Yesterday was a beautiful day, so I thought I would tackle the fork seals on my wife's GS850. Not only did I have new fork seals, I had some Progressive springs and some new bushings to throw in as well. Hey, it's a thirty year-old motorcycle. It needs all the help it can get!
Anyhow, I've done GS forks many times, and even have the "special tool", the piece of PVC pipe to install the seals! Well after careful dissasembly, cleaning, installation of new bits, I put the forks back on the bike, wheel, brakes, fender, etc, I took the bike for a burn. BIG difference! The old springs were so sacked out it was silly, and no oil drooling down the fork leg threatening to get on the brakes now! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!:dancing:
Clean-up time. Started putting wrenches etc away and came across a washer-like piece on the bench. Uh-oh. That's the washer that goes between the spring and the spacer. CRAP!!!
Luckily I remembered which leg it was, because I remembered almost leaving it out on the last leg I did. Okay, it's the left side. The easiest way to put it in was to partially remove the bars and attack it from there. I got wifey-poo to help me to hold the bars while I wrestled with the stupid top of the fork. What a dumb design, you can't really get a wrench on it, and it marks things up, even with a rag. :-s I told Karen she can make it look better if she got some black paint an a small brush, but I don't think she cares.
I gotta' clean up my garage! :lol:
Anyhow, I've done GS forks many times, and even have the "special tool", the piece of PVC pipe to install the seals! Well after careful dissasembly, cleaning, installation of new bits, I put the forks back on the bike, wheel, brakes, fender, etc, I took the bike for a burn. BIG difference! The old springs were so sacked out it was silly, and no oil drooling down the fork leg threatening to get on the brakes now! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!:dancing:
Clean-up time. Started putting wrenches etc away and came across a washer-like piece on the bench. Uh-oh. That's the washer that goes between the spring and the spacer. CRAP!!!
Luckily I remembered which leg it was, because I remembered almost leaving it out on the last leg I did. Okay, it's the left side. The easiest way to put it in was to partially remove the bars and attack it from there. I got wifey-poo to help me to hold the bars while I wrestled with the stupid top of the fork. What a dumb design, you can't really get a wrench on it, and it marks things up, even with a rag. :-s I told Karen she can make it look better if she got some black paint an a small brush, but I don't think she cares.I gotta' clean up my garage! :lol:
