ok so i got my first bike. 1985 vf500 interceptor love it great bike...... but i was riding today and noticed oops my front brake doesn't work and checked it out... there is oil completely covering the brakes, fairing, wheel... etc. it seems to be coming from the top of my fork... i know absolutely nothing about bikes or working on them. how can i fix this? and is it cheap to fix.... also is it bad to keep riding without it fixed? any help would be awesome. thanx.
The forks are like two tubes, the upper part slides in and out of the lower part as you go over bumps in the road. Inside the tubes there are springs, and these springs are in an oil bath. This oil gets forced back and forth through holes inside the forks, when you go over bumps, which helps smooth the action of the forks. Where the top tubes enter the bottom tubes, there are seals, they look like rubber rings. These seals keep the oil inside the forks so it doesn't go all over your brakes. These seals are leaking on your bike. This is not unusual; most used bikes that age come with leaking fork seals. The seals should be replaced; not only is it unsafe to have oil getting on your brakes, it is bad to be losing the oil from inside the forks. It will cost about $20 for a pair of aftermarket seals, a common name brand is "Leak-Proof". Don't buy this kind, they will just start leaking again very fast. (They oughtta call them "Leak-Certain".) Buy the OEM Honda seals, even though they cost twice as much, because in this case you really do get what you pay for. You'll need a quart of fork oil of the proper weight - Honda suggests ATF in the manual but ATF isn't a defined viscosity, so you'll do better to spend the ten bucks for a quart of fork oil. Someone who knows babyceptors better should chime in and tell you what weight to get, but if I had to pick I'd go for something around 7wt. It will probably cost $100 to $200 for the labor to get the seals replaced. Or you can do it yourself - it's a pain in the neck but well within the range of things that can be done by a shadetree mechanic. Buy a manual for your bike. You can use a piece of PVC pipe to drive the new seals in. Use a women's nylon stocking to run over the fork tube and make sure it has no burrs that might damage the new seal. You will need some good snap-ring pliers to get the snap ring out that holds the seal in place, and a large socket to get the fork caps off. You will need a way to support the front of the bike while the forks are off; this can be done by hanging it from the rafters of your garage, or by putting some kind of stand under the motor. While you are in there you may want to consider replacing the teflon bushings inside the fork. They are probably pretty worn.
Check out the great article here: http://vfrworld.com/forums/suspension-articles/7700-fork-seal-replacement.html
Yes, it is bad to keep riding it like this. Oil on the brakes is dangerous. Some people wrap rags around their forks to catch the oil and keep it off the forks, if they simply must ride. But if you can just park it until it's fixed, that would be safer.
When done with the fork seal replacement, use brake cleaner to clean off the rotor - and I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you replace the front brake pads. They are contanimated by the oil now and will never work as well as they should. Brakes and Tires should never be compromised.
My forks started leaking shortly after I bought mine as well. I thought about doing it myself, but I was pretty uncertain at the time, as well as impatient, so I ended up shelling out about $180 for the Honda shop to do it. You'll probably notice once it's done that the suspension feels much better as well, besides the safety issues.
Yo Bro - oil on brakes is dangerous as hell. If you have a good and affordable Honda dealer near you I would get the bike over to them. You should have the suspension and the brake system checked (definately get the pads changed they are contaminated). Also, have the dealership check if the forks and shock needs to be replaced. Also if you do not have the suspension tool check with the dealer. I would also say have them check your chain unless that is something you can do the maintenance on. The chain will need to be lubed, cleaned and the chain tension should be checked on regular intervals. I only suggested to have the chain checked since the beginning of the season is upon. Get as much done now before the dealer's shop gets busy. Finally, get the Clymer Manual for you VFR - it really helps.
Don't do it yourself. As Emon and others have said, take it to a reputable shop and have them do it. You can always go into your local shops and ask them what they would charge for the installation of new fork seals, fork oil and new front brake pads. Shop around a little, you may be suprised at how prices may vary and it also helps you build a relationship with a mechanic. And YES, it is very bad to ride it the way it is. First, 70% or more of your braking power is with the front brake. Two, without oil in the forks...additional wear and problem will develope. Also, it affects braking too. (I tried to be as untechnical as possible):smile: However, buy a manual for your bike. There is a ton of information in it you need to learn. And you will have to do some maintenance yourself. Some is easy like doing oil changes. If you can do one on a car, you can figure it out on a bike. Keep us posted! BZ
I agree, if the front brakes have been oiled you should replace the pads. If you don't have at least some tools already, the do-it-yourself approach will cost you more than having it done. It's really only worth it, money-wise, if you plan to do things yourself long-term. If you do it yourself simply to save $$, and you don't really like working on stuff, you're going to be frustrated and disappointed. However there are other reasons besides money to do things yourself. You may have trouble finding a reputable shop, that will work on an older bike (some shops have an age cutoff), that can fit you in without making you wait for weeks. Or you may find satisfaction in it. Personally I find a lot of satisfaction in working on my own stuff. I also like the feeling that I understand the bike; it makes me feel much more comfortable about taking long trips alone. However I did once take one of my bikes in and have a shop do a job for me, and you know what the job was? Fork seals. I get sick of replacing the dumb things. It's so freakin' annoying to have to break loose yet another set of frozen-on fork caps, and pick out yet another set of rusty snap rings. Prior to the VFR I just bought, the only other used bike that didn't come to me with leaky fork seals, was not leaking because it had no fork oil left in there! Hmm, maybe I better check to make sure there's oil in my new used VFR's forks...
now once i replace them they aren't going to keep leaking constantly. like this isn't going to be something i will be fixing all the time? i really really love riding now so it's hard to not ride with this nice weather but since i do not want further damage i will take it easy till i get her fixed.... are there any recommendations for seal brands. or is honda oem the best? also fork oil? thanx guys you are all helpfull!!!
If the forks sliders (the part of the top tubes that goes in and out through the seals) are clean and undamaged, then once you replace the seals they should not leak again for a long long time. However if there are any small protrusions on the sliders, like maybe a stone chip hit one and nicked it so a little metal sticks out, then the new seals will be damaged and they will start leaking again really fast. That's why I suggested rubbing the fork sliders with an old women's nylon stocking, if it snags then you have something wrong with the slider and you need to address it. The other thing that can damage the fork seals would be dried on bugs on the fork sliders. Their body fluids can be like glue sticking them to the forks, and their little bug exoskeletons can be sharp and cut up the seals. So it's a good idea to clean the forks regularly, say, every time you get gas. Some people even buy a can of silicone spray and spray the sliders with it every now and then, so the bugs can't adhere to the sliders as easily. The OEM seals are more durable than the aftermarket ones.
awesome man thanks A LOT!!! i'll keep all that in mind and get it all taken care of. the sliders look pretty good. at the very top there are some small nicks and a little surface rust. VERY VERY MINIMAL and sparing. but none near the seals. however i will double check. thanks again and i'll keep you updated!
