SDR fork seals

No. 47

No. 47

Can anybody tell me if theyve had any problems with leaking seals in the forks.
Since i bought my SDR which only has 2900 mls ive had to have my forks done twice due to a L/H seal leak.
If this is a problem is there a better more heavy duty seal available.
I admit to doing the odd wheelie and stoppies but surely these bikes are built for this.
Any advice except the obvious much appreciated.
Twisted Jester

Twisted Jester

Mine failed at circa 10k miles probably in part due to loss of nitride coating - fitted Kriega protectors and, at 34k miles, no problems since.
TLS_Russ

TLS_Russ

The one on my RC8 went at less than 4000 miles, decided to replace it myself, see how long this one lasts.
Stratkat

Stratkat

sorry to bring a post up from the dead.. but I'm pissed..

my bike is brand new.. 2013 model.. 300km's on the clock and the right hand fork seal has let go.. covered the whole bike in oil including my tyre, brakes, pants and new boots.. ruined my first real ride with my mates.. all of whom "warned" me of "unreliable" KTM's..

WHAT THE FARK !!!! .. is this something that is common.. I thought WP suspension was supposed to be top notch
Stratkat

Stratkat

Yes this is a bummer,
my experience is that overall they are sound but i had trouble with one on mine and this was just from 2000mls.
everything was checked and double checked and nothing could be found wrong until the 6th time when a new type of seal was fitted and touch wood and 7000mls later ive had no further problems.
I dont know the actual name or maker of the new seal but was just told it was a replacement and made of a different compound.
It is grey though instaed of black if bthat helps.
Stratkat

Stratkat

Touch wood I have not had a leaky fork seal in the last 20 years on any bike..... I am anal about the front wheel being fitted correctly and making sure the forks are not binding though, might have something to do with it
Stratkat

Stratkat

bike is at dealership now.. will be covered by warranty.. including new pads and possibly tyre if they can't get the oil off..
Stratkat

Stratkat

ive never had a blown seal go figure, in 30 yrs! and i suck at wheelies, do em all the time but ive landed some from waaaay up, hard! im not proud of this but there you go. i am changing my seals now because im going to service the forks and will have them off the bike obviously, but the seals are fine.
i was talking to an ex WP guy (trying to locate the O rings for the fork caps) about this and he said even badly landed wheelies shouldnt affect the seals, said the forks on the SD are designed for abuse.
it seems to be bad seals, dirt, or defects in the slider surface that cause seals to leak from what i can tell. if you blow a seal from wheelying, im thinking they werent installed correctly, or just beat.
Stratkat

Stratkat

my buddy has had 2 bad experiences with fork service at 2 different dealers here, 1 being a Ducati dealer.
the first time he picked up his CBR after having the seals replaced only to have one leaking! the second time was on his SV650 after a fork service, we came back from a blast and he said the front end wasnt feeling right. i took it around the block and the front suspension wasnt working, locked! the wheel would bounce off bumps! hes lucky he didnt go down the road that time. WTF?
Stratkat

Stratkat

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No. 47

No. 47

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SDNerd

SDNerd

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