Variomatic Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 I need to do my fork seals before my next MOT, one form needs to be replaced, the stanchion is missing some chrome and it's cheaper to get a replacement then just replace the tube. But, the other fork stanchion seems in ok shape, but there is very minor pitting on it, theirs one or two small pits about the size of a grain of sand, would that be a problem and end up ruining the new fork seal or do you think it'd be ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 As long as the pitting is on top of the fork and doesn't travel through the seal it should be ok to get through the MOT, but what I have done in the past is rub the pitting with a fine scotchbrite then put a dab of my daughters clear nail varnish on it, it lasts months. Also this helps for little chips in the paintwork. Hope this helps Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Variomatic Posted December 11, 2016 Author Share Posted December 11, 2016 4 minutes ago, mike1949 said: As long as the pitting is on top of the fork and doesn't travel through the seal it should be ok to get through the MOT, but what I have done in the past is rub the pitting with a fine scotchbrite then put a dab of my daughters clear nail varnish on it, it lasts months. Also this helps for little chips in the paintwork. Hope this helps Mike Balls, the pitting is just into the travel of the seal. Looks like I'm gonna have to replace both stanchions then. Or just both forks since I found a pair of NOS ones for £120 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 In all honesty it might be better to replace both. It's up to you if you want to take the chance but the examiner only looks at the forks and if you have cleaned them up and as I said put some clear varnish on the pitting he might ok them. I think if you presented your bike for the MOT and there were rust trails going down the fork where the seals are it would be obvious. At the end of the day I think it's all down to the examiner though. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Variomatic Posted December 12, 2016 Author Share Posted December 12, 2016 18 hours ago, mike1949 said: In all honesty it might be better to replace both. It's up to you if you want to take the chance but the examiner only looks at the forks and if you have cleaned them up and as I said put some clear varnish on the pitting he might ok them. I think if you presented your bike for the MOT and there were rust trails going down the fork where the seals are it would be obvious. At the end of the day I think it's all down to the examiner though. Mike It didn't have any seal left at all for it's last MOT I just stuffed tissue under the dust seals. But the chrome is missing from one of the sanctions so they need doing. I think I'll risk it on a set of £90 eBay specials, even if they only last for a week after the MOT at least it will have passed. Problem is I have the YBR Custom and not the YBR, which uses a very slightly different stanction which is almost impossible to find, why they made such a tiny difference between the two sets of forks is unknown to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malleus Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 On 11/12/2016 at 6:30 PM, mike1949 said: put a dab of my daughters clear nail varnish on it, it lasts months. Also this helps for little chips in the paintwork. Top tip right there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I hear that examiners arent allowed to remove items, what they cant see or get to, they cant fail. My YX600 had gaiters fitted (forks were good anyway), examiners never took em off or asked me to remove them. Kept the crap off the forks too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Variomatic Posted December 14, 2016 Author Share Posted December 14, 2016 On 12/13/2016 at 4:00 PM, neversaydie said: I hear that examiners arent allowed to remove items, what they cant see or get to, they cant fail. My YX600 had gaiters fitted (forks were good anyway), examiners never took em off or asked me to remove them. Kept the crap off the forks too Now I didn't know that! I was gonna buy a set of them anyway along with the new forks, nice to know they're useful in two ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1949 Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 In all honestly, I do think that the MOT "results" come down to where you take the bike to be tested. If you take your bike/car to an MOT Centre where that's all they do, my thinking is that they don't make any profit by the MOT alone so need afterwork (labour). I am very lucky as living in rural Wiltshire I have came across an MOT station in the middle of nowhere and the examiner has said from the beginning that he's not interested in after work if the bike fails, and consequently my bike hasn't failed in the last fifteen years whereas previously my bikes always had to have something done to it to get through the MOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Variomatic Posted December 17, 2016 Author Share Posted December 17, 2016 4 hours ago, mike1949 said: In all honestly, I do think that the MOT "results" come down to where you take the bike to be tested. If you take your bike/car to an MOT Centre where that's all they do, my thinking is that they don't make any profit by the MOT alone so need afterwork (labour). I am very lucky as living in rural Wiltshire I have came across an MOT station in the middle of nowhere and the examiner has said from the beginning that he's not interested in after work if the bike fails, and consequently my bike hasn't failed in the last fifteen years whereas previously my bikes always had to have something done to it to get through the MOT. Ohh definitely, how interested they are, along with your relationship with the dealership/examiner does make a huge difference. It was probably quite obvious they were gone last time from the condition of the forks, he spent a lot of time examining them, looked at me, back at the forks and then moved along with his inspection. Me and other family members know him quite well, he's a cool guy, he'll let a small thing slide but he wont MOT something that's obviously dangerous, but this time it's just a little too far for him to turn a blind eye, ohh well, can't ask for more than that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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