| Author | Message | ||
     Crazyhawk99 |
I pulled the cover off of my CR this morning and rode it to work for the first time this year. When I got off the bike at work, I noticed the front rim and tire were wet. I haven't ridden it hard at all, let alone abused it. Bought the bike new and it still only has 1400 miles on it, so I am more than disappointed that the right fork seal is leaking quite a bit. A quick search of BW seems to reveal this isn't uncommon on the 1125. Can anyone recommend a good brand of replacement seals? Race Tech maybe? Apparently the OEM seals are ify. | ||
| D_adams |
Really? Mine are original and have almost 30k on them. I did change the fork oil at the beginning of this year's riding season, but I didn't completely tear them down, it was just a flush/fill. I'd guess yours started leaking more from lack of use than from abuse. I don't use 100% of the available fork travel, but for street use, it's enough. Zip tie is about 1/2" above the bottom of the fork, tire and rotor were new, maybe 50 miles on them.  (Message edited by d_adams on August 03, 2012) | ||
| Jdugger |
1. Dean doesn't use his brakes at all. 2. You might have a nick in the fork tube. That's not uncommon across any make of bike. Basically, you nick the fork tube with gravel or something like that, and it's not perfectly smooth and cuts the seal over time. When you do seals, you should always polish the fork tubes, too. | ||
| Sprintst |
it's a Showa fork, the seals are as good as any modern japanese bike | ||
| Crazyhawk99 |
Jdugger, I did consider the tube possibly having a ding in it. If so, my guess is it came like that. As mentioned, I only have 1400 "fairly easy" miles on it and the roads here in Germany are WAY better in regards to debris, etc.. Spintst, Are you saying that the OEM seals on the 1125s are made by Showa? I understand they are Showa forks. If you do a google of the 1125 forum, you will find a lot of leaking seals compared to googling a ZX or Gxer forum. That is troublesome considering there were WAY less 1125s produced. I am not bashing Buell. Just an observation. | ||
| Jdugger |
Nicks can be as simple as your tire picking up a piece of asphalt and hitting the fork tube. I really wouldn't think much of it, honestly. It can also be something as simple as bug crust on the fork tube. We get a lot of grasshoppers here in the summer, and if I'm not very particular about cleaning the fork tubes, I've noticed a seal set won't make it a season... The race tech seals are just repackaged showa ones so far as I know. Just service your forks, polish and clean the tubes really well, and move on. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Fork oil is just like any oil, it's service life is limited. Most shops servicing fork oil take an 'as long as its apart' approach to seal replacement. +10 on polishing tubes. GPsuspension.com has been my goto suspension guy for years. | ||
| Redcrrider |
I agree is D, it's leaking from lack of use. Fork seal sits in one place log enough, it will stick there and tear. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Many people say leaks are often caused by dirt getting caught in the seal rather than a bad seal. You can buy a ~$5 "tool" to clean the seal out, as shown in this video: Or you can get something like a piece of film or thin plastic and just use that to clean the seal. The worst that can happen is it may not work, so it's worth trying. (Message edited by Hughlysses on August 03, 2012) | ||
| Sprintst |
Are you saying that the OEM seals on the 1125s are made by Showa? I have no idea, but something like that is typically bought as an assembly, ready to install. I highly doubt BMC would be assembling forks Even if they are Showa seals, BMC could have spec'ed cheaper seals. I don't know.} Also, I wager Showa doesn't make any of their seals, those are probably done by subs (Message edited by sprintst on August 03, 2012) (Message edited by sprintst on August 03, 2012) | ||
| Mcelhaney14 |
+1 on the seal mate. Both of my seals were leaking, after a quick work out with the seal mate they are still dry after 2500 miles. | ||
| Nuts4mc |
1) Showa is Honda's supplier for suspension,,,'nuff said 2) a Tip/Trick that Dave Moss shared with us at a recent mtg...pop down the dust cover- pack some heavy grease (not toooo much) between the "top" (the exposed area you can see)) of the seal and the inside of the dust cover...re-install the dust cover. The heavy grease will help with "Stiction" and the grease may "catch" any foreign objects headed up into the seal. 3) when I rebuild forks I always "pack" my seals with grease ( The area between the seals "lips" that come in contact with the sliding tube) - often when I rebuild/clean them traces of the grease are still there (I use white lithium on the seals - it's easy to spot) 4)back when I wore a younger man's crash helmet - Husky's would rule the desert - their suspension was legendary - the front forks appeared to always be "leaking" - but now it makes sense - the "leakage" was lubrication for the seals - allowing them to "move" even on the smallest bump and over come the stiction. 5) don't polish ( mirror like) your fork tubes - the super smooth surface will increase the stiction -you want a satin finish or that trick gold coating known as DLC ( diamond like coating) - I would imagine the DLC would benefit from the Dave Moss trick too. 6) rebuilding forks are easy if you have the tools - if not... you're gonna get frustrated with the seal install ( hint- grind down the (OD) of the old ones and use as a "pusher/tool to install the new ones) and the top "nut" re-install ( some "s" hooks and (2) turn buckles help here)- do a search on this forum for some tips/tricks...and do your best to keep every things clean ( I use the wifey's dish washer when she's gone shopping...(shhh don't tell!) | ||
| Dannybuell |
Nuts4mc ~ THX. | ||
| Duphuckincati |
I also like to stick with OEM seals, not aftermarket. Just been my experiance they work in a more dependable manner. | ||
| Crazyhawk99 |
Hughlysses, thanks for the info on the Seal Mate . For only $5 it's worth a try. I just placed an order for one. Nuts4mc, Appreciate the tips. If I do the job, I will pick up the specialty tools. My guess is it will still be cheaper than having it done at a shop here in Germany. | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
My '08's right fork seal was leaking at 5000 or 6000 miles. My guess is that the right fork tube is under greater stress when braking than the left tube, since the front brake is on the right tube, and that causes the right seal to wear out sooner. A purely unscientific speculation, of course. I do my fair share of wheelies on this bike but I try to set them down as gently as possible. I used OEM fork seals (and will continue to do so--I've heard anecdotal "bad things" about aftermarket seals) but wouldn't be surprised if I have another leaky right seal by the time the bike has 10-12K miles on it. |
