Front Fork Removal Tips?

Karson

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I'm going to be sending my fork tubes off to Nick this week. Before I dive in, can anyone offer up some tips/gotchas along the way to make this go well? Or, is it all laid out exactly how everyone's doing it in the service manual on page 4-84?

Probably going to package them in 2 of the triangular boxes the UPS Store sells and have them each wrapped in bubble wrap with extra in the ends so it they don't wiggle around at all. Of course I'll insure them for replacement value. I'm a little put off by sending suitcase style gun case as 1) that screams open me to the UPS truck loaders 2) even more expense to get this done.

Thanks!
 

Obrianmcc

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Just make sure the bike is properly supported ..... Be mindful that hydro jacks can sometimes settle over time.

Remove the front wheel and attachments....tubes should drop straight out.
 

Karson

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Yeah I'll be mindful of my hydro jack from harbor freight. it's got incremental level locks on it to protect it from dropping over time, so should be fine nonetheless. I don't have a skid plate at the moment, waiting for my Rumbux to arrive, so if i slide some small 2x4's between that and the motorcycle jack, will I be alright?

Haven't looked if the frame drops low enough for the jack to rest on or if i'll be on the motor itself...
 

snakebitten

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Without Forks and front wheel, most of the weight is on the back half of the center-stand. So I would thing a board across the bottom of the motor would not be a problem. It's not like the Sump will be taking a blow.

I will be doing the same soon. But my Rumbux lowers will already be on the bike!
 

Karson

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snakebitten said:
Without Forks and front wheel, most of the weight is on the back half of the center-stand. So I would thing a board across the bottom of the motor would not be a problem. It's not like the Sump will be taking a blow.

I will be doing the same soon. But my Rumbux lowers will already be on the bike!
Thanks...always appreciate when you chime in. ::008:: Will you be going to Ouray?
 

~TABASCO~

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I've just used a little bottle jack. Works great. Mines been sitting on the jack for months. Lol
 

Karson

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Haha ;o)


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snakebitten

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Karson said:
Thanks...always appreciate when you chime in. ::008:: Will you be going to Ouray?
Well thank ya Karson!

And yes, I have plans for doing Ouray 2-up! Really looking forward to it. Pumped to think there could be 75+ Teneres in one spot. That's gonna generate some great photos, I bet.

Wish I could get a month off. There is so much we would like to see that Colorado would be a great base camp for.
 

Karson

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Very cool - wife and I will be riding two up there as well so glad we're not the only ones. Generally two-up I take it pretty easy with someone else's life on the back of the bike. Some couples just "have it" though when riding two up. There was a couple during our AR trip in November that joined us for dinner that rode their VFR better than some can ride a sportbike solo.

Anyway, she said she might let me have a day to myself if she can rent a car from Grand Junction or someplace closer (doubt montrose has car rentals).

Hoping to get full use of the Penske, K60's and Rumbux this June!
 

snakebitten

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She will ride ANYWHERE I take her. But that doesn't mean I will take her anywhere. :)

But they should have never let me see that video of the 2-up Tenere on Imogene Pass! And from the camera view, I don't think the driver stood a single moment.

Everytime we return to the house after an afternoon jaunt, I cut through the ditch along the road front instead of turning properly in the drive. It's a bit steep and I stand when I do it. She just shakes her head and asks what part of me is she supposed to grab onto when I stand?

I tell her just be real careful. ;)

She threatens to someday stand up when I do. I guess I will have to see what happens. I hope someone else gets a shot of that. I would frame it.
 

Karson

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Getting a little off topic, but I'm the OP and it's all good ::008::

It's nice to know that there are others that ride two up on this thing. I get super jealous of all the pictures of places this bike will go solo, and it sucks because I won't do that to her. I'd have to stand in most of that terrain and the passenger grab bars just aren't a safe bet in the squirrely stuff.

I get an earful IF i do end up standing for any short amount of time - she says something on the line of, "if i wanted to see your rear end, i know all i'd have to do is ask..." :D
 

tomatocity

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I will be removing the fork legs soon. Let me know if this is correct or not.

- Front Fender, 6 bolts (remove)
- Brake Calipers, 4 bolts (remove)
- Front Wheel, 2 bolts (loosen)
- - Axle, (remove)
- Lower Bracket, 4 bolts (loosen)
- Upper Bracket, 2 bolts (loosen)

The Yamaha manual says to loosen the Cap Bolt(s) [#3, page 4-81]. Is there a reason to loosen the Cap Bolts for the removal?
 

snakebitten

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How soon? Like tomorrow? :p

Me too. Kind of scary. My S10 has never been unavailable. Can I do this?

Won't be parking in the motorcycle lot next weekend either. Is it a sin to go to GP in a truck?
 

tubebender

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You loosen the cap bolt while there is still clamping force on the outer fork tube. Unless you have some sort of clamping fixture to hold the outer tube when it's off the bike this is no other way to do it. I back it off a few turns so the o-ring seal is visible

You may have to spread the lower bracket slightly so you can slide the assembly out. I was surprised how mush residual tension was left on mine.
 

BWC

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tomatocity said:
The Yamaha manual says to loosen the Cap Bolt(s) [#3, page 4-81]. Is there a reason to loosen the Cap Bolts for the removal?
If the fork legs are being removed to send away for service/upgrade I would send them complete to the shop and let them remove the fork cap bolts unless they specify they need the oil removed for shipping. I think I mentioned in a previous post on fork seal replacement that those fork cap bolts are alluminum and $350.00 each ??? so removing them carefully with a good 6 point socket is in order.
And as Tubebender says release the upper bracket bolts on both forks, loosen the cap bolts then continue with the fork removal if you are going to go ahead and service them yourself. Hope this helps.
 

tomatocity

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tubebender said:
You loosen the cap bolt while there is still clamping force on the outer fork tube. Unless you have some sort of clamping fixture to hold the outer tube when it's off the bike this is no other way to do it. I back it off a few turns so the o-ring seal is visible

You may have to spread the lower bracket slightly so you can slide the assembly out. I was surprised how mush residual tension was left on mine.
Thanks Carl. Done a bunch of KLR's at Tech Days and didn't know if there was anything different about the Yamaha Cap Nut. Guessing Yamaha could add a note "Loosen if disassembling". Many of the riders are shipping the fork tubes to vendors to have them upgraded. I am delivering mine and don't need leaking fork tubes in the trunk of my 1993 Honda Accord :)
 

EricV

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Karson - Those triangular USPS boxes are ok, especially if you're wrapping the forks well in foam or bubble wrap, but the easiest way to ship forks and avoid damage is just to go buy a plastic gun case. Most of the ~$30 ones will ship forks great and are much more durable than cardboard. If you're really smooth, you pick up one that comes in a cardboard box and use that for shipping too. A couple of styrofoam blocks or wedges between the forks so they won't bang against each other and some foam or cardboard on the ends and they stay in place nicely when the shippers toss them in and out of the truck.

Considering the cost of the forks, and the expense of the work being done, the gun case is cheap insurance. Oh, and don't forget the Insurance when you ship too! Replacement value.
 

limey

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I'll be shipping mine out in about two weeks to Nick can any one tell me what is the replacement value on the forks..Thanks

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fredz43

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limey said:
I'll be shipping mine out in about two weeks to Nick can any one tell me what is the replacement value on the forks..Thanks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997R using Tapatalk 2
Yamaha USA retail: 1 FRONT FORK ASSY (L.H (L.H)
23P-23102-00-00 1 $930.49

RH should be the same, so about $1860 for the pair. My dealer has a discount price of $744.39 each.
 
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