When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a 91 Heritage and I notice oil the left fork slider cover. I first notice oil on the primary cover and couldn't figure out how it got there until I looked at the left fork. The bike has 64,000 miles on it. Is this typically for the forks to start leaking? Does this mean a rebuild or seals replacement? Any advice would help.
Last edited by Oakleyrider; Jun 5, 2010 at 08:10 PM.
Reason: spelling
My '87 started leaking shortly after I bought it (used in '99). Wasn't the seal - the fork tube had rotated, or more likely wasn't assembled in the tree correctly by the previous owner. Oil was coming from the top of the tube at the fork tube plug (not the top nut). Screwed the tube back into the plug & cinched it down. Been good ever since.
With those miles and you not knowing when they were last rebuilt you might want to go ahead and do that. There are some wear parts that need replacing every so often. Say 20k miles or so. If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself you can pull the tubes out and take them to a dealer or Indy to be done.
If you front end has been feeling a little mushy you can go to a higher weight oil. Some people seem to like the SE 15 wt.
Re-install. Check your fall away. And you're done. Unless you want to pull the triple trees and repack the bearings which would be a good idea if they haven't been done yet. You can do that while the forks are at the shop.
Does anyone know the fork tube diameter? I have both the owners and shop manual and neither manual has this information. I'm looking online for a fork seal kit and found one on J&P website. It's a 41mm kit but I am not sure of the the tube size.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.