Just realized you only have 15k miles. I bet you have some debris in the seal that can be pulled out, the seals should be fine. Search youtube for videos on the seal Dr, or the motion pro one "seal mate".Could do oem but they only lasted 15k miles
Yep, that is all the Motion Pro tool is, J-shape thin plasticYou can make a fork seal cleaning tool using a plastic soda bottle. Cut it so its a "J" shape and work it up under the seal...any debris will be pulled out.
lol - I fixed this question for you - the answer is no.Do youjetwash? It’s possible to blast dirt / tiny amount to grit into the upward facing seal if you go in close with the jet…just a thought if you are thinking 15k is a bit premature.
I did this on my dirtbike and it helped for a couple months then was back to leaking. I tried it on the XSR but the problem is getting the 'platic thing' all the way around the seal with the the tight clearance between the fender, fork tube, and brake parts. Guess maybe I'll order the 'real deal' and remove the fender to give it a try.You can make a fork seal cleaning tool using a plastic soda bottle. Cut it so its a "J" shape and work it up under the seal...any debris will be pulled out. You may have to do it a couple of times but it will pull out anything that may be preventing the seal from doing its job. I have done it in the past and worked just fine! With the low miles on your bike I would be very surprised if the seal needs replacing.
My older bike leaked for a long time, and when I replaced the seals I expected a huge loss of oil but it wasn't much different oil volume than the side that didn't leak....To be fair I do quite a bit of 'dirty' riding that might contribute to increased wear, also with so much fork fluid having leaked out I kinda feel like I"ve gotta remove the fork leg and 'top it off' - I don't really like the idea of running the forks with different fluid levels right/left.
IMHO if the forks are coming apart I'm putting bushings in - as you mentioned they often get boogered up, and plus you're 'already there' - it would be like adjusting the valves but not replacing the valve cover gasket - just asking to have to tear the whole damn thing apart again sooner than necissary.AllBalls bearings are ok. Not great, just ok. I don't mind them on dirt bikes where bearings always die due to water and grit finding their way in vs actually being worn out. They're cheap enough to be disposable.
I've tried AllBalls fork seals and bushings on a couple dirt bikes. They're cheap, so shops keep them in stock. The stiction is horrible with them. Never again. Can't say if the seals would've held up or not. The forks were dragging so bad with the parts installed that I never added fluid. Just pulled the seals out and chucked them.
Yamaha sells a fork service kit that has all the bushings and seals in it for like $50. You'll have a hard time beating that price and you won't beat the quality.
It's good to have bushings on hand when you do seals. When you slide hammer the forks apart you'll likely scar the bushings anyway. It's not a sign of doing something wrong, it's just a hazard of them game. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.