Leaking forks

[Schuey]

Cheers guys, appreciate the reassurance.

 

[HertsTif]

Exactly like mine Schuey. Unlikely to be a fork problem when both are identical too.

 

[Rocky83]

Mine is alot worse than that would post a pic if I could work out how???

 

[Oli]

Mine is alot worse than that would post a pic if I could work out how???

Only Premier Members can upload photos natively to the site. Please see the linked thread for full information.

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Naturally, we prefer the former option [emoji6]

https://s1000rrforum.co.uk/showthread.php?6735-Premier-Membership-What-is-it

 

[Steve]

I have just had my forks replaced due to them both leaking, after about a 100mile run it would have leaked nearly down to the spindle clamp screws

 

[cobo]

FWIW my gen3 did this consistently until about ~1500-2000km them generally stopped. The ring of grease only comes back on super hot days.
If it?s more fluid like and actually running down, that?s a different story.

 

[Steve]

Probably no fluid left in them to leak out if did it for 1500 miles ??

 

[alex]

Heard of the GREASE MELTING for 2000km's before. Clearly they are generous with it when building the forks.

It's leaking fluid *only* if it comes out of the fork onto the stanchion and probably the floor *whilst stationary* not just on a ride...and even then it would have to be stored at a temperature lower than the grease melt point to prove it was fluid.

 

[Rocky83]

BMW recovered my bike to the dealer today so will see what they come back with.

 

[Tom_G]

This is concerning. Mine always seems to have a ring on the stanchion after a spirited ride out. Hope you guys get sorted

 

[Rocky83]

Just to update the thread, I had a call from the dealer and they are convinced it is just melted grease. I'm a tad surprised to say the least. Guess I will just have to keep an on it and see if it gets better or worse.

 

[Schuey]

Thanks for reporting back.

 

[schua2007]

I've been following this as my front forks are significantly worse than the picture. I have slim black lines around them, one quite large and is obviously catching dust etc. My bike is a 69 plate and already lost it for three months to have front calipers replaced as they were leaking.

Today I took it to the dealer. They looked at it and are content that it's just grease. However, they've requested I book it in for a day to enable a full look and mend if required so bike is now booked in for 29th. Perhaps not just grease?

On the way I home I detoured to my local Ducati dealer and was chatting about the forks issue with him. He asked to have a look so he accompanied me to the bike. He then went and got one of his technicians who carries out MOT's to look at it. The technician is convinced it's not grease and he would fail it.

Not really sure what to think at the moment

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[Schuey]

It's interesting to get another view point other than that of BMW's, even if it is a direct rival. It does annoy me if I'm honest, I'm just staying calm because every other Gen 4 seems to be the same.

 

[schua2007]

In all honesty I'm a mixture of confused, concerned and feeling a little 'potentially shrugged off by dealer'. I'm not someone that has 'spanners' for my bike and I don't spend anytime in my garage with it. I bought it because I loved my Gen 3, I had multiple K1300s (7 and I loved them) and finally after my third test ride I succumbed to my favourite sales person and helped him out at the end of Feb, numbers are everything.

I love, adore this bike. But, I now spend 15 mins in my garage ahead of any ride checking everything is ok. The technician from the dealership today, when I stated that there have been issues with front forks responded with 'if you believe forums'.

I'm sorry but I now do believe forums, because it was this forum that posted about leaking callipers. As someone who doesn't spanner, I would have ridden my Gen 4 and been oblivious to the leaking callipers due to the trust I give an OEM.

I'm just hugely disappointed, and more importantly I think my confidence in my own bike is diminishing as I'm waiting for the next issue. Rides are becoming less enjoyable as I'm over analysing every knock, and when a dealer just says 'if you believe forums' I'm just truly disappointed, dismayed and losing confidence in a truly exceptional machine that I love, but need to trust .

Apologies for the ramble, I ride because it makes me smile, I'm not smiling too much at the moment due to nervousness.

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[soofsayer]

If the forks are leaking fluid you would see it running down the stanchion to the axle points. I have had leaking forks on a bike before and the bit of residue that sits on the forks as described is not the same thing by a country mile.

Asking a ducati mechanic if your bmw bike is ok is like asking Donald Trump if he likes mexicans. You are going to get a fairly bias answer.

I agree there have been a few issues with the gen 4 bike but amateur diagnosis of a ?problem? doesn?t mean there is a problem. Someone posted on here not long back that their front forks were leaking, the dealer told them they weren?t, he wasn?t happy, and amazingly that person then did a trackday 3 days later on the bike, without posting that actually his diagnosis was wrong and the bike was fine.

On fb today someone posted about their carbon rims ?failing? (not sure what they actually mean but who?s bothered about details when you can sensationalise eh). Someone else posted that loads of people from the forum have had problems and bmw didnt want to know. Utter crap. 2 people have had crack rims (trackday riders) and both had their rims replaced by bmw under warranty, hardly loads of people and hardly bmw didnt want to know.

So what I am trying to say is dont necessarily take posts by people you dont know as being fact, and then inflating them into a theme of everything is doomed. It just isnt.

If you have fluid running down your stanchions and then down to the axle and calipers, you have leaking forks, if its ringed residue on the chrome its not.

 

[schua2007]

Many thanks for the prompt response, as I said in my post I'm not a 'spanners,' person and totally understand and agree with your trump reference.

You have curtailed my further 'nervousness decline' regarding leaking forks and I did know the Ducati guys would be a 'little bias'.

I will update everyone post the 29th, and confidently leave Officer Commanding Domestic (the missus and general chore setter) at home whilst I enjoy the Gen 4 which I truly do.

Thanks again

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[Marc A]

Trump saying ?China? has my son in stitches. Fabulous round up Soof

 

[soofsayer]

Many thanks for the prompt response, as I said in my post I'm not a 'spanners,' person and totally understand and agree with your trump reference.

You have curtailed my further 'nervousness decline' regarding leaking forks and I did know the Ducati guys would be a 'little bias'.

I will update everyone post the 29th, and confidently leave Officer Commanding Domestic (the missus and general chore setter) at home whilst I enjoy the Gen 4 which I truly do.

Thanks again

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Good man, keep an eye on it, if its getting worse get bmw to take another look at it. I hope it?s something of nothing, and happy biking continues!

 

[fast_ryan]

Leaking Forks

If you have fluid running down your stanchions and then down to the axle and calipers, you have leaking forks, if its ringed residue on the chrome its not.

+1.