Is this something I should attempt to do myself? Im pretty mechanically inclined. Ive changed out my brakes, chain, sprockets. Ive removed the cylinder head (along with all the other crap that goes with it lol) Re adjusted the timing with reassembly. Sync carbs... other stuff as well. So I know my way around pretty well, but I know NOTHING about disassembly on the forks or seals... Is it something that I will be able to learn without too much trouble... Or should I take it to a ... UGH!!!! shop?

 

Yes, it is something you should do yourself. Its not rocket-science. ;-) As mechanically inclined as you say, you shouldn't have any prob w/ this at all. You'll save so much money doing this yourself.

Follow the factory service manual instructions for fork removal, disassembly, & servicing. As long as you have a good front stand to lift by the lower triple, or other means of lifting your front end, you can remove those forks & do the work.

I recommend using factory Honda seals (both oil & dust seals). Use the oil/fluid weight that the manual recommends.

The forks come apart fairly easily to service. Installing the seals isn't hard as long as you use a fork seal driver. Its worth the $35-40 & it pays for itself w/ the first use. When you install the seals, be sure that the fork tubes don't have any pitting or nicks in the metal. If there is, you can smooth them out w/ emory cloth first. Then, following the procedure for installation of the seals, simply drive them in & seat them properly. Fill the fluid to factory spec for your bike, reassemble, & you're good to go!

If you have any question as to whether your fork tubes are straight/in-spec, you can take them to the shop & have them check the run-out. As long as they're in spec, you're good to go.

Good luck w/ everything.

 

Ditto - I did mine last summer with Leak-Proof brand, and they were leaking by the fall.

I just redid them a month ago with OEM seals - hoping they hold up better.

 

Only trouble I had was the lower bolts that were so bloody tight..!

 

Alright. Where should I buy the OE seals from? Where should I buy the fork seal driver from? How long does this job typically take?

 

I would check out bikebandit.com or a similar site like it.

 

I did my forks for the very first time a couple of months ago. I disassembled the forks completely, rinsed and inspected.
Then filled up with new oil and new OE seals. Didn't have seal driver, but even without, the job wasn't hard at all.

The whole job took me a couple of hours, including coffee breaks and lots of distractions.
I have the Haynes manual though, so that did give a few tips on how to do it.

 

New seals = new bushings also. Only thing I can add is that neatness counts. Make sure you have enough clean space to lay everything. Debris in the fork oil will kill an otherwise great fork rebuild.

 

Get factory Honda seals from any Honda dealership or order online thru one of the oem suppliers. You'll want to get the dust & oil seal set (4 seals).

I use a MotionPro fork seal driver on my CBR forks. It works well & was $35-40. I don't recall exactly where I got mine but you can get them thru Amazon, CycleGear, etc.

Chain brings up an excellent point re: cleanliness. The factory service manual lays out the process & covers all the fine points as to proper disassembly, service, rebuild, etc. Also, if you're not sure about your bushings, as Chain recommends, change 'em. This also goes for the o-rings & socket bolt washers. Again, all of this will be laid out in the service manual.

Re: Time required... It really all depends on your attention to detail, ability to follow instructions, etc. In general tho, you should be able to do this easily in a few hrs. Myself, having experience w/ rebuilding/servicing forks, once a pair of forks are removed from the bike, I can comfortably do the service, start to finish, in a couple of hrs taking my time (including measuring run-out). A first timer will typically take twice as long but not necessarily. Most important tho is doing it right - no matter how long it takes.

 

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