Dealer Said Fork Seals Leak - Need Advice

[NHViffer]

I am in the process of selling my 86 VFR and the prospective buyer had me take the bike to Naults to have it QC prior to making an offer.

Nault's told him that the fork seals are leaking.

I had just replaced both fork seals over the winter. The bike has been ridden all of maybe 20 miles since they were done. Is there a reasonable explaination?

I have not yet talked with the Naults service people to see why they think that. Is what they perceive as leaking oil actually the residual from doing the job? I am thinking that maybe they are looking at the left over grunge on the front of the radiator that I have not yet washed off.

[TLRMan]

Is there residual oil lurking around the seals, which lead them to believe it's leaking?

[NHViffer]

I talked to the technician when I picked it up:

1. He thought that the fork seal was leaking because when he compressed the front end there was a very thin dust/oil ring at the top of where the travel was. I told him that I had just changed the seals and he said that explains it...residual oil on/in the seal.

2. The clutch and brake fuid need to be changed. I told him that I had just flushed that last fall, to which he said that he had only looked in the sight glasses... ha, ha - those sight glasses are so non-transparent from years of weather that you can't even see the level in them, say nothing about the color of the fluid. The windows themselves are more dark than the fluid!

3. Oil & filter need to be changed... Maybe, but the oil and filter on it only have about 300 miles on it.

4. Needs to have a chain guard...This may be a legit finding. The shop I went to did an inspection, but they really only looked at brakes, lights, horn...

5. Needs a carb synch/tune....Maybe a synch. I just did the valves recently. The plugs could probably be replaced, but they did not look too bad so I had left them. The air filter is a little dirty, but was not really worth replacing.

6. Radiator needs to be flushed/fluid cleaned...maybe, but I had to pull the radiator to do the valves. 90% of the fluid is new.

After all that, the mechanic told me that the bike was in pretty good shape and that he would recommend that the prospective owner buy it.

BTW - Naults quoted the guy about $500 for doing all the things they claim that it needs. So, my point is that some dealerships don't do what you ask. The guy asked them to do a QC for any major issues. The mechanic gave him a laundry list of things that a 1986 bike with 30,000 miles should have done. It was obvious that he did not even look at most of the things that he said were wrong.

The guy is supposed to be at my house tomorrow with a check and buy it after he get a final look of his own.

Tales about sales...