At what Mileage did your fork seals need to be replaced?

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by 25thVFR800, Apr 15, 2020.

  1. 25thVFR800

    25thVFR800 New Member

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    I've got 35,000kms on my RWB.
    No leakage yet. Is there an avg mileage when fork seals go.
    At what mileage did you replace yours if needed?
    Thxs
    Ride safe.
     
  2. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I think fork seals are a bit of a lucky dip; they are exposed to debris and damage to the fork stanchions, and if you follow a lot of other vehicles that spray up stones, you'll get damage sooner. Likewise bikes that don't get used much, I think the seals can stick to the leg and then break free leaving a little seal behind. Seals on a bike regularly used and with undamaged stanchions should last a long time, especially with regular oil changes to flush out debris. You could look at replacing the dust seals more often as these are the first line of defence, and are easily prised up from the leg without disturbing the oil seal. Once the dust seal fails the oil seal won't be far behind.

    They are ugly, but I bet a set of fork gaiters would stretch out the life of a fork seal considerably.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2020
  3. hondaman219

    hondaman219 New Member

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    My 93 has 30k on it and they have not been replaced yet. Keep clean fluid in the forks and they might last 30 years. My new 90 kawasaki zephyr has 11k and as far as I know still has the original fork oil in it. One of the dust seals is starting to rust but no leaks. When they leak it's probably time for a rebuild.
     
  4. Microwavable

    Microwavable New Member

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    Right, so here is the thing. You need to be changing your fork oil every 10,000 miles. If you ride a lot change it sooner. So fork seals are cheap so change them once a year, then you don't need worry about it. We have 5 bikes we ride fairly regularly so we do all bikes once a year. If you have not see videos from Dave moss, you really need to see it. You would be amazed at how much better your bike feels after servicing the forks. Plus it could save your life, all the weight goes forward on braking. Are you going to risk your life on forks not working at their best?

    Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk
     
  5. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    best to wipe down fork tubes after riding and never let dried bug guts build up.
     
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