Good blast on the Gixer this morning and the fork seals are, happily, working as intended. Starting at Nerang we headed to Mudgeeraba to do Springbrook, dropping down the Pine Creek road, hanging a left and then over the border to NSW and, finally, Tyalgum.
Why?
To try out a variety of different roads, and go back in time to get a brew at Dave's newfound cafe - Flutterbies. 'Cause if there's one thing guaranteed with our rides, we'll end up getting a coffee somewhere.
The route involves a good mix up of riding, from tight twisties and wooden-topped bridges (read slippy), to open roads and long sweepers. It keeps you on your toes, and kneedown is easy enough if you want it. It was the first good test of the forks to check if they were going to bottom out, leak or just chuck me off the bike. The only thing they did was get close to bottoming so another click on compression and we'll see how it goes. Sorted.
This is beginning to take the piss!
I've never had so much grief with a fork seal before. Having changed plenty of USD and conventional fork seals over the years, all with no issues, the Gixer's forks are doing my head in. Plenty of you suffer with leaking fork seals on GSXR's so this time I'm determined to work out why. This bike's done a few k's, and had a bit of stick, but you can seal up the forks of an old 'crosser with epoxy in the rust pits and a bit of wet & dry so lets see if we can't fix this thing on the cheap.
I've heard bushing is a weak point on the 43mm Kayaba's so I'll double check them to make sure they haven't worn through the Teflon coating. Bushes are actually available through the better suspension specialists, but they're a press fit, requiring some form of puller to remove them. If I can get away with it, I will. I have slight scratches in my stanchions so that doesn't help, and I've also never fitted seals the recommended way - with a seal driver! It could all be my fault (and probably is).
It was long overdue.
One thing you should know from the start - I can't abide anyone else working on my stuff. I will always try to do it myself. Working in car dealerships for over twenty years does that to you - you see a fair variation in workmanship. So the letter from Suzuki had been festering in my rucksack for six months but, then again, any corrosion present in my master cylinder could've been present for eight years now anyway (it is a K6).
Any signs? Sponginess?
Nothing. On original hoses, the lever still felt as good as ever. Fluid is changed regularly, or at least while I've owned it. It's not a solid lever, but the brakes are still adequate for hauling the old girl up - and light years ahead of my sixty year old Beesa:) What more could you ask for?
