Hello, Been a while since I posted. I searched through old forums and couldn’t find any related stories - has anyone wore out the outer fork tubes on their 2015 1200 S? Dealer says every Skyhook bike he gets he has to replace the tubes, and of course after I pulled them off myself he says mine are shot too. I told him to put the seals in and give the forks back… now it looks like they might be leaking still, but I need to put more miles on to confirm. New tubes will be $1,800 plus labor (CAD). Since that seems ridiculous, I’m looking at 2 other options: - Put in 2014 Pikes Peak forks (found a set on eBay for $1700 CAD) assuming they don’t suffer from the same problem. Black tubes would looks sweet too! - Put in 2015 Pikes Peak forks and lose Skyhook on the front. Has anyone ever done either of these or something else? Anyone ever wore out your tubes? Any other ideas? I could just change the tubes but it feels like that’s not fixing the problem. Regards, Greg
Are you talking about no.3 in this parts diagram ? https://www.bike-parts-ducati.com/d...rada-1200-S-Touring/FRONT-FORK/375/2317/0/375 I’m not sure how the outer tube can wear out, but am open to being educated. Surely that’s precisely what the bushes inside the fork are for ? which, of course, are expendable wear items and do need changing periodically.
Am assuming you mean the stanchions . Places like this for refurb. https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/w...jgN99DIV11vi31Pzi2EDpH9Q5adcJK4If5rEZ5E6N4dDX
I’ve had the fork legs re chromed and new seals fitted (1997 900ss) when they started to leak. Not had any issues since.
Yes, part no. 3. When I told them I wasn’t going to change them and to just throw in the new seals and bushings I provided, I asked them to take pictures. Went to pick up the forks and asked for the pics, allegedly their camera broke in the 24 hours between me asking them to take pics with the forks apart and me picking them up…. I wish I had pictures/evidence/proof of the tubes wearing.
That’s shocking (excuse the unintended pun). I think @knightrider is absolutely correct. It raises the question where else they apply such dubious practices in their business. If it were me I’d be taking my future business elsewhere - although I appreciate the geography of the situation may make that impractical.
Exactly, I'd have thought the same.... but as an aside is it possible, or has anyone ever seen it happen, for the fork bush/seal recess(es) in the outer stanchion to wear and/or corrode enough to oval out.
I have certainly seen outer tubes corroded to the point that the seal holder section was at the point of disintegrating but I've never seen them wear.
Too late now but for future reference ask for the old parts returned. I’ve not ever experienced nor met anyone who’s need to replace fork legs unless they’re pitted. As stated above the seals are the wear item not the plating.
So I ended up sharing this on the US page as well and a few of those folks had the same issue. I asked the stealership to put everything together and give it all back. One bushing was chewed up pretty good and one fork started leaking immediately. The other bushing is mint. I think the bushings are coated with teflon, and can’t confirm if the inside of the tubes are coated. The Teflon on the bushings wears out and takes out the tubes. I ended up buying a used set of forks from the UK and had them shipped to Canada. Tore them apart (they allegedly have 873 miles), and the oil was new-looking, tubes are good and bushings were good. So I’m replacing the one tube, and leaving the other one. For less than half the cost of the stealership (for 2 outer tubes) I still have 3/4 of a full set of fork parts in case they decide to grenade in the future. I think I might change my oil annually or semi annually going forward. This event has me wondering how bad the rear shock is… so this winter it’s coming out and going to Accellerated Technologies, a shock wizard in Ontario Canada.
I thought so too but found a bunch of guys in the states that had the same thing. Sounds like all Skyhook bikes, haven’t heard anyone with the Ohlins
Thinking this through, there are 2 bushes, a wider diameter one which fits to the end of the fork stanchion, it’s Teflon (or something similar) coated on the outside as this slides up and down inside the fork tube, hence the coating on the outside. The other bush is a slightly smaller diameter, is Teflon coated on the inside, is the one which is forced/hammered into the top of the fork outer tube and is the one the fork stanchion slides up and down through, hence the coating on the inside. The oil seal sits in the top of the fork outer tube above the bush. Yes, the bushes do wear, at least the Teflon coating wears away. Yes, in theory it’s possible the larger diameter bush could, once the Teflon coating has gone, rub at the inside of the outer fork tube but could it rub so much for so long it destroys the outer tube? I’m sceptical. Additionally, even if the bushes are worn that won’t impact the oil seal as they’re in different locations within the fork. I’m not questioning for one moment you had a new oil seal fail very shortly after install, that’s a fact you witnessed. I do question the failing oil seal is a consequence of a worn bush though. I also question the larger diameter bush could be so worn as to destroy the fork outer tube. I suspect it’s perhaps an internet/forum myth.
2nd set of new seals should be in this week. When they come in I’ll pull the forks off (again) and take a picture of the inside of the fork tubes and share with the group for the future. I’m replacing with used forks, but want to put new seals and oil in em before putting on the bike. I was kinda shocked/pissed to see the new seals leaking that quickly as well. They aren’t pissing, but more than a light sweat. I rode it for a week and observed/cleaned daily, then thought I better fix it.
