About to buy a used bike...I need ...

Soldato
Joined
14 Jul 2005
Posts
17,615
Location
Bristol
Compress the forks with your body weight whilst holding the front brake, how's that for you? :)

And to give some explanation to that (which is correct anyway)...

https://begin-motorcycling.co.uk/useful-info/buying-a-used-bike/

Bounce the front of the bike up and down and then look for oil rings around the shiny parts of the forks. If oil rings are there it means that the fork seals have gone and need replacing. It’s not expensive for parts but it is for labour unless you can do it yourself. Now do the same with the back of the bike.

E: He doesn't mean grab a handful of front brake when riding it down the road by the way.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
26 Dec 2003
Posts
30,837
Location
Shropshire
Either way some well placed kitchen roll will hide anything but the most fubar'd seals unless you go popping the dust seals out to check underneath.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2004
Posts
5,565
Honestly bouncing forks at standstill apart from head bearing (and rebound/softness if you know the bike a bit) I don't see what you can tell at a glance...
You can tell if they're leaking because it leaves a ring of oil on the stanchion when the forks are compressed.
Not a huge problem but they take ages to take apart and refill. Horrible job I've done once and always dread doing again lol.
 
Back
Top Bottom