How long can I go with a bad fork seal?

This week I drove from Des Moines, Iowa to Wichita Falls, TX for a school I have in the Air Force. I'll be in TX unitl April 2, when I drive back to Iowa.

At some point on the way down I blew the left fork seal. It's seeping pretty decent, but really can't get it fixed here. How bad would it be to wait til the 2nd, drive 700 miles back ot iowa, then fix it all then?

Is there anything I'd need to do til I can get it fixed or just wait, ride, and fix when I get home?

'02 VFR

Chip

 

Thats a bummer, I hate when things go bad on the road. The best I got is to wrap a towel around it and zip tie it to slider firmly and lightly around the tube so it can travel up and down but catch as much oil as possible until you can get home.

 

As far as problems on the road this doesn't seem too critical. I mean it's not melted connectors.

I'll look around and see what I can do. I don't really know anyone down here at all, and time is a bit of a crunch. Zip tie towel wrap, unfortunately, might be the temp fix fow now.

 

The Source from Sacramento recommends you wear a diaper, for your fork anyway, and that's the easy solution.

Photo here shows how two cotton socks tied tightly at the top of lower tube can help keep oil away from rotor and pads.......and tires.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Rambling digression:

.......... I've been riding around that way for 3 years + without taking the time to replace the seal. I did check and refil oil frequently, also used brake spray often and changed the socks. i don't put on that many miles/year on the VFR since i like a Hawk best around town and without the constant strain of resisting to use the excess horsepower with an extra 1/4" throttle turn. Not wise, not prudent, not quite legal, but too much fun for some to resist sometimes. Hawk's modest 55hp is not so much temptation. Even less so the little VTR 250 i love. VFR went to Canada's Port Dover Event about 95 miles away (www.pd13.com)last summer, thousands of bikes in a small lakeshore village for one a one day event held every Friday the 13th, with recent figures in the 150,000-bike range, most from Toronto area, If the sun is shining, it's Canada's "Daytona Bike Week" but mellower and without as many scary people. Port Dover is an event like no other !! And FFREE !!

And the next Port Dover Event is coming up this May 13, so get your oldest classic ready for the ride.

 

I would be more concerned with getting oil on the tire.

 

I'm going to give it the ziptie towel treatment today after class is done, at least it won't be runnign down the fork. I'll get it fixed once I get home. I just don't have the time or resources being 700 miles from my house for two weeks.

 

If your forks start to collapse or dig in use engine oil. When forks collapse it's kind of neat to do the perfect high side from rear to front rather than that boring side get off that is so popular.

I am saddened to hear that fork seals are not available and Honda shops have closed down in Texas. That's too bad.

 

Thanks for being the best badbilly you can be.

I understand it's not optimal and shit can happen, I just don't have the cash on hand at the moment to have a shop do the fix, assuming they could even get to it before I have to leave; nor do I have the tools, documentation, or a place to perform the repair myself while I'm here.

 

Give him a break, that is the first motorcycle-related post I have ever seen from him (even if it doesn't make much sense).

As for your troubles, you're doing the best you can. Best to limp home that way and take care of it then. Slabbing it won't be terribly hard on your forks, just take it easy and keep an eye on it.

 

Maybe you can find one of those "shit happens" shirts in the BX in a nice USAF blue. A tenner sez that base has an auto shop and tools..and a transient barracks and an emergency fund so you can fix your bike even in such a backward state as Texas.

 

Just want to know. Did you get back without any problems?
Mine is starting to leak too.

 

I made it back just fine. I just kept mindful of the road and made sure not to hit any big bumps or do any agressive riding. I've got the sesals now and am just trying to get the time to get them in. I still ride it to work and back, but pretend I'm on a vespa morso than a VFR... The front end still feels fine with 'normal' riding for a commute, but if you get into some bumps you can feel its weak up there. Hoping to knock it out this week.

 

Cefixime
• Ceftriaxone
• Ciprofloxacin
• Ofloxacin
• Levofloxacin


Hope this helps.

 

I appreciate your concern Badbilly.

 

I have a slow leak like you did on my 500. Feels fine around town, just like yours did. Never see any drips or puddles of fork oil, (even though my buddy swears it left one in his garage, lol). The mc shop quoted me at like $200 to replace like 3 things on each fork. Im not sure I want to drop that kind of cash, but don't you have to have some kind of jig to compress the forks? How easy did yours go in junyr???

 

The toughest part is getting the seal to seat properly, with a proper sized length of PVC pipe this is easy peasy.
Manual tells you how to do it.

 

Cool Cool. I think I should have all the tools and some PVC laying around. Is it easier with and extra set of hands? I have a buddy that is willing to help out. Especially if it saves me almost $200 bucks that I could be spending on my new racing suit.