So went for a spirited ride today, only to notice that the right fork has a bunch of oil at the top of the seal. Great, just what I needed. Well, there are several routes I could go, not sure which would be the best though.

1) Rebuild current forks. Only thing is, bike pulls very slightly to the left, might be an alignment issue, or perhaps the forks are slightly bent? If I went this route, I'd respring and put in some RaceTech emulators. Say about $170 for the emulators, $115 for the springs, and maybe $25 for the seals.
2) Buy '94 F2 forks, freshen those up, install. Looks like if I hunt around, I could get a set for $150~200, throw some new seals at it ($25). Maybe respring them ($115)?

Either way, the cost comes out similarly. The main advantage I see is that if I go the 2nd route, I can get the forks all prepped, then just swap them in, without having a usable bike for more than the time it takes to install them. Any advice?

 

Your bike could be pulling to one side because of the fork problem or if the bike has been in a crash and the fork was twisted out of position. You could try loosening the lower triple tree clamp and wiggling the handlebar to straighten it, then tightening the clamp back and see if that fixes the problem.

As for your options in fixing, upgrading or replacing the fork, it will be totally up to whether you want to spend the money (I'm assuming you'd be doing the work). They are all good options. Riding season is almost upon us, so you should decide soon!

 

I shall try adjusting the forks to see if that helps the pull. I'm thinking the adjustable dampening of the 94 forks would be nice, but I was wondering if are there things in the cartridge that wear and need replacing over time. If I rebuild my forks, its pretty much just forks seals and dust seals (do the bushings typically need replacing?).

 

The bushings are wear items and commonly go out. If you see copper on more than a small area, toss em and get new ones. I don't know if the emulators would be better or worse than the 94 f2 forks, but I'm inclined to think they'd be better.

 

Alright, thanks for the advice. RaceTech sells seals/bushings, anyone know how the quality compares to Honda OEM parts?

 

Racetech is a bit overpriced, but every things great. Pretty much any bushings or seals you'll get are just as good.

 

Sweet, thanks. The weather has been pretty decent, so its gonna be hard to get myself to take things apart instead of ride haha