I recently just picked up an older 85 VF500 interceptor for $600. When I bought it I was under the impression that it just needed new fork seals... Upon taking the forks off the bike I found that they were very slightly bent. I took them to a local shop and the guy there unbent them for me. I have access to a machine shop and I went and checked the runout on both of them - 0.75 mm (0.030") on the left and 0.55 mm (0.022") on the right after I got them back from the shop. I also noticed that on one of them it is almost imperceivably kinked right below where the lower triple clamp would go - it is a small enough kink that you definitely can't see it, but if you run your finger over it you can kind of feel it. My question is, basically, is this a useable amount of runout? The Clymer manual says the service limit is 0.2 mm. But I was unsure if they were being very conservative or something. I am new to motorcycling and this is my first bike, the guy at the shop told me that it would be fine, but it is my neck and I would just like a few other opinions. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Since you don't know how the fork got bent, or how much it was bent before you started my advise is to start over. It is your neck and you don't know where your tube's been. It is going to take less time and money to get an undamaged set of fork tubes than the hospital stay if they ain't up to your next pothole encounter.
I would agree with nozzle, you have to bear in mind the stresses required to bend the forks in the first place and then more stress and load to straighten them, best to bin these forks and find another set.
It used to common practice to straighten tubes on old Euro bikes, but a lot of times that was due to availability and/or cost. Regardless, the deal killer was a kink you could feel or see, as opposed to a bend with a radius. In short, I'm agreeing with all the others; replace them. Even if they are mechanically sound, the sliders will probably bind in part of their stroke with that much bend.
