FORK SEALS & BUSHES- HOW LONG SHOULD THEY LAST?

[Anonymous]

#3525

“All seals, bushes and oil” were replaced (according to the invoice) by ExpBMW on my 1997K1100LT eleven months and 7,125km ago.  The job was done 30 months and 16,397km before that. The LH fork is leaking again-copiously.  Should I expect more time/km than this before the job needs doing again?    Is this an inherent fault & to be expected on a regular basis (like a new battery or brake pads)?  I understood BMW engineering was almost 'everlasting'? 

[Dave Ross]

#14542

Fork seals can be a pita. Have you had a good look at the stanchion on the leaking side. Some times stones will damage the surface and this can damage a seal. Fork seals are exposed to a lot of debris. Is the dust cover in good condition? Sometimes the cir-clip  that hold the seal can rust, this could also have affected the seal. All the items you've mentioned depend a lot on the rider himself. Most batteries die because of people not riding enough. Funnily enough, the brakes wear because people use them all the time, or even rest their foot on them while riding. You can't really blame BMW for that.

[Anonymous]

#14543

Thnx yr quick reply, Alex.  Dust cover? what/where are they?  There's a plastic 'cover' at the top where the chrome stanchion? disappears into the outer casing (slider?)-is that the dust cover?.  That appears OK except for being covered in oil!…..there's little else visible without pulling the thing apart-which I've not dared to do!  I would have expected ExpBMW to have mentioned any rust/pitting/damage last time the job was done?    Neil  & Seb are away at present, but I'll refer to them in due course.  I read that replacing seals can be done by an amateur, but the complexity of the Clymer description of this 'surgery' is somewhat offputting to me.  [the zenith of my mechanical engineering skills was a rebuild of an Austin Somerset engine circa 1962]ps the battery is maintained by a 'minder', and the brakes havn't needed replacement (yet).

[Dave Ross]

#14544

Hi Bryan,I think I've had to replace fork seals on pretty much all the bikes I've owned. I had never done it on a telelever bike before, so Tony gave me a hand. Changing the seals is not that hard. You'd probably want to change the oil again while you're at it. You can do just one side. Yes, the plastic cover is the dust cover. You should be able to prise that off with a screwdriver. I am not familiar with the LT. A lot if stuff that's easily accessible on my bike could be hard to get at on yours. I think though that it should be possible to change the seal by just removing the lover half of the fork. You'd still need access to the top for refilling it. It may have a fill hole at the top, if not the cap needs to come off. Having said all that, Experience might just do it for you, or at least give you a new seal. Let them have a look at it.

[Anonymous]

#14545

Thnx for that Alex; Denuding the LT of her fairings etc.is no problem, given time & keeping a track of the plethora of fiddly fastenings – Needs doing each annual mtnce anyway to change air filter, coolant, & general cleanup & tighten.  I must learn to 'do' the forks in order to be able to afford to keep her!  Can't afford ExpB 'fees' at the frequency over the last three years! ::)

[Dave Ross]

#14546

Don't be afraid to have a go, it's not that hard. I've got to do the 140000km service on my 1150 during the next few days. Considering that it has a fairly full on life, not much has gone wrong on the bike. I am aiming to at least double this before looking at replacements. The last service at Experience was done at 50000km. My pet hate is the pivot bearings on this bike, they only last 15-20000km. Some have lasted less. I'll have to learn how to do these myself.

[Richard Kuysten]

#14547

Hi Bryan,My mechanical skills are pretty basic but I have replaced the seals on a Honda for my son many years ago.  I have recently bought a set of seals to do my Cruiser and plan to attempt it soon. Now this is a telelever machine so not as important as the K bike but I guess the process is similar.  I have found a very useful Cruiser web site which has a wealth of information about these bikes and a step by step instruction is on site and I will follow it as I do my own.  I'm wondering if there are other members here or maybe a K forum that will do the same for you - would be worth a search. I think the important considerations are: Cleanliness, ensure no tits etc on the staunchions as Alex mentioned, and finally make sure you put the correct amount and weight of oil in when you fill her up.Having said that I would think Experience should come to the party and fix them for you.  Good luck.Malcolm

[Anonymous]

#14548

It ain't hard to do the seals on an LT, but if they are the same as the K100LT I would be very surprised if the stanchions are not shot.  I wore the whole shebang out on my K100, and got some from Motobins at a lot less than the price from Experience, and a helluva lot less then the price of getting them hard chromed in NZ.  (In fact I got a price for the chroming before we stripped the front off the bike.  When it was disassembled it was very obvious they were WAY beyond that.)  At the same time Neil did me a real good price for some locally sourced progressive springs that I put in, which were a definite improvement on the originals.Fabulous bikes that the K100LT and K1100LT were, and one of the best rides ever for the bint on the back, they were heavy pigs, and all that weight going onto the (relatively) unsophisticated front end when you got on the brakes did some 'orrible damage inside, over time.I hope yours are not so bad, I really do!

[Anonymous]

#14549

Thanks to all replies;  in Neil's & Seb's absence from ExpBMW this week, spoke to Henry who suggests waiting to talk to N & S.  Henry could only express his non-surprise at seals failing after only 7,250km.  Perhaps when new seals are fitted I should also install 'gaiters' to avoid stone/dust damage…..I saw a bike with them recently – looked awful – but if it could save the cost of fitting new seals every 7,000km, I could put up with the looks….. A number of websites "How to Replace Fork Seals" hopefully make the job sound more complex than it really is.  Guess I'll find out in due course.....

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