fork seals question

[desmodoktor]

hello everyone ! i have a question abt fork seals on bikes.
i recently bought a 2003 999R with 260miles on .. yes 260 miles... the guy who had it was rich and didn't ride it much ..
so i took it for a quick spin and i felt that smth wasnt right on the front end.. long story short.. i removed all fairings to go over everything before i start riding it ..
everything looks good so far except the left ohlins fork .. while i was cleaning the bike i got fork oil on my fingers .. i was like wtf !! so i cleaned  both forks and started pushing the front end up and down abt 20 times... it makes a sound like its pushing air when i push down , and sucking air in when it goes back up .. also there's fork oil dripping from it .. u can see it on the pic below.
WHAT CAUSED THIS ? is it a bad fork seal? can fork seals go bad over time? (the bike was seating in a closed space on the kickstand for the past 6 years) idk where it was before that.
im not concerned abt replacing the fork seals or working on this very freaking expensive fork .. im just wondering what was the cause of the leak ? any opinions? thank you in advance!

[malamikigo]

Obviously the fork seals are pooched.  And probably many other things on it.  Buying a bike that's 10 years old and only 260 miles on it isn't a good thing, as much as it may seem like it. 

[brad black]

most fork seals will leak if a bike sits still for a long time.  move it once, they leak.  ohlins are worst, it's a wonder there's any oil left in them after that amount of time.

just replace the seals and move on.

[desmodoktor]

Obviously the fork seals are pooched.  And probably many other things on it.  Buying a bike that's 10 years old and only 260 miles on it isn't a good thing, as much as it may seem like it. 

Like what else ?

[Howie]

Assuming the sliders are good new seals and oil should fix you up.  Use Ohlins oil.

[Slide Panda]

Like what else ?

Well if it wasn't well looked after - just sitting will have things like your seals dry out - as you've seen. Probably due for a good lubrication of things like the steering head, and swing arm pivot. The brake fluid's probably never been changed, so there may be corrosion in there from accumulated water. Belts a long done for, tires are too...

While little use will preserve some things on the bike - just leaving it to sit does bad stuff over time if the bikes not properly prepped.

[desmodoktor]

Well if it wasn't well looked after - just sitting will have things like your seals dry out - as you've seen. Probably due for a good lubrication of things like the steering head, and swing arm pivot. The brake fluid's probably never been changed, so there may be corrosion in there from accumulated water. Belts a long done for, tires are too...

While little use will preserve some things on the bike - just leaving it to sit does bad stuff over time if the bikes not properly prepped.

Yes u r absolutely right. Belts , battery, oil, oil filter, clutch bleed, brake bleed were done last week. Tires are 2-3 years old .. still soft and looking new . . The bike is clean no signs of rust on it.. I removed all fairings and inspected .. Ofcourse I will flush the cooling system completely .. grease everything and also replace the fork seals and oil .. that's one day of work for me . I got a great deal .. so either way I look at it I'm in + .
Anything abt the internal engine parts , valve gaskets , base gaskets ??

[malamikigo]

Sounds like you have it pretty well sorted and should have a good bike once those fork seals are fixed up.  Put some miles on the thing!

[ripit007]

Dont throw time and $$ replacing fork seals just yet.  Try this:

http://sealmate.net/

Some times its just a little dirt that gets past the dust seal and causes the fork seal to leak.  I was skeptical that it would fix my leaky fork, but sure enough it worked like a charm. For $6 its worth a try.  If you have any 35mm film you could use that too.   

[desmodoktor]

Dont throw time and $$ replacing fork seals just yet.  Try this:

http://sealmate.net/

Some times its just a little dirt that gets past the dust seal and causes the fork seal to leak.  I was skeptical that it would fix my leaky fork, but sure enough it worked like a charm. For $6 its worth a try.  If you have any 35mm film you could use that too.   

i understand and thank you for your advice.. but as i stated above.. this particular bike was seating at this dealer for the past 7 years and it was ridden for 260miles on the street.
i dont think there is any dirt build up there.. but i will remove the dust seals and inspect/clean the fork. i already ordered new ohlins forl oil/dust seals and a very cool stand http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Stand-Ducati-Paddock-wheels/dp/B00AGNJM3M
so i work on it comfortably .. im just waiting on the delivery now. i ll replace the seals and ill throw fresh oil on them and call it a day . hope everything goes smooth since ive never done a
fork seal job before.. 

any tips or advice would be appreciated .. thank you.