Leaking fork?

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Apr 6, 2010 | 07:26 PM

wsaxton

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Joined: Jan 2010

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Leaking fork?

I took my 2009 Ultra with 6400 miles into the shop last Friday because I thought the left fork was leaking from the top of the larger diameter section. The chrome section of the fork would get oily right after I washed the bike or wiped down the fork leg. With in 100 miles there would be several streaks all the way down the chrome section of the fork. The problem started after my 5000 mile service from the same dealership. Anyhow the dealer called me today to tell me that there was no leak in the fork. What I saw was grease melting and running out of my "neck tube". Not sure if this is what it is actually called but on a bicycle I know they are called head tubes. The service rep told me at the 5000 mile service the pumped the neck tube full of grease and as it melts it runs out. Mine just happens to run down the outside of my chrome fork leg. Is this common? The bike did not do this from the factory. It is not hot yet here in Houston 80 degrees max, as soon as we get into summer we will get to 100, what then? Did the dealer put too much grease in? Maybe an inferior grade of grease that melts at extremely low temps, I do not know. In any case the explanation seems week and results, an oily fork leg after 100 miles of riding, are just completely unacceptable. Let me know if this is normal or common.
Thanks
Bill

Apr 6, 2010 | 07:37 PM

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Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 11,471

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From: Charleston, SC

This is very common. They are not feeding you a line of bull. For one "fork fluid" is red.

One thing that might help is to turn your forks and scrape all the excess goo out from around your neck and lower triple tree.

lp