Slow fork leak?

Could just be dirt around the seal. Sealmate is one product you can use. Any type of thin plastic will work to clean them.

Mate get the seals changes
if its a slight leak under no load it will piss out under load
not much fun if the forks dive and you have no brakes

your life and bike are worth more than a set of seals or seal mate

Yeah, I was a bit surprised it was leaking at all just sitting, definitely not a good sign. Replacement would be the safest bet. I did put a reasonable amount of pressure on it without any noticeable leakage, but not near braking load.

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Bug guts under seal lip. Try cleaning the seals first, as Randrew suggested. You may be surprised. Dirt bike riders clean their seals all the time, for obvious reason. Street riders do not know about this and just replace at great expense.

I had a slight leak on my Brutale left fork seal just before a planned track day. Cleaned the seal with SealMate, did the track day with no problem. A the seal still isn't leaking a year later.

Ordered a sealmate with my new Dunlop Q3s, I'll give it a go and see if it stops seeping, I've got some time while winter sticks around. Funny that the most like fork component to go is one of the last parts you can get off inverted forks

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Quick update - got the sealmate, popped the dust seal, and ran the tool under the seal. Lots of bug nastiness. Reset the seal and all good. Appreciate all the advice.

Col, if you're right I hope the seals go when I'm going straight

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Reckler said:

Quick update - got the sealmate, popped the dust seal, and ran the tool under the seal. Lots of bug nastiness. Reset the seal and all good.

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Too many dealers will happily sell you a set of new seals installed when simple cleaning is all that is needed.
Too many inexperienced service personnel at dealers don't even know it is possible.
Too many times another component is damaged or another problem created when the inexperienced tech replaces seals unnecessarily.

Glad it worked for you. Unless inner fork legs are scratched or otherwise damaged, or the seals and slider bushings inside the fork are heavily worn from many miles (and therefore clearances are out of spec), fork seals should last at least as long as engine seals....they do the same job.

Hi Guy's and Girls
This post is prob too old to still be watched. I have an F4 2009. Lovin it but hardly gets used (9K). Also puddle under front forks.
Found amazingly that the inner seals had the spring half off the seal lip! Took it all apart and bought new 50x63x10mm seals from the local bearing shop.
Only than a little light came on in my head: The seals where fitted upside down! In my view (you can't see it in the w'shop manual), the lipseal's spring side should face UP to keep the oil in and not be visible behind the bug seal, with the spring lip facing down.
Any one else experience with this?
Kindest
Herbert

Hi Dons
Thanks for that mate! With the risk of upsetting you and maybe others... please allow me to explain this further (by no means offence!). Look at item 14 in the drawn picture, do you agree you cant make out top or bottom of that seal?
Look at number 2 in the photograph, I can't see the spring side of the lip seal! Where the bloke is holding the seal between his fingers I think I am looking at the cleaner lip, not the sealing lip. On the picture of the seal around the fork I cant see if its a cleaner lip or sealing lip.
I will post a picture of the sight greeting me when I removed the dust seal, and you will see what I mean.
Thank you once again for your help Dons, and please do not take this as being 'lippy' ;-)
Regards
Herbert

No offence taken at all Herbert, it's not the first time thing come out of the factory the wrong way around. That seal was the wrong way around for sure.
All I meant is that most people who do their own maintenance work, like me and you, should be able to work out which way round a oil seal goes, otherwise someone's going to get hurt.
I suppose that sometimes we take knowledge for granted.
Good catch there, be carefull installing those new seals.

Thanks mate.
On another token I looked at my Status on the left, which shows that I am a new member, already for the last 5 years. Have you got any idea how to change that?
I also DO have my MV in the registry. Strange... ;-)

rgrds
H

AECS said:

Thanks mate.
On another token I looked at my Status on the left, which shows that I am a new member, already for the last 5 years. Have you got any idea how to change that?
I also DO have my MV in the registry. Strange... ;-)

rgrds
H

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Hi Herbert.
The forum ranking works according to the amount of post's you submit, not on how long you've been on the forum, which is unfair to some, but we have hundreds of forum members who have joined since 2006, and only ever posted once or twice.

I assume the original idea is to get people to participate more often, like this post of yours which is absolutely great.

As for your bike in the registry, do you want to try and register again, and we can ask Admin to see why it's not being approved ?

I have just re- registered, see what happens.
OAO (have some kids things to do in good ol' NZ.
rgrds
H

R1andrew said:

Could just be dirt around the seal. Sealmate is one product you can use. Any type of thin plastic will work to clean them.

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I use a negative strip from when getting pictures developed from film. They work great at getting under the seal and pulling grit from out from under it. So if you have any old pictures around, they should be abundant. If your a bit younger, your probably on digital pictures and have no idea what I'm talking about.

The factory fitted seals in the forks of my F4 1000S were sprung on both sides so look like the seals in the picture. they may not be upside down.

The replacement seals I sourced from Pyramid Parts also had the double spring arrangement.

Although at 30,000km the oil was due for replacement the seals were working perfectly, not a trace of leakage, thanks to the use of a sealmate when seepage has appeared. So I was loathe to replace the seals but wanted to completely clean the forks before adding fresh oil.

With the benefit of hindsight I suppose it would have been possible, but not ideal, to remove the damper cartridge and flush the forks without separating the tubes so leaving the seals in place.

AECS said:

Hi Dons
Pictures attached (I hope). Pretty self explanatory.
I really think that the seals where the wrong way around, from the factory (!).
I am just after confirmation to make sure that I have not missed something...
kindest
Herbert

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Tony F said:

With the benefit of hindsight I suppose it would have been possible, but not ideal, to remove the damper cartridge and flush the forks without separating the tubes so leaving the seals in place.

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I replace or change oil all the time without replacing seals, doing just this. No need to seep rate the fork tubes to get all the old oil out.

Lots of fork seals have springs on both sides....the key then is the letter markings on the seal. The markings always go up (down on inverted forks), or facing out.