Darren Butler – wizard@zip.com.au
(original publish date unknown)
If anyone has trouble with fork seals sealing correctly, I advise to cross cut (very carefully) the chrome fork leg with fine (1200) wet and dry emery paper. The left fork leg on my 1978 R100RS had a very minute scratch on the leg. Each time I replaced the fork seal it would start to leak after a few thousand miles. I stripped the fork numerous times but could not locate the damage.
I used a technique, that we printers use in the printing world to assist gravure chrome cylinders obtain a better print, which is to rough up the chrome. I wiped 1200 wet and dry (not up and down the fork leg) but with a lot of hand pressure, around the fork leg. This creates minute score marks around the chrome leg. I have no idea why this work, but I can assure you that the fork seals stop weeping and last just as long as normal road usage allows.
P.S. My R100RS is used every day and has been since new in snow, rain, frost, and anything else nature throws at me (it is my only form of transport). My average daily milage is 150 miles to and from work and the only time I have been let down is the splines wearing between the wheel and dirive shaft (sand got into the system driving in the Australian Outback). By the way, I get fed up listening about Re-Born motorcyclists and their triumphs when they are out on a warm Sunday. They have 35 years of daily riding to catch up with people like me who is out everyday. Hope the above tip helps, it does work in printing and also on BM fork legs.