Ohlins shock remote reservoir leak?

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

harper

Which side is the brake on?
FJR Supporter
Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
441
Reaction score
565
Location
Seattle, WA : floating down the atmospheric river
I have an '08 with an Ohlins shock. I have had the bike parked in my garage for several days following a short ride. Two days ago my garage floor was dry. Yesterday there was a small wet patch maybe a foot in diameter directly under the rear brake caliper. It was on the wrong side to be final drive oil and it was no where near as viscous as final drive oil...or even motor oil. It was thin and spread out like brake fluid would be. It felt like brake fluid but it didn't smell like it and the caliper and brake line were dry.

This fluid had run down the right side of the swingarm. The remote reservoir is right above the right side of the swingarm. The compression adjustment knob shaft and the lower most point of the shock remote reservoir were damp. I wiped up all the fluid and went for a short ride to see if the rear shock felt different going over bumpy roads. It was fine. I parked it in a different spot in my garage, made sure everything I suspected was wiped dry and clean, put a plastic cup under the reservoir, and put an oil change pan under the brake caliper and swing arm. Today, 24 hours later, there is nothing in the pan, cup, and the reservoir and knob are dry. I see nothing...anywhere. What happened?
 
Maybe the short ride wasn't enough to cause a leak? Was the ride before that caused the leak short? Or possibly you are out of the fluid that leaked?
 
Keep an eye on it. If it is brake fluid (or coolant), it will be water soluble. If shock fluid, motor oil or rear drive, it isn't. (Of course, the shock oil will be less viscous than the other two.)

Wipe everything clean and you might try wrapping something absorbent like toilet paper around any suspect fittings to check the next day.

I had my Penske drip from the shaft seal at one point when it was long overdue for service. How long since you had the shock refurbished?

That sounds like a pretty big wet patch. Remember that the fuel tank overflow hose comes down right in front of the swingarm - not likely but another possible fluid source. Especially if you parked with a really full tank of gas and the temperature got warmer after parking... Any gas smell?
 
Remember that the fuel tank overflow hose comes down right in front of the swingarm - not likely but another possible fluid source. Especially if you parked with a really full tank of gas and the temperature got warmer after parking... Any gas smell?

No, no, and no. Less than 1/2 tank, no appreciable temp change, no gas smell.

I'm the second owner so I only know that the shock has less than 40k miles. And the shaft is the one on the remote reservoir, the little can where the compression setting is made, not the piston shaft of the main shock cylinder.
 
Proably time to take it in or send off for a refresh, I don't know how many miles it has on it but Dave is always quick to update stuff like that.
Ohlins is top shelf stuff but the oil wears as fast as the oil it a stock unit and should be serviced more often than 40,000.
 
Take it off and take to KFG in Auburn and have the shock serviced. I Beleevue they are running a special right now.
 
Top