Shock oil leak?

[MyCR125rips]

There is a puddle of oil below my front fork, but its on the brake side, so is it either the shock oil from tying my bike down to tight in my pickup,or is it brake oil from the brake mechanism...and how do you change or add shock oil? Help would be greatly appreciated

 

[NacNac250F]

If it's oil you'll have to get your fork seals replaced. You can tell if its your brakes because your brakes wont work.

 

[MyCR125rips]

my brakes work,but not great....any other way i can tell?

 

[sunnyboy]

changing fluid in your forks is normal maintance,so is changing your brake fluid-they go bad with time should be done every year and dont forget your shock.if tour brake is losing fluid your resivor will be low.brake fluid goes bad it will boil at a low temp.this causes your brakes to suddenly go away when you need them not somthing to fool with change it every year,it is easy to do look in your book or the mags do articles on doing it every now and then.the forks and shock are a little different story.during normal use the fluids become contaminated with all kinds of stuff this causes the valves to become clogged or resticted,your may be clogged(very bad)this put undue pressure on the seals causing them to leak,also causing a change in your suspension not good ither.they need to be taken of and taken to or shipped to a suspension shop they will clean them out and replace the seals and set them up for you,the shock will need to be recharged with nitrogen also.not a job for a guy like you.however while the linkage is apart in the rear you need to clean all the bearings in the linkage as well as the swing arm bearings and fill with new grease,also a must once a year.if you are not famaliar with doing this have it done or have a pro. show you how,or it will be a mess.once this is all done you will not belive how well your bike handles it will be a night and day differance.have fun and look at the maintaince schedules in your books you should have an owners manual as well as a shop manual.read them and be smart enuf to know what you can do a what you need to leave to a pro.i know how to do the shocks but thier is to much needed to do it right so i send mine out,every year.

 

[MyCR125rips]

damn thats alot,i figured it was just the brake fluid or shock oil from over tighting my biek to my truck,the seals broke lol....all that sounds like a lot and i have no idea how to do it =\

 

[KaTooMer]

Odds are it's the fork seals leaking, very normal on dirt bikes. The common cause is accumulation of small dirt particles in the seals. If it's the first time my seals are leaking, I usually just take the forks apart and clean everything, and replace the oil. If they start leaking a second time, I replace them. It's a job that seems very intimidating the first time you try it, but once you try it, the next time will be a breeze (well, sort of). My best advice is to buy a shop manual for your bike. Will be the best investment you make for the bike if you plan on keeping it awhile. There's a couple of special tools needed for the job that can be easily made yourself for a fraction of the cost of the fancy tools.

To prolong the life of your seals, try SealSavers. I can honestly say that I've never had a fork seal leak when using them, and that's probably pushing 5 years now. I do take the garden hose and spray on the inside of the SealSavers to get the dirt out of them after each ride, but other than that, they're maintenance free and the best thing going.

If you do decide to tackle the fork seal job yourself, you'll always have plenty of help here. Good luck.

 

[MyCR125rips]

SO i need to go to the store and buy some fork oil and/or replace the seals (somehow) and buying them sealsavers would be a good idea you say?Im pretty sure the puddle under my fork(brake side though) is from cranking the tie down and having the shocks with alot of pressure on them...i heard this was common if you crank it too much....so anyway i just need to get some fork oil i guess and possible replace or fix the seals (dunno what or how) and buy them sealsavers....?
Thanks for your help,very well appreciated. :cool:

 

[KaTooMer]

Yeah, that's what I'd do, especially if the seals have never been replaced. And if you ask nicely, you might be able to find someone here with a manual for your bike, who might be willing to share the front fork pages.

 

[MyCR125rips]

where can i get a manual from my bike,do i ahve to order it or can i possibly find it at like a local motorsports shop? cause i dotn ahve any manual or anything for my bike lol... :bang:

 

[KaTooMer]

Try that online auction website, starts with an E and ends in Bay. Type "cr125 manual" and you'll probably find what you're looking for (make sure it's the large manual and not the basic one that comes with the bike).