Dakota_Lew
XS650 Agronomist
Hey all,
I am running a rat rod / dirt bike style XS650 for about 3 years now. I ride it everyday on gravel and on dirt. They are VERY hard miles and rolled over 16,000 miles last October in 3 years since i have had it. I burn threw 2 chains a year on this bike to give it perspective of the life it has. I live way out in the badlands and work as a farm chemist/ agronomist so this cycle see nothing but gravel and dirt and maybe has 60 miles of highway for a beer run.
Anyways I rebuilt my forks last year because they started to leak (and leak alot) I have rebuilt 5 of them over the years and have had no problems till now. They have had dust seals on them there whole life, but this time they are leaking and leaking bad. I rebuilt them in November this year and its been sitting since winter/snow/ice hit, and today i went out to my storage and there is a nice puddle of fork fluid on the floor. I would be shocked if i rebuilt them wrong, i am kind of an anal mechanic with these things but it is possible.
I am thinking to just want them to be rebuilt professionally by Hugh this time, but before i do i want to make sure there isn't something i am missing on why they are leaking so bad. I obviously cleaned them thoroughly before i put them back together andf didn't notice and giant gaping scratches or dings on them.
My question is the following.
Think they are worth rebuilding or are they fucked from the sand and grit that got underneath the fork boot? Maybe i am better off to find some old ones on the forums to replace them?
Think i can take them off and polish the inner cylinder?
Maybe bad seals to begin with, they didn't look bad.
any other advice?
Thanks for your time guys, just wanted to run it by the experts before i spend the funds to have them done professionally.
-Lew
I am running a rat rod / dirt bike style XS650 for about 3 years now. I ride it everyday on gravel and on dirt. They are VERY hard miles and rolled over 16,000 miles last October in 3 years since i have had it. I burn threw 2 chains a year on this bike to give it perspective of the life it has. I live way out in the badlands and work as a farm chemist/ agronomist so this cycle see nothing but gravel and dirt and maybe has 60 miles of highway for a beer run.
Anyways I rebuilt my forks last year because they started to leak (and leak alot) I have rebuilt 5 of them over the years and have had no problems till now. They have had dust seals on them there whole life, but this time they are leaking and leaking bad. I rebuilt them in November this year and its been sitting since winter/snow/ice hit, and today i went out to my storage and there is a nice puddle of fork fluid on the floor. I would be shocked if i rebuilt them wrong, i am kind of an anal mechanic with these things but it is possible.
I am thinking to just want them to be rebuilt professionally by Hugh this time, but before i do i want to make sure there isn't something i am missing on why they are leaking so bad. I obviously cleaned them thoroughly before i put them back together andf didn't notice and giant gaping scratches or dings on them.
My question is the following.
Think they are worth rebuilding or are they fucked from the sand and grit that got underneath the fork boot? Maybe i am better off to find some old ones on the forums to replace them?
Think i can take them off and polish the inner cylinder?
Maybe bad seals to begin with, they didn't look bad.
any other advice?
Thanks for your time guys, just wanted to run it by the experts before i spend the funds to have them done professionally.
-Lew