fork fluid or neck bearing grease?
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 866
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From: Pocahontas, IL
fork fluid or neck bearing grease?
Has anyone seen this before? I have noticed that every once in a while (not after every ride) my left fork will have a small trail of something on the backside of the fork coming from under the chrome upper. I put my own chrome forks on 2 winters ago and thought "well crap...I must have a bad fork seal". There is never much fluid or anything just a small trail like I mentioned before. Then I saw this response from a search I was doing. Is it possible that the trail is neck bearing grease?
"all it was is the bearing grease from the steering head bearings. The grease some what liquify (for a lack of a better term) runs down the lower brace of the triple tree and cause the bike leans that way when park runs down the tube and looks like the seals is leaking."
"all it was is the bearing grease from the steering head bearings. The grease some what liquify (for a lack of a better term) runs down the lower brace of the triple tree and cause the bike leans that way when park runs down the tube and looks like the seals is leaking."
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 866
Likes: 2
From: Pocahontas, IL
Cool. Much easier than changing a fork seal. Thanks for the reassurance.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
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From: Bay Area
To be sure its the grease dripping off the triple tree look for a trail along the bottom of the TT, if its dry and youre getting fluid from under the fork tin, its your seal or your fork cap is leaking down the tube would be my guess from the way you described it. Usually the grease melts and drips on the fender.
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 410
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From: Central North Carolina
I greased my steering head bearings using the H-D grease about a year ago. I pumped it until it started to ooze out the top. That was something I ended up regretting....I had grease leaking out the bottom of the steering head for 6 months. When I would ride, I would get specks of grease on my glasses and on the front of the tank. After doing a search on the forum, I learned that there are greases that don't liquify in hot weather. I wished that I had used one of those instead of the H-D. At least, it has finally stopped leaking out the bottom.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Good roads, cold beer
Has anyone seen this before? I have noticed that every once in a while (not after every ride) my left fork will have a small trail of something on the backside of the fork coming from under the chrome upper. I put my own chrome forks on 2 winters ago and thought "well crap...I must have a bad fork seal". There is never much fluid or anything just a small trail like I mentioned before. Then I saw this response from a search I was doing. Is it possible that the trail is neck bearing grease?
"all it was is the bearing grease from the steering head bearings. The grease some what liquify (for a lack of a better term) runs down the lower brace of the triple tree and cause the bike leans that way when park runs down the tube and looks like the seals is leaking."
"all it was is the bearing grease from the steering head bearings. The grease some what liquify (for a lack of a better term) runs down the lower brace of the triple tree and cause the bike leans that way when park runs down the tube and looks like the seals is leaking."
Did yours look like this? (red oval below)
I have a 2008 Ultra, only had 4900 miles when I bought it last Fall....have put on 1500 or so this year, and this has happened the past 2 rides this past Sat and Sun, never occurred before that. On Saturday, there was a single 'drip' at the location the red arrow is pointing in the picture.
I fear its the fork seal but there is no oil running down the fork anywhere, its just on the chrome fork tin as in the pic. Wondering (hoping) its not a seal.
I have greased the neck this year, and its been kinda cold till this past weekend (in MN) so wondering if somehow melted neck bearing grease is creeping over there? what path would it take I wonder?
