Member Contributer VFRiderGal Posted May 18, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 Okay, so I know NOTHING, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA about suspension. (Please don't flog me! LOL) I just had my new tires installed (Pilot Road's and LOVE them) and in the process of having them changed my mechanic friend noticed the odd wear pattern on the front tire. (The back tire was cupping pretty good.) I just took him the tires and wheels, so he didn't actually see the bike. He seems to think I might have a bad front fork seal. Seeing that I haven't seen any signs of any residue on my forks, how would I know this to be the case? Granted, I could easily ride the bike to him (as I will do), but I'd like to learn a little more about it. My suspension is bone stock. Opinions? Thoughts? Suggestions? ~ me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Bad fork seals = fork oil around the seal and fork leg, depending on how bad the leak is would determine how much oil will be present. Of course, there should be none if your seals are good. an you give a description of the unusual wear pattern he found? Do you do a lot of miles on the freeways/Interstates where the crown of the road will put more wear on one side of the tire than the other, depending on what lane you spend most of your riding time on. Beck 95 VFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer V-FORE Posted May 18, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 ??? As far as I know the only thing bad seals will do is allow the fork oil to leak out. I would think that any abnormal tire wear would have been accompanied with some vibration & scary front end feeling.?? Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Luvmyvfr Posted May 18, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 I would say that the chances of you having an 05 with bad fork seals are slim to none....sit on your bike and hold the front bake while rocking it back and forth, if there is no messy fluid on your fork tubes(shiny chrome part) then they are fine! How many miles on the tires? Were they original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFRiderGal Posted May 18, 2009 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah, ya'll are thinking what I've been thinking. No oil present. Front end feels solid. Handling is sharp. They were my original tires and I was doing a lot of highway miles. After all, NW Indiana isn't overflowing with mountains or twisties.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ryanme17 Posted May 18, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah, ya'll are thinking what I've been thinking. No oil present. Front end feels solid. Handling is sharp. They were my original tires and I was doing a lot of highway miles. After all, NW Indiana isn't overflowing with mountains or twisties.... No oil on the forks = fork seals are fine. If your mechanic thinks that an unusual wear pattern on your tires equals bad fork seals, I'd consider looking for a new mechanic. The only reason I can even think of that a fork seal would cause uneven wear is if you leaked out so much oil that the damping characteristics changed one one side only, and even that's stretching it. Is your tire cupping? Is it wearing more on one side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Vee-Ef-Ar Posted May 18, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2009 My last tyre scrubbed out the right side. I was due for head stem bearings. Not sure an 05 would be due, but definately worth checking. I replaced, and all was well again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer Madness Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah, ya'll are thinking what I've been thinking. No oil present. Front end feels solid. Handling is sharp. They were my original tires and I was doing a lot of highway miles. After all, NW Indiana isn't overflowing with mountains or twisties.... I would say that the chances of you having an 05 with bad fork seals are slim to none.... Hello: My name is Mr. Slim...... :cool: I just replaced both front fork seals on my '05...... :huh: I could see the oil though and since I was doing the Racetech thing, I'd do both. :comp13: I thought road camber or crappy 'stock' tyres, but have you ever checked to see that your dampening adjusters are set the same? :idea3: Greg :fing02: Ps Regarding your PM, a Spanking is only where it starts....... :491: Pps You waited so long to respond to my Birthday wishes to you, that I have now been married for 17 years..... :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFRiderGal Posted May 19, 2009 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 19, 2009 Thanks for the input guys! :fing02: I will check the head stem bearings and dampening adjustments. I'll do my homework first though! :comp13: Thank you bunches!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jstanwood Posted May 19, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 19, 2009 If your mechanic thinks that an unusual wear pattern on your tires equals bad fork seals, I'd consider looking for a new mechanic. :comp13: That's scary to me, too! Leaky fork seals are obvious at a quick glance. I agree that the tire is probably cupped. It's a common issue on the front-heavy VFR, and even more so if you have Dunlops. Steering head bearings are pretty easy to check, too, but they would have to be in really bad shape to cause a strange wear pattern. I'll be happy to take a look if we meet up somewhere. I'm not that far away. I'll finally get to meet you guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFRiderGal Posted May 19, 2009 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 19, 2009 If your mechanic thinks that an unusual wear pattern on your tires equals bad fork seals, I'd consider looking for a new mechanic. That's scary to me, too! Leaky fork seals are obvious at a quick glance. I agree that the tire is probably cupped. It's a common issue on the front-heavy VFR, and even more so if you have Dunlops. Steering head bearings are pretty easy to check, too, but they would have to be in really bad shape to cause a strange wear pattern. I'll be happy to take a look if we meet up somewhere. I'm not that far away. I'll finally get to meet you guys! J.... I think I'll take you up on that! Guys, in defense of my mechanic friend, he hasn't looked at my bike. I took the wheels and tires to him and left the "shoeless" bike at home. It was nothing more than a possible suggestion on his part after seeing the tire. That's why I figured I would post up and get some opinions from ya'll just so I could give my brain a few more wrinkles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Yeah, ya'll are thinking what I've been thinking. No oil present. Front end feels solid. Handling is sharp. They were my original tires and I was doing a lot of highway miles. After all, NW Indiana isn't overflowing with mountains or twisties.... Possibly Dunflop D204's??? Not the best tires to come out of the Dunflop oven. The BT020 fronts did it quite badly too. Likely what you were experiencing was fairly normal cupping. Some tire brands/tread patterns do it worse or less than others, and it depends on the bike, rider, ocal roads and inflation pressures over the life of the tire. Oh yeah, and wheel balance/roundness. So there's a bunch of variables. Buy the best tires you can get and move along, nothing to be seen here. Reference: http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...mp;#entry607708 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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