R1150GSA - front suspension refresh

[crazywakey]

Good evening all,

Looking for some advice please:

My left side fork seal has died a death, and erupted fork oil through the dust cover and down the fork leg. Not catastrophic I know, more of a PITA. First question: should I not ride the bike until the fork seal has been sorted? Common sense says no (in my mind at least!) but I know old GS's are tough beasts, so should I or should I not ride?

Secondly.....

I have a replacement pair of fork sliders (stanchions, the bottom bits) and a replacement lower fork brace that I've been meaning to fit for a year, in order to replace the originals that have suffered the dreaded paint flaking and bad finish. Reading through my Haynes manual, it tells you how to remove the fork stanchions from the legs, after loosening the bolts on the lower bridge and a myriad other tasks.

Is it possible to drop the stanchions whilst still attached to the lower fork bridge, negating the need to undo those blasted 4 bolts on the bridge that have no doubt seized solid?? And perhaps after that, refit the new stanchions and fork brace as a single piece? I'm looking at possibilities of making my life a bit easier if it's doable.

Hope someone follows my logic!! Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Flipfly]

Undo the top nuts to undo the sliders and undo the ball joint nut and it should all come apart in one (don't forget to undo brake lines etc.
Have you tried the bolts in the clamp though, they aren't torqued up a lot so should loosen easily. The mudguard ones underneath the bridge are usually the worst ones.

 

[crazywakey]

Undo the top nuts to undo the sliders and undo the ball joint nut and it should all come apart in one (don't forget to undo brake lines etc.
Have you tried the bolts in the clamp though, they aren't torqued up a lot so should loosen easily. The mudguard ones underneath the bridge are usually the worst ones.

Just the kind of answer I was hoping for!!! Thanks bud.

 

[crazywakey]

Also.... can this operation be carried out on the centre stand, or does the front end need to be elevated further in order to drop the front clear of the sliders?

 

[Flipfly]

Also.... can this operation be carried out on the centre stand, or does the front end need to be elevated further in order to drop the front clear of the sliders?

From memory you have to lift the bike up on block if you want to drop them through the bridge, but if you are removing the bridge also then it should come away clean without lifting. Do and this is a must! Make sure that the bike can't be pushed of the centre stand. Normally you do this by strapping it to the front wheel, but you'll have to use a crashbar or something.

 

[crazywakey]

Hahaha... yeah. Previous experience on my first GS taught me that lesson..... took me and 3 other squaddies to lift it back up onto the centre stand!

 

[Slipperyeel]

The stantion is the shiny but that slides inside the fork leg. Just thought I should clarify that detail! So on these beemers the fork legs are damned long compared to a conventional fork.

If you've got one, put a Jack under the sump asking with some weight on the rack to stop it falling off the stand. At least that's what I did and it worked fine


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[crazywakey]

Thanks! I'll also strap it to my garage roof struts to hold it up, a combination of the lot should keep it upright.

 

[ahutcheon]

I'd ride the bike as long as the oil leak isn't lubing the front brakes. You do know that the stanchion lifts out from the top in five minutes (changing the seal is a half hour job, if you stop to let the pot of tea brew properly)? Just thinking that pulling the stanchions then dropping the sliders might be easiest, but I'm eating prawn stir fry not looking at my bike...

 

[crazywakey]

Prawn stir fry.... sounds good!

I've figured that since I wanted to swap out the fork legs and the fork brace for shiny ones anyway, now the fork seal has given up I may as well do both tasks at once.

Ordered new seals and a new ball joint for good measure (which will save me having to fight the old one from the old fork brace, which probably needs replacing by now too anyway).... parts should arrive by Thursday, will strip the front end on Saturday and DIY.... wish me luck!