Fork 'GAITERS'

[moto]

Hi all!!

Has anyone used fork gaiters on their FJR and if so -- what supplier. Also, a little leak around my seals (seems odd it's around both & almost at the same time. No rough roads but most often 2 up). Am I kidding myself by trying the SEAL MATE tool?

Bike 07 39K on it - not an auto.

Thanks in advance

 

[FJRay]

The sealmate works. As far as gaiters they are sold by size so get in a catalog and see what you can find.

 

[John d]

I would do that in a heartbeat if I knew the answer to your question. I asked this myself before, but never got an answer, other than the late John Ryan posted that he used them, but didn't know the brand or supplier.

Get the seal mate tool. It works, or make your own to the same pattern.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Give the Seal Mate a chance...all you're out is the $5 to purchase or nothing to make your own. You can pry up the dust seal fairly easy with small thin screwdriver.

Good luck!

--G

 

[puppychow]

I have heard people make a seal mate cut out of a gallon jug of milk..

 

[Wlfman]

Won't hurt at all to try the Seal Mate. Save some $/time if it works.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I've used a Seal Mate on 7-8 seals that were leaking or misting. It has worked every time. I generally run it around the tube three times then pull it out; I repeat this process a couple more times, then pump the forks several times before replacing the dust cover.

I run Shock Sox on all our bikes even those with a fairing like the FJR. Even on a FJR the tubes get dirty and it is the build-up of dirt and grime that is often the cause of a failing seal.

 

[art miller]

Perhaps a little late for seals that are already leaking but I have never had a seal leak. After every ride I carefully clean the male tubes and keep them polished with quality wax.

 

[Fred W]

I've used a Seal Mate on 7-8 seals that were leaking or misting. It has worked every time. I generally run it around the tube three times then pull it out; I repeat this process a couple more times, then pump the forks several times before replacing the dust cover.
I run Shock Sox on all our bikes even those with a fairing like the FJR. Even on a FJR the tubes get dirty and it is the build-up of dirt and grime that is often the cause of a failing seal.

+100!! Seal mates (or a home made one) will fix most seal leaks. The reason that seals start to leak is they get a little road spooge that works its way under the lip of the seal. Watch the video on Youtube and do a thorough job of cleaning and you will save yourself a lot of headache. No, you do not have to remove the fork leg from the bike to use it. Just be sure to pry up the dust seal on top before attempting to clean the oil seal underneath. If you still have the fork guards on the lowers it will make using the seal mate in place more difficult.

As for gaiters, I use the NOJ Neoprene fork gaiters on my FJR (black ones) in lieu of the stock fork guards. The NOJ guards stick up far enough to keep the first several inches of fork tube clean which helps keep the seals from getting dirty and leaking to begin with. They are just a velcro stretch fit, so can be taken off and reinstalled pretty easily along the side of the road. I also carry a home made milk bottle seal mate in my tank bag, which has come to the rescue once already.

 

[YummYam]

Agree.

Have had the oil ring several times like you and the seal mate makes it go away for months at a time. It's just the accumulation of crud that stops the seal from doing it's job.

I would what have you got to lose?? How much are they? $5? Or you could make one.

 

[Bounce]

Duplicate threads merged.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Moose Racing makes a neoprene tube fork gaiter. About $25 a set from Procycle.com

 

[moto]

Thank you one and all. Every time I go to this forum it help save time or opens your eyes to a different approach/finesse to a project. Way different than a hammer, screwdriver, swearing, beer, and praying before a ride when working on the classic stuff I had.

Fred, still have the fork guards. Should I attempt to pop them off or just the - dust seal - and work around the guard with the seal mate?

 

[Fred W]

The latter. The stock guards are a one time use. They have to be destroyed to take them off, AFAIK.

It can be done with the stock guards on, it's just a bit tougher to work the seal mate all the way around the circumference . If you'll be making yopur own seal mate, make it longer/taller to make it easier to grasp with the guards still on.

 

[moto]

Thanks Fred. I'll try to make one out of a milk container (as suggested to get the length) and leave the guards on. I'll then put the gaiters on over the guards. Well, please excuse me, I have to go drink a bunch of milk.

 

[amishfjr]

im going to try the sealmate routine for a leaky fork.. i have the stock guards on. the video of an FJR on the sealmate website showed the guards pushed up out of the way so they could get the dust seal out of the way. i did some yanking on the stock guard but as you said above they do not appear to want to slide up. so question is - can an 08 guard slide up out of the way or should i attempt the sealmate with the dust seal in place. thanks

 

[Burnspot]

The latter. The stock guards are a one time use. They have to be destroyed to take them off, AFAIK.
It can be done with the stock guards on, it's just a bit tougher to work the seal mate all the way around the circumference . If you'll be making yopur own seal mate, make it longer/taller to make it easier to grasp with the guards still on.

The stock Gen II fork guards CAN be salvaged if you're careful enough...they can be worked out of their groove in the fork by twisting and pushing up at the same time. It's a bit of a bitch, but doable (watch thy knuckles). You can even gently work a screwdriver in to pry them up out of the groove, but take heed...you will mar the bottom edge of the guard (soft plastic) and MAY mar the fork itself if you're not careful.

The guard pops back into its groove when you're done.

Sliding the guard up and out of the way makes it much easier to do a complete SealMate sweep.

 

[Fred W]

The guard isn't what is shown being moved out of the way on the sealmate video. It's the dust seal. And that does have to be pried up and away regardless of what you choose to do with the guard. These are two different parts. The guard has an extension in the front and fits over the outside of the lower leg top. The dust seal fits inside the lower leg, like the oil seal, but it is not a tight fit to the inner leg, and just an easy press fit into the lower one.

Maybe if you heat those stock guards you could get them to gracefully release and reinstall. I don't know because in my opinion they are essentially worthless and mine are long gone. The only thing they would guard against is a direct stone chip on the inner leg surface, and I use NOJ gaiters to do that.

 

[wnyfjr]

The stock Gen II fork guards CAN be salvaged if you're careful enough...they can be worked out of their groove in the fork by twisting and pushing up at the same time. It's a bit of a bitch, but doable (watch thy knuckles). You can even gently work a screwdriver in to pry them up out of the groove, but take heed...you will mar the bottom edge of the guard (soft plastic) and MAY mar the fork itself if you're not careful.

The guard pops back into its groove when you're done.

Sliding the guard up and out of the way makes it much easier to do a complete SealMate sweep.

I just did this on Saturday. I carefully used a screwdriver to pry the guard just up out of its groove, and then some twisting and a curse or two and it popped up off the tube. Then a careful removal of the dust seal allowed me to get my home-made seal tool in to try and solve my leak. Everything went back into place after the procedure. Unfortunately, after about a 50 mile ride, it appears it may still be leaking a bit. I may have to do this all over again.