little leak after fork seal change

Red wolf

Red wolf

Joined
Mar 17, 2011
Messages
52
Location
Innisfail, ab, canada
Bike
Honda ST1300
Hey, I just finished changing the fork seals on my 03 ST1300 last week and got out for a short ride this week, when i got back i noticed a bit of oil on one of the forks....is this normal right after changing the fork?, i.e. too much oil in it.
Hoping to get out for another ride today to see if it occurs again.

On a side note, i have a powerlet socket on my bike with a USB charging adapter as well as oxford heated grips, and just wondering if i am correct to assume that the stock alternator could handle having the grips on, a phone charging, and running a GoPro camera off it. I'm sure some people run more off it.
 
No, you shouldn't see any leaks after fitting new seals....sounds to me like you'll be doing it again....oh and check for pitting of the slider.

AFAIK the 1300's alternator puts out 500 more bits of electrickery than it needs to run the bike, so you should have no problem running that stuff....I regularly have the heated grips and charger on the go.
 
Red wolf said:
On a side note, i have a powerlet socket on my bike with a USB charging adapter as well as oxford heated grips, and just wondering if i am correct to assume that the stock alternator could handle having the grips on, a phone charging, and running a GoPro camera off it. I'm sure some people run more off it.
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re seals;
Wipe down and check if oil reappears...if it's leaking, the good thing is you only have to do one! :) You may want to try cleaing the seal in case something got in there ( 35mm film or special seal cleaning tool ) before pulling it apart again.

re above... yes , but depends aon where you tap power from... If from the quad harness, its only rated for about 3 amps... if direct or to a fuse center no problem as the 1300 has plenty of amps available from the engine
 
Shouldn't leak. Are you sure you didn't put the seal in upside down? There is a right and a wrong way that they go in.

As for power. You should be fine. You are not pulling that much and you are right that many of us pull way more than that. Heated gear is some of the biggest draws. GPS typically the lowest.

This is what I will run on my bike that consumes power that isn't OEM and haven't seen an issue: (and yes I have run them all at the same time)

Heated Grips
Heated Jacket
Heated Gloves
Driving lights (ran 35watt Halogen for a whlie but switching to 35 watt Xeon HID)
Midland CB/WX Radio
Icom GMRS/FRS Radio
StarCOM1
Garmin Zumo 550 w/XM Radio
Garmin SP 2730
Garmin Nuvi 745T
Kissan TPMS
Cell Phone Charger
Tablet Charger
Stopper Brake Light
Givi Top Box w/Brake Light Kit
Bi-Xeon HID Headlamps (35 watt ballasts so might be a slight power savings over OEM Halogen)

There are others that run as much and some that run more without issues so I would worry too much about it.
 
ok so your new seals leaking heres a wee trick lift the dust seal and fill the space bellow with cotton wool this will hold the seal tight to the fork once you put the dust seal back down ive used this bodge on many bikes over the years saves loads of down time in the summer months now before the purists tell you not to this is a temp fix !
 
sofawizard said:
ok so your new seals leaking heres a wee trick lift the dust seal and fill the space bellow with cotton wool this will hold the seal tight to the fork once you put the dust seal back down ive used this bodge on many bikes over the years saves loads of down time in the summer months now before the purists tell you not to this is a temp fix !
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Heath Robinson lives
 
sennister said:
Shouldn't leak. Are you sure you didn't put the seal in upside down? There is a right and a wrong way that they go in.
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I'm about 98% sure i put them on the right way, i read the slip of paper they came with, and it said make sure the manufacturer information is face up.


sennister said:
There are others that run as much and some that run more without issues so I would worry too much about it.
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What i thought, just didnt want to risk running out of power partially down the road.....now if only i can remember to turn everything off and unplug them when the bike is not in use :confused:
 
Red wolf said:
I'm about 98% sure i put them on the right way, i read the slip of paper they came with, and it said make sure the manufacturer information is face up.
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You should be able to lift up on the outer fork boot and take a look at it to be sure on the side that appears to be leaking. Might need an inspection mirror to see it but it should be visible.

What i thought, just didnt want to risk running out of power partially down the road.....now if only i can remember to turn everything off and unplug them when the bike is not in use :confused:
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If I am running everything my bike will be discharging but only when sitting at a stop light. Once underway I am around 14V. Oh I have a digital voltmeter on the bike as well to keep an eye on it.
 
As 04 Tom Mac 04A recommends, you may want to try cleaning. I use old State Farm Insurance cards on my dirt bike forks. They are very thin plastic & slip up under the seals easily.

I cut the end in the shape of a hook which aids in removing the dirt particles.

Its easy to do, prior to disassembling the fork.
 
Well, it seems each time i take it out there is less oil appearing on the fork...not sure what that means.
I cleaned all of the pieces of the forks when i disassembled them and before i put them back together. I did put some oil on the bottom and inside of the seals before i put them in, i doubt that would make a difference
 
Little nicks/dirt on the tubes can be a seal killer... make sure you wipe down the tubes on a regular basis. I do it once a day while out touring...If gettting gas in bug zones, I do it then(bug bodies are real hard when dry)
 
This is why I like the gators on my forks. I have always been having issues with bugs on my 1100. Have yet to blow a seal on the 1300 which has gators.
 
I've yet to blow a seal on the 1300 yet either. No gaiters. But I did change them preemptively at 72,000 miles.
 
Red wolf said:
Gators?
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Look at the last couple pics I posted in post #2 in this thread and you will see them on my 1300.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?127413-Hella-Optilux-1100-fog-lights&highlight=

They are basically cloth boots that have a velcro closure on the back so they can be easily removed or installed. They wrap around the fork tubes and protect them from bugs, rocks and such which can cause problems with the fork seals.

I don't know why more people don't run them. The biggest problem I had on the 1100 is bugs taking out my fork seals. No reason the 1300 would be any different so I can only say that these have been the reason I haven't had the issues on this bike.

I wish I could say where I go them but they were on the bike when I bought them. The only markings on them were from the dealer where the guy bought my 1300 from down in AZ.
 
Red wolf said:
cool, but isn't that why the ST13 has the fork guards?

P.S.
I i'm pretty sure that the seals were ruined when i got the bike.
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The 1100 has them as well. At least my 1100 has them. They can't cover all the fork so you get bugs on there. If they dry they can damage the fork seals the next time you ride.
 
Red wolf said:
Well, it seems each time i take it out there is less oil appearing on the fork...not sure what that means.
I cleaned all of the pieces of the forks when i disassembled them and before i put them back together. I did put some oil on the bottom and inside of the seals before i put them in, i doubt that would make a difference
Click to expand...

This was my situation, had put oil on seals and it took a few rides to drain it all off. Eventually quit leaking.

Jim
 
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