Fork oil leak

[KX-Ruggs]

I just bought a new to me 2007 KX 250 and it leaks a small amount of fork oil around the seal on the right side. How hard is it to fix this. I have never had forks apart before. Thanks in advance.

[RideRedMx2]

Theres an old trick you can try if you want.....You can carefully pry the dust cover up to expose the seal then take an negative strip like you get when you get pictures developed and some brake cleaner spray in a can,carefully work the negative in between the seal and the fork tube and as us work it slowly around the tube work the fork up and down while you spray it out with the brake clean....this does not always work but if it happens to just be a piece of dirt stuck in the seal it will probably clean it out and stop it from seeping,i have used this trick before and it worked great and another time it didnt but its pretty simple to try before you take the forks apart........hope this helps

[KX-Ruggs]

Does the dust cover have a spring retainer around it? I have heard about the film trick but not with the brake cleaner. Thanks for the advice I will give it a try.

[JETZcorp]

Is it really big enough of a deal to worry about?  80% of the fork seals I've ever seen leak a little bit, it's just good incentive to keep fresh oil in the forks.  Unless, that is, it's leaking on your garage floor or something.  I've never had to deal with upside-down forks, I imagine that could make leaky seals into an actual problem.

[riffraff]

I've got leaky seals too  One of these days I'll replace them 

[riffraff]

Oh yeah, get yourself a manual for it from ebay for 20 bucks or so. You can do all the maintenance you need with it.

[KX-Ruggs]

When I had it tied down in the truck it was actually running down the fork and pooling in my truck bed. It's just the one side. I know they all leak a little but this is more than I would say is "normal". It leaks more when they are compressed a little. I dont notice it as bad when I am riding.

[JETZcorp]

Okay, that's pretty severe if it was actually "running" down the fork tube!  On forks like I've got, I imagine a leak like this would have oil spraying into the sky.

[Coop]

Is it really big enough of a deal to worry about?  80% of the fork seals I've ever seen leak a little bit, it's just good incentive to keep fresh oil in the forks. 

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but that's just bad advice. Why keep wasting money on expensive fork oil when you could spend $20-30 to fix it and not worry about it? Many rider's have an un-natural fear of suspension (and bottom ends). It's really not bad once you get in there and do it.

[SachsGS]

One problem with leaky fork seals is that the fork fluid eventually contaminates your front brake. Another is that on the rebound stroke you could be drawing dirt back into the fork accerlerating wear.

[G-MONEY]

Riff is giving good advice, get the shop manual preferably a kawi factory issue. I think those are Kayabas you will also need to get a tube type tool to get those apart.If you plan on keeping this ripper changeing the fork oil should be part of your regular maintenance.But try the film trick first,Motion Pro makes a little plastic thing just for this I got one and it works pretty well. Get it delt with or what sachs says WILL come true.

[JETZcorp]

Well, we only "waste money on fork oil" very very rarely.  With conventional forks, even a fairly severe leak means you lose very little oil, and rest assured I've never seen a leak that sounds as bad as this one.  To be sure, $20-30 is massively more than what it's costing us.  But like I say, if we were dealing with upside-down forks and a bad leak like this, where it seems like the whole damn fork can be run dry, it would be folly not to take action.

[KX-Ruggs]

I talked to the mechanic that has done some motor work for me on things in the past. He said $60 if I bring him the forks or 130 if I bring the bike in whole. Thats for new seals and dust covers included in that price and also the oil is included. I wish I had the time to read up on it and try it myself but it's prime riding time. Thank you all for the much appreciated advice and tips.

[riffraff]

$60 isn't bad for parts and labor

[Coop]

Well, we only "waste money on fork oil" very very rarely.  With conventional forks, even a fairly severe leak means you lose very little oil, and rest assured I've never seen a leak that sounds as bad as this one. 

I've only ever owned two off-road bikes with upside down forks. The majority of my 30 years of off-road experience has been on conventional forks. And yes I have seen plenty bad enough that you lose a lot of oil, lol.

Ruggs, $60 isn't bad at all.