Hi all, my 2006 Griso seems to be leaking from the left front fork. If anyone has one to sell, or knows of other compatible forks, I’d be really grateful.
Thanks
Hi Nick,
Unless your fork stanchion is damaged it would be a lot cheaper to simply change the fork oil seal
Hi Phil, thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately the fork does seem to be damaged on the mounting lug for the mudguard. It’s difficult to see on the photo but it appears to be leaking at the lug, you can just see a shiney silver line against the black paint. I’m beginning to understand why it was low mileage and sold.
I’m also wondering if an engineering firm could somehow weld it up as an alternative. I’m planning to call local firms next week.
Fingers crossed for the repair🤞
Thanks Phil.
I’m struggling to think how it could be damaged enough there to leak but not show signs of damage, so I’m wondering if it’s a manufacturing fault. I haven’t found other similar cases so maybe it was a one off.
Don’t suppose you know if any other Guzzis use the same forks so I can widen the search a little? For example, I believe the V11 Le Mans also has a usd 43mm fork but don’t know if it’s the same part.
Edited to say I found the part number on Flowler’s extremely helpful website. The fork is only used by Moto Guzzi on Grisos but is also used on a lot of Aprilia bikes so I’ve more options to look for if it can’t be repaired.
If a welded repair doesn’t work you could always get a second hand part from Gutsibits or Reboot spares, other Guzzi spares dealers are available!
I would think that a repair should work but guess you will have to strip the fork down first.
Best wishes Chris
Thanks Chris.
I’ve never stripped an usd fork and don’t have a manual (yet) so I’m also going to call suspension specialists, such as Brook Suspension, to see if they can do repairs like this as part of a fork service.
Naturally I’m a bit skint at the moment so could have done without discovering this!
I have a pdf manual for the 1200 GRiSO which you are welcome to. But i think that Gregory had the 1100 one on the ‘This Old Tractor’ site and they are available on GRiSO Ghetto
Thanks for that. I’ve looked previously on the ghetto but just went around in circles.
Found it on Guzzi tech though. Cheers for that!
I seem to remember asking a mod on the Ghetto for my model and the link was sent - to avoid ‘publishing’ the media i think
If the damage isn’t structural take the leg out drain the oil clean it up and chemical metal the offending area, fresh oil and put it back together
Doing the fork oil seal is pretty straight forward, check out YouTube it’s worth learning how to do them as it saves you cash in the long run.
(seal driver was the only tool that I needed to buy when I did mine)
Cheers Phil. I’ve done conventional forks a few times over the years but never usd. I’d guess it’ll be more or less the same components just assembled slightly differently? If I get a positive answer from a local engineering firm, I’ll probably have to take the fork to them fully stripped, so I’ll have to learn anyway.
Re chemical metal; my worry is that as it’s a lug that appears to be cracked, that it is structural and would need welding to prevent it spreading further in the long term. The left fork looks to have been stripped sometime in the past as the orange paint on the fork top is marked. Maybe a previous owner tried something similar and sold the bike on? I know virtually nothing about the bike’s history unfortunately.
I’ve spoken to Jake Robbins at Vintage Engineering, who was very helpful. He thinks around £150 to clean and weld.
I also found a secondhand fork on eBay for £160 and I’m in a quandary as to which is preferable.
Either way, I’m going to have to learn to strip usd forks!
Did you have to buy the special tool to compress the spring? I had a tentative try using a spanner but wasn’t happy with the amount of contact on the spring.
Did my centauro , (now sold), recently done my 1200s, the only special tool that I needed was the seal driver.
(Loosen the Allen bolt , (don’t take it out) before you take the compression off the spring)
I used a spnner as the spring compressor👍
Thanks Phil.
I wonder if your forks were different to mine. There’s nowhere to get a spanner in. I think I’ll just get the tool. I’ve found one on eBay for £10
My forks are different, Showa on the 1200, ( the centauro had white power, different again)
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve ordered the compressor tool, hopefully here by Friday. Should be reasonably straightforward once it’s here.