2 Strokes Down Under

when you braked with the forks on the bike and rolling, did the fork leg make a sticking/grabbing noise? if so it could be the seals grabbing as the bushes are shot so the fork leg isnt riding up and down as it should. Ive had this with my KTM WP forks.

interesting.
I havent used these forks on the bike yet.
But when I pump them up and down when off the bike, they make a rubbing, squeaking noise

Ill be very happy if this is all it turns out to be... full rebuild/service, get the fork set up perfectly and then Ill be happy as a pig in shit

Ring inside the dust seal could be rusted as well

not dust seals, I popped them out and tested.

The fork only seizes when fork bottoms are turned in one particular direction, which to mean is a standout symptom of bent forks

I would think a bent fork would make a noise no matter which way round the bottom was turned, the bent part would still be interfacing with the non bent part at the same point in the stroke, just a different orientation.

hmmmm fair point also.

We shall soon find out, I will be dropping it in for a rebuild this week hopefully

Keep us posted Jeram, fingers crossed it wont be anything serious mate.

no worries,

I did a quick search on google for 'forks stuck' and of all the results to pop up, most we from the aprilia forum with people who had seized bushes and seals.

Maybe ill be in luck!

Ill keep you all posted.

confirmed, forks bent.

2mm on the upper, 2.5mm on the lower

Luckily I didnt send it for a rebuild as it would have been 300 bucks down the drain
Luckily lozza has a spare RHS fork which he is going to check straightness of and let me have for a reasonable amount

bummer indeed. Mine squeaks and I know the bushes are dead as they are worn and just pull out without any hesitation, so was hopeful yours might be the same. The fact it sticks down was a bad sign tho

forks are in getting worked on at promecha, Peter at promecha found a dent in the fork upper so ill be sourcing a new upper from lozza or converting one of his good left legs into a right leg

My mate is giving it a spin in the lathe to make certain it's straight

nice one Lozza

Woohoo, My forks will be rebuilt, upgraded and ready to go in one week

Been quietly busy since my last post.

Made a crankshaft starting system so that the bike can be fired up using a handheld starter motor.

Got my forks straightened, re-valved, re-sprung and serviced. They feel great now.

Just need to spit these 3 parts out on a CNC machine after new years and then I'm ready to ride

2 are my new front caliper bracket designs which I put together 2 weeks back
The other is the long awaited rear caliper offset bracket which I did yesterday