Fork Seal Replace

Two years ago I took my Kawasaki Concourse 14 forks to the local dealer to have a leaky fork seal replaced. They did a good job and I was able to get the bike back on the road two days later but I got dinged $400. I thought it was a little pricey and i decided to teach myself how to do them with my GRiSO.

I orderd the seals and dust covers from AF1 and it cost me $36 with shipping. I had some Maxima fork oil so I didn't have to buy that. All I had to do was go on youtube and watch someone go thru the repair.

And that was mostly how it turned out until I tried to get the seals in. No way was tapping them in with a mallet going to work so I decided to make a tool out of the stuff I had laying around.

Getting the forks out was no problem. I had to make a tool to compress the fork spring so I can undo the nut on the rod in the fork. I don't know the exact names of everything so I'll just post some pics.

first the bike

I also recently finished my new work space. Just for motorcycles.

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I havn't been posting a lot in the last year. I've been busy and havn't been riding much. The GRiSO still has California plates and I havn't even got it running since I rollerized it two springs ago.

now some more pics

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Now I needed a tool. I looked up the Piaggio tool and it was around $100 so I didn't bother with looking any further. Later a friend tells me Cyclegear has a tool in stock for around $40 but I already was going to build my own.

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That's all for today. I filled the fork with 520 cc of Maxima (half 5 and half 10) fork oil and put the fork together and got it in the bike.

I spent $6 on allthread and wingnuts at the local hardware store.

Nice job hipower! Guzzi ingenuity rides again!

It was a fun project. I spent a good chunk of last year building my work space. Now I need a lift.

Nice woodwork

that's the beauty of having shop space with good equipment!

Chris W wrote:

that's the beauty of having shop space with good equipment!

And the ability to make things out of scraps.

Great if you have the tools/facilites    The rest of us poor suckers are left with paying ebay £25 for one of these 39 -50mm.

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I have always used a long piece of pvc pipe with a cap on the end.

sideshowbob wrote:

I have always used a long piece of pvc pipe with a cap on the end.

Pretty please.  I intend to embark on that soon.



Bill

sideshowbob wrote:

I have always used a long piece of pvc pipe with a cap on the end.

Used similar, £25 thought something like that tool be close to £100

so I need a new battery and an oil change and then insurance and registration

and then I can take the bike for a spin

Bill,

spoken as a friend, you may want to change the forks seals at the next MG Tech Days, when there are some experienced mates around.

Nobleswood wrote:

Bill,

spoken as a friend, you may want to change the forks seals at the next MG Tech Days, when there are some experienced mates around.

That was hurtful @Nobleswood; look for letter from my attorney.  

Seriously, silly man.  I was getting tools ready for that gathering, not for me to use on my own.  

OTOH, I need a Roper or clone to wander the floor during MGTD as I think you know from a previous attendance that Some People -- and I don't mean you    -- needed more supervision than others.    Boys, beer, bourbon, and more can be a dangerous combo for tech work.  

But it's still a fun time.

Bill

Sorry, the pvc pipe thing only works for conventional forks. Not the upside down ones.

Rats.

You are useless.

But it does kinda prove Tim’s point.  

Bill

Seems like when I did the white powers on the Centauro I carefully worked around the seal with a brass punch. They didn't leak.