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Fork seals

LanceK

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One of my front fork seals is leaking. I’ve tried cleaning them a few times with no luck, so I’m going to go ahead and swap them out. If I should try something else, let me know, it only has 5,000 miles, so kind of early in my opinion.

Is there a preferred brand or type of seals? Is there anything I should take care of while I’m at it?
 
The Honda seals aren’t too expensive and generally work well. There are aftermarket options which claim to have lower stiction, but may not have as much sealing power.

If you’ve used something like MotionPro’s seal mate tool (or your own version made of a plastic milk jug, or other) and that didn’t correct the problem, check the fork tube carefully for scratches or gouges and the like.
 
I’ve tried my own tool that I made like the motion pro, tried a couple times with the same result. I checked the fork tubes carefully, I couldn’t find any issues.
 
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I’ve tried my own tool that I made like the motion pro, tried a couple times with the same result. I checked the fork tubes carefully, I couldn’t find any issues.
When using the tool, did it catch some dirt?
 
Soon after I got my NC I visited a BMW/Triumph/Kawasaki dealer. Virtually every bike on the floor had some form of fork seal protector. The NC? Naked tubes. I ordered a set for Triumph- you can find those & other options in this thread-
 
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I ordered a set for Triumph- you can find those & orther options in this thread-
I tried for over a year to order the Triumph ones, but they are discontinued and backordered everywhere I looked for them. (I even had them on backorder with Bikebandit, but cancelled that order before the whole going-out-of-business fiasco went down).

They may occasionally pop up on eBay.

I ended up going with the Honda 51460-MT3-611 plastic protectors, which are from the old ST1100. They are designed to slot into grooves on the top of the fork lowers, which are obviously not there on the NC700. So, I used a Dremel and sandpaper to grind down the groves on the inner surface of these protectors until they were smooth, then simply pushed them on to the fork lower for a friction fit. The fit worked out great, although I may have scratched some of the paint getting them on (won't know until it is time to disassemble them again). A little ad-hoc, but worked well for me. I can post pics later today.

I do agree that a small plastic protector of some sort is very helpful. Fork gaiters are another option. I personally hate how they look, and I do not take my NC off-road regularly so I don't need that level of protection. They also might hide light abrasive damage or trap rocks and sand, so they need to be lifted and inspected regularly.

Finally, I clean my forks regularly with some diluted soap and a microfiber cloth. I have also heard some people will spray silicone lubricant on a rag and wipe them down. The silicone helps keep the seals supple and reduces friction/striction, but it is also messy and stains clothing, so I try to avoid it unless necessary.
 
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