Any advice for my Virago?

[Iowawegian]

Gary and I went riding yesterday. I have a 95 1100 Virgago. Anyway, I notice an oil ring about an inch wide on my left front fork. He thinks it's the seal in it. Anyway, took it out and noticed it wasn't "feeling" like normal", so I had him drive it. He definatley thinks it's the seal in the front shock.

So, here's my question. Is this something we can fix ourselves or does the whole bike have to go into the shop? (I consider myself lucky, as I've had the bike and have never had a single problem) Just hoping this isn't major surgery. Any advise would be appreciated!

[Hotrod]

Lucas makes a power steering fluid with a stop leak in it that makes shrinking seals swell

back up . I would try pouring or spraying some on top of the seals and letting it sit over

night, or for a couple of days if possible, to see if that will alleviate the problem before I

Went to the expense of a fork rebuild.It is available at my local Wal-Mart and Advance

Auto Parts.

[utadventure]

When my wife's Suzuki needed forks redone, I took it to a mechanic and had them done. The next year my son's Honda Silverwing needed new seals and he wanted to try and do it himself. I really turned out to be fairly straight forward. With good instructions (I bet you can get from the ViragoTech site) and patience you should be able to do it yourselves in just a couple of hours. The second one goes much faster than the first one you do. Only do one at a time so that 1) you don't mix parts and 2) if you do have questions on the order or direction of parts during reassembly, you can look at the other fork.

 

We found having two of us helpful, escpecially when compressing the spring and putting the cap back on.

 

Good Luck!!

 

Dave

[Guest BluesLover]

Had the front seals done on my 85 Honda Shadow and the 99 Virago at the local shop, and it wasn't very expensive at all (besides, I'm a klutz and I would have screwed it up if I had tried it myself).

 

Cheers,

[rod]

Fork seals are not too hard to change. Look here

http://viragotechforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2079

To make your seals last longer keep the bugs off the fork tubes. Email me if you need help. While you have it apart Progressive Springs are a geat upgrade, the bike will handle and ride so much better. Rod

[5bikes]

Remove forks from the triple tree. Put a new fork seals on top of the old ones. Use super glue around the outside edge to hold them in place. Glue top wiper (dust seat) to new fork seal. OLd leaking seal lubricates new seal. New seal takes very little pressure lasting 50+k miles (10 years?) or longer.

[Iowawegian]

Thanks for your help!! I've printed out the instructions on the Virago tech site and will give them to Gary tonight!! He just called and said parts will be here Wed. Looks like it takes a couple of hours, so hopefully we will have her back together by the weekend!

$73.00 just for parts. Wonder what they'd charge for labor?

Not complaining though as this is the first money we've had to spend on her!

Thanks again and keep your fingers crossed!

[Guest tx2sturgis]

What Rod said about keeping the bugs cleaned off the fork tubes is very important. On most newer touring bikes, the fork tubes, (not the sliders) are protected by what are commonly called 'fork tins', which keeps the bugs off the tubes.

 

(On the few bikes with inverted forks, the fork tubes ARE the sliders)

 

But most cruisers have exposed fork tubes, and when splattered bugs dry and harden on the tubes, they cause a rough spot ( sometimes with dust grains imbedded) that ruins the seal on the slider as it travels over the rough spot during fork dive.

 

After a long ride, or any ride when you see lots of bugs splattered on the windshield, headlight, or your face shield or goggles, you can assume there are bug guts on the fork tubes. A little dab of Goof-Off, lighter fluid, or Simple Green at full strength on a rag will clean that stuff off.

 

This wont help you out once the seals are leaking, but after the repair, just watch those fork tubes for bug guts!

 

 

 

[BradT]

Mr. Black Owl was making these little socks that fit over the exposed tubes to keep them clean. Not sure he still has them or not, or how much he was selling them for.

 

BRad

[footsie]

jUST LITTLE MORE ADVISE, WHEN YOU GO TO DRIVE THE SEAL BACK IN PLACE, A PEICE OF PVC TUBING MAKE A GOOD SUB FOR A SEAL DRIVER.

 

GOOD LUCK

 

GREGG

[Greying]

Gary and I went riding yesterday. I have a 95 1100 Virgago. Anyway, I notice an oil ring about an inch wide on my left front fork. He thinks it's the seal in it. Anyway, took it out and noticed it wasn't "feeling" like normal", so I had him drive it. He definatley thinks it's the seal in the front shock.

So, here's my question. Is this something we can fix ourselves or does the whole bike have to go into the shop? (I consider myself lucky, as I've had the bike and have never had a single problem) Just hoping this isn't major surgery. Any advise would be appreciated!

 

Very simple to change fork seals. I have done a number of them. Have some cold beer, not too much, some help, not a klutz, be sure to have a clean environment, a calibrated measuring container and new seals before you start. Do not put one seal on top the other, use oem stuff if you can. Go the the virago site and get the proper information on procedures or get a haynes manual. good luck