i recently noticed oil coming from my right front fork seal, is this dangerous to be driving around? just curious because i don't have the money to fix this just yet... im driving a 97 ninja 250
i just had the same issue...then i got hit while riding my bike :/ so i'm going to fix it regardless. i suggest fixing it. if the oil runs completely out, your front suspension is based solely on the spring, which is no bueno.
There are a few reasons to get it fixed sooner than later:
1) the leaking oil "could" get on your tire and cause issues (not good)
2) If it runs out of fluid, the internal parts will wear faster and then you'll need to replace the spring and potentially the whole fork.
I have a leak on my 06 ZX10. Most places will replace seals and change fluid in both forks (brought in on the bike) for $225. It's about 3 hours of labor plus the parts.
Hi i have the same issue with mine 07 ninja zx10r. Only fron left fork leaks oil. Is that fron break oil. Or it already in there when you buy a new sets of fork? And why is this oil leaks happening?
you don't have USD forks so it's not as big of a deal as if you did. with the USD's the oil just flows out, it's much slower with conventional forks.
fork oil getting onto the tire isn't of great concern, but it can happen. the bigger deal is if it gets on the brake pads it will severely diminish braking action. plus you'll have to spend some money on new pads too.
changing the seals on a conventional fork is exceedingly simple, but if you have no idea what you're doing and have no tools i would take it to a shop to get done right.
it's a good chance also that your fork oil has never been changed, which is a problem. it should be done every 3 years or less. i usually do mine once a year or more. regardless if only one seal is leaking have them replace both at the same time.
You'll end up with effectively under damped front suspension. That can make the bike unstable, especially under braking. That's more of a risk than the risk of oil getting on to your brakes.
Seals are very cheap, and not difficult to replace yourself. Check that the fork tubes are in good condition - pitting or flaking of the chrome rips the seals and will bugger the new ones. Polish the stanchions to remove any rough edges, and minor pitting can be filled with Araldite. Badly pitted tubes are best replaced. They're not cheap.
use the search function in the how to section. not going to do it for you.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Kawasaki Motorcycle Forums
3.1M posts
110.5K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to all Kawasaki motorcycles including the ZX-6R, KLR 650, Ninja 250, Ninja 250R, and Vulcan. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!