average fork seal lifespan?

[gamorg02]

whats the average fork seal lifespan for a vmax or a normal bike. not something thats being stunted.

Only bike i've ever done fork seals on had 30k miles and was almost 20 yrs old, is that typical?

 

[ghostntheshell]

I was just wondering the same thing

 

[naughtyG]

On my '86 with 47k miles they are just fine, but then I have no idea if they were ever replaced..

 

[Thevmaxrider]

The lifespan will really depend on a lot of factors. First off if you keep your bike clean and dirt off the top of the seal they will last longer. Also, change your fluid out on a regular basis and that will extend the life of them. If you ride in the cold you might see a reduction in their life due to them getting stiff and the oil being more viscous which will raise pressure inside the forks which can cause seal damage. All in all I am not too sure that there is a hard fast number at which they will need replacing.

 

[dannymax]

The lifespan will really depend on a lot of factors. First off if you keep your bike clean and dirt off the top of the seal they will last longer. Also, change your fluid out on a regular basis and that will extend the life of them. If you ride in the cold you might see a reduction in their life due to them getting stiff and the oil being more viscous which will raise pressure inside the forks which can cause seal damage. All in all I am not too sure that there is a hard fast number at which they will need replacing.

I totally agree with "Sketchy," it's prolly somewhere between 25 years on the high side, and one big friggin' pothole on the low side.

 

[95spfldmax]

I replaced my 95's last winter with about 25k.......clean forks, average beatings, below average fluid changes.......

 

[gunrunner]

A friend of mine has a 02 Bandit its done 78k and he has just replaced his .

 

[bheinz57]

New ones don't even last long when you over pressurize them, right!?! (Air)

Brian

 

[naughtyG]

I don't think anyone I know is running any air in their forks..

 

[maleko89]

Stock fork springs are hardest on oil seals. I was replacing every two years with stock springs.

 

[dannymax]

New ones don't even last long when you over pressurize them, right!?! (Air)

Brian

That's correct 57, over pressurize them and they will start leaking shortly afterward.

Never gave it much thought but with Progressive or Race-tec springs and no air the fork seals should last considerably longer than with a stock set-up.

 

[richwrench]

If you replace your seals with "LeakProof" seals the lifespan is about 30 days. If you use Yamaha seals, I'm currently at 2 years & counting with no hint of leaks yet...

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

I would think many factors determine the life span of the seals. Rider weight, passenger or no passenger, crappy roads, keeping them clean, wheelies, fork alignment and condition. I have never changed them on the max, but I know from doing them on other bikes that they are a PITA.

 

[gamorg02]

yea defintely a lot of factors. i think 10 - 15k miles is a reasonable estimate on the short side?