Ohlins Forks / Service - rebuild
 

Ok i had my ohlins forks service by a ducati dealer, after collecting them i asked why they had a thin layer of oil around the leg when pumping them up and down, i was told that this is normal operation for ohlins forks.

also that with ohlins the seals need to be soaked for 24 hours before fitting them,

ive since put my forks on ebay, (now removed) where a guy asked about the residue that could be seen in one of the pics. i asnwered as i had been informed above. however he says thsi is just bu11***** qand that they should run dry like any other forks?

any ohlins experts on here clarify for me please?

no oil on mine
if they are leaking they aint right IMO

Fraid they're fooked :( the seals that is!

I had residue on my fork legs - Andy from Ducati UK took one look and arranged for them to be replaced (both legs) under warranty.

these are the forks that were in my 996r one started to leak a little so i had the serviced. tis was a couple of months back, i noticed the oil and took them back to the dealer, who explained that this is normal as my post above.

these guys had what i thought was a good reputation, and are reccomended by a number of people on this board, especially where suspension is concerned , just want to know if they are right as their seems to be ( at best) a diffenace of opinion between these guys and John Hackett

I had mine serviced by K-Tech a couple of weeks ago, and although the bike hasnt been used since, you can still see a small film of oil when you pump the forks.

so why is this then when (according to jhp) "you can pump any of their bikes and they dont do this"

If you can see a film of oil they are leaking, period!

The thing is what im being told by the guys that serviced the forks is that this is normal?

question 1 is this normal?

k tech are supposedly "the susspension people" so if khu99s has the same thing

again Q 1 is this normal?

not IMO
make your own mind up though

so have you a set of ohlins on your bike? have they been serviced / how old are they, and if you pump them up and down and run your finger over the leg?
are they dry as a bone?

on my second set
they are both dry as a bone
and if they were wet I would return them
but that's just me
oil is supposed to be on the inside not out

I may be well wide of the mark here, but my WP forks on my offroad bike have an outer dust seal. It's good practice to remove this seal, clean underneath & pack with grease, then refit the seal. After doing that, there is a smear left on the slider from the grease, but it soon stops doing it. Could it be grease on your Ohlins or is it definitely fork oil?

PS. PM me what you've been up to Sean.

Ohlins forks are generally noted to be less well sealed than most others-however, I don't think you should have any noticable film on forks juts serviced.
I would call Mark at K-Tech and ask advice-they are the boys for Ohlins and run the service truck for a lot of BSB guys.

John

you had more than residue
it was like a dog had cocked its leg on them :D

Bungi.....you could try http://www.hmracing.co.uk/default.asp

My mate swears by them for everything suspension related. They're based near Orpington, so just up the M20 for you. They should be able to have a look & give you an independent opinion. Might be better than trying to describe your problem over the phone.

I'll check again tomorrow, but when I refitted the forks, and just pumped them to settle the axle, I remember seeing a tiny film of oil.

I'll clean the stanchions and try taking another look...

Try calling mark hammond at mh racing, always been really helpful in the past
http://www.mhracing.com/

My own 888SP's (FG9050 Ohlins) are away at Maxton being rebuilt at the moment. During a telephone conversation with the boss (Richard Adams), he told me that these forks were designed to leak a little oil past the seals in order to reduce the effects of 'stiction', and thus give them a more supple/responsive feel.

Whether this is true of all Ohlins forks I don't know.

Ive read exactly the same thing in the past

interesting ! do you have any referance to this reading

I will scour the archives and see what i can find

From my limited knowledge of seeing the bikes in & out of Nelly's, Ohlins forks have a tendancy to leak.

Two options 1) Stop the leak with better seals which will give more stiction and in theory less performance 2) Leave them wheeping a little and they'll work their best, but if they leak replace the seals more often.

Andy

They do now apply grease to the new design of Ohlins seal...the new design came in about 18 months ago, and if the fork /seal has been installed correctly then it should show a little 'moisture' on the fork bottom halve...this is the grease on the seal, but it should only be there for a short while...i.e. 20-30 miles.

Wipe the fork and then have another look...it shouldn't be 'oil' IMHO.

This is absolutely correct.

All 3 of my bikes have Ohlins forks and weep very slightly. Both Baines Racing and Forza Italia have told me this is normal for Ohlins forks.

HTH.

BC

I have been told exactly the same about my SP, although mine don't leak !

i asked the same question on a site in the US

with one interesting response....

Chuckracer
...some dude... Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA
Posts: 1,803

Every Ohlins fork I've worked with leaves a little oil ring on the leg. It's normal

I have worked as a chassis and suspension set-up man for several race teams through nineties, from local club racing 600 class teams to the AMA with a Pro Thunder team, and very unofficially on a top AMA Ducati team with two very well known riders. I was club racing in this same time period and doing occasional nationals (750SS).

The first time I saw this, I was concerned and questioned a couple people far more skilled than I, and was told by both that it's normal. Apparently, Ohlins fork seals carry more oil in the seal than normal Showa or Kayaba forks. This helps combat stiction. Other streetbike based forks don't do this simply because it wouldn't do to have that thin film of oil left on the stancion tube. People aren't used to seeing that and think the seals are bad if they see any oil at all.

Your shop is shotting ya straight.

some answers from ohlins by email a few moments ago

Hello Sean,



There about as many ways as there are mechanics in the world,



To soak the seal is ok for us, but maybe not necessary, after service the oil that is left inside the seal will leave a thin film of oil for a while when using the front fork.





Best Regards
Lars Isaksson

Öhlins Racing AB
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