Bleed forks while tied down ???

[Jimmy_K]

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to bleed the air from my forks when the bike is tied down during transport. And then open the bleeders back up once untied and on a stand. This seems like it would relieve some pressure on the fork seals. I know that a block between the fender and tire is best, but I need to put the bike under a canopy on my truck so the front needs to be lowered to fit. THANKS Jim

[DaveJ]

Jimmy,

No need to worry - the seals will not wear out any sooner with additional pressure against them.

If you want your seals to last, keep the fork tubes clean of dirt and water spots, and make sure your forks are aligned perfectly straight. This can make all the difference.

However, with considerations to the springs, I would not store the machine for long periods with the suspension compressed.

Hope this helps.

DaveJ

[PK]

I have the White Bros fork bleeder valves on mine so I usually will bleed it off when transporting the bikes then bleed them again when I unload them and get it on a stand with the front wheel off the ground. Whether or not it makes a difference in the life of the fork seals, I don't know. It only takes a second to bleed them so I do it. If you going to a place that is higher in elevation from where you loaded the bike, the pressure build up can get pretty big, so I always do it in that situation.

PK

[bbeakley]

I've never tried it, but the manual states that the tire should be off the ground and the forks should be fully extended. I don't know why it would be bad to do it with it compressed other than the possibility of oil coming out. If you're worried about the built up air putting pressure on the seals while transporting, you could put it on the stand when you're done riding, bleed the air, then load it up and cinch it down.