long time, or it can start slobbering a lot real quick and blow in wind all over, and/or can run down onto onto brake pads - - not good.

I .. .. . . . . . . Can I take the dust cap off easily? With the forks still attached? I tried screwing it off, but it does not appear to be threaded... .
.
...

THe rubber caps..?
Yep.
Push up on the edge of in one place with your thumb. You can feel the rib inside come out the groove in the fork, them move thumb around pushing out more of it.

 

[Guest]

Well color me suprised. I went to deal with this and the tach, but I forgot the steel wool. I did however have a stack of plasticy playing cards.

So I removed the rubber cap, cleaned it and the surface around the seal and everything, and then I pushed a playing card in and around. I ruined two of the cards this way.

Pushing the suspension up and down while on the footpegs with it on the center stand for several minutes didn't yield a single speck of oil. I did get one obvious piece of grit out with one of the playing cards.

I didn't have time for a ride, I figured I will bring it for a spin after work (evening sun is nice, and roads are DRY), to verify it is still holding oil.

Thank you all for your help. This is great, now my trip is saved.

 

[dorkburger]

and how about the flexible thin plastic hook (carved milk container?) that you sneak in between upper fork leg and seal, and do a 360 deg 'scrape' just in case there's a grain of dirt, sand, norwegian basalt, that you can remove? (approx 5% success rate )

This method bought me about a year, but I used piece of 35mm camera film instead. I think there is a specific tool just for this.

 

[ptegsotic]

Well color me suprised. I went to deal with this and the tach, but I forgot the steel wool. I did however have a stack of plasticy playing cards.

So I removed the rubber cap, cleaned it and the surface around the seal and everything, and then I pushed a playing card in and around. I ruined two of the cards this way.

Pushing the suspension up and down while on the footpegs with it on the center stand for several minutes didn't yield a single speck of oil. I did get one obvious piece of grit out with one of the playing cards.

I didn't have time for a ride, I figured I will bring it for a spin after work (evening sun is nice, and roads are DRY), to verify it is still holding oil.

Thank you all for your help. This is great, now my trip is saved.

I believe the true test will be riding. That seal rubber, is WAY harder than dust cap rubber ... meaning, it would probably take a while to 'bounce back' ... (reform around upper fork tube) ... like overnight.
good luck.

(great idea re using 35mm film! I never woulda thought of that. But then, never was photo guy ...)

 

[LAB3]

That's a tip definitely worth keeping in your pocket.

 

[Guest]

This method bought me about a year, but I used piece of 35mm camera film instead.

(great idea re using 35mm film! I never woulda thought of that. But then, never was photo guy ...)

When I raced MX every toolbox in the pits had a couple pieces of 35mm film in it for exactly this purpose. Cutting a V shaped notch in the side of the film makes it more hook like and makes it easier to catch and sweep any junk up out of the seal lip.


Mark