(small) Bike Things You've Done Today

^^ yeah @XH558 don’t go judging others by your own standards!!

 

It's a very long story or perhaps a tall story, it was given to me in recent times, so why not bung it up with useful stuff.

 

As Steve McQueen once said, we only go round the once so i want a piece of it.

 

Dropped off the bike at Ducati Mcr for new fork seals, the last pair have lasted only two years!

 

Not sure whether to give you a like or dislike, maybe if they're Ohlins but just normal 900ss showa seals what's going on.?

 

Haven’t a clue, I had the fork stanchions re-chromed at the same time as the new seals were fitted, but recently they decided to let go.
The left one was especially bad with oil dripping on to the brake calliper.

 

Fitted a carbon fibre fairing v panel thingy. Bike now weighs 136 grams than previously

 

Did you try the old feeler gauge trick before hand ?

 

I’m not aware of this trick, could you elaborate?

 

You slide a feeler gauge blade up under the fork seal and work your way around the fork stanchion with the blade at an angle as though your sawing at a downward slant.
I used to do this on my EXC’s
You can now get a tool for this purpose.

 

One of these @Carr01
New listingMotion Pro Seal Mate Fork Tool Motocross Enduro KTM SX 250 300 380

 

I make one out of a milk bottle carton, coz I is tight.
Too late now anyway as you have dropped it off, but greater than 50% chance that it’s under use only, and a good bounce/ bit of “exercise “ and maybe a clean as above and they’d be right as rain (As they are not Ohlins).

 

Good idea Chris, tight is good

 

Worked the stores of a motorbike shop, need some fork seals for a kwak 750 said the mechanic, I only have seals for 550 at the moment, can order some, no don't bother came the reply, lot's of hammering/banging later 550 seals fitted on 750, there was not a lot of fork travel

 

That looks 100% better, just not sure why carbon is not standard issue on those models.

 

So no rhyme or reason then, perhaps just a poor batch made by Ducati.

 

I had the same fork seal issue with a previously owned Aprilia RSVR Mille Colin Edwards edition, caused principally due to a lack of use, as Chris pointed out above in his post reply.
I used one of those seal buddy pieces of simple plastic and lo and behold it worked a treat. No more MOT concerns and a regular 'pounding' whilst in the garage stood, once again, not being used, kept the seal issue at bay!

 

Wow Neil, that's at least 30% of a pasty, now all you've got to do to maintain this reduction, is eat less pasties when out riding your bike....

 

This one probably gets the same amount of ‘exercise’ as all my previous Ducati’s only difference being the others were Ohlins.

I’ve never experienced fork oil dripping from a fork leg before though.
The guy on the phone did mention the possibility of old stock?

Not sure how this would effect an oil seal, but hey-ho I’ll wait and see what the bill is going to be.

 

Was it the same outfit that fitted the current seals? If so, and he’s already mentioned old stock, then might even be free!