Since I'm getting new forks in response to my various mishaps, my friend suggested something I haven't heard of yet. He is an avid mountain biker, and apparently, to their forks to keep them smooth and well performing, they wrap them in paper towels soaked in motor oil so as to fill the porous surface with lubricant, keeping the seals fresh and making them operate better. Is this a common practice with motorcycles, or is there more to our forks than those of mountain bikes that makes this an undesirable or unnecessary thing to do?
I've never seen it. I'm pretty sure that motorcycle forks are designed to work fine on their own, with a little basic maintenance.
Plus, you'd have an oil soaked rag near HOT rotors and your front tire. :o
Mountain bike forks are slightly porous for just that purpose. Motorcycle forks are not. I suppose a little oil on the seals wouldn't hurt, but riding the bike occasionally would accomplish the same purpose.
@Dellikose, I'm sorry, I should have added that they only wrap them for 24 hours while the bike is in the garage, then wipe off the excess and go on their way.
I think you're right. Thanks for the input [thumbsup]
I squirt some WD40 on a rag and wipe it on the fork sliders to make them more slippery. I convinced myself that it also keeps the bugs from sticking to it. I read somewhere that dried bug guts are one of the hardest things on fork seals.
Anyone else out there treat their sliders with anything?
Cheers,
Wiping them down with WD40 or similar to clean them is sufficient. I use Eezox which is a little more expensive than WD40, but it's a dry film lubricant and cleaner and works exceptionally well.
That was common on MTB forks that didn't use an oil bath (for example the elastomer givern chubby I run on the proflex). Pointless on hard chromed, inverted oil bath moto forks imo. Every time the fork moves on your monster's forks the chrome bit gets submerged in oil.