when i woke up yesterday, i noticed that my '03 f4i had a small amount of fluid that had pooled on the wheel. possible brake line leak? fork leak?

 

Did you feel the break line to see if it was wet or to see if it was leaking? Has it been raining in your area lately or is there a possibility that you may have a leak in your roof? Check your fluid lvl too.

Are there any broken bottles, cans, cups that are laying around that people may have thrown in the vicinity which may had liquids in them?

 

it was parked in my garage; no leaks in the roof. i did have a minor fender bender last weekend just cosmetic damage.. i think, but im thinking that when i hit the brakes, i may have busted a fork seal. it's very slight and looks and feels like oil. i'll have to check closer.

 

its probably dog ****.

I dont think you can bust a seal by applying the brakes. although, you could have knocked something loose in the accident

 

couldn't a seal come loose if the forks compressed too far?

 

compressing the forks too far too fast yes. like slamming the front end down after a wheelie.

not by the front end diving under brake pressure, unless your fork seals were already worn, and in need of repair anyway. how many miles your bike got it?

to look for fork seal leakage, check the fork leg around where the lower fork leg assembly is. (where the cast aluminum casing meets up with the shiny fork leg) It should be dry, if its oily you are leaking a little.

also, wipe your finger under the banjo bolt where the brake lines meet the calipers checking for fluid. also check the bottom of the calipers in case the piston seals are leaking.

 

well, i dont to any wheelies... i cant remember exactly how many miles it has but id say around 35K. i bought it used last year so im not sure if he replaced the seals or not. i did see some oily residue on the cast aluminum last time i checked though.

 

well, you may do wheelies, which is good. but the previous owner may have. at 35k, they should be relaced anyway, maybe even twice by now.

wipe everything down, the fork legs and everthing. then go ride it around the blockafew times, maybe hit some speedbumps at a moderate clip. then come back and check it out and see if you have a litte oil on thefork. that oily residue on the cast fork leg is a usually a dead giveaway.

 

will do! thanks for the heads up!