Using the top triple clamp to hold the forks in place, and tighten the fork tubes using a pinch bolt. Loosen your fork cap using your wrench, it is crucial to use a dry drain pan so that you can measure the amount of oil you will need to replace after you are finished changing your fork seals.
Next you will need to loosen the lock nut just below the fork cap using your wrench. Now you will need to remove the fork cap, fork spring, and end spacer. After the fork spring is removed the cartridge will fall to the bottom of the fork. Remove your fork tubes from the clamp holder and drain the oil into the drain pan. You need to be patient with this step as your gently pump out the oil, if you rush this step you will end up with oil all over the place and no way to measure the oil.
The next step in changing your fork seals is to remove the inner rod out and again pump out the excess oil left inside the tube. Now you will need to adjust the rebound damping and the compression side using a flat screwdriver. It will generally take between 20 and 25 clicks to adjust both of these sides. Now you will need to reinstall the inner rod, the fork springs (remember to include the spacers and that they are in the correct positions). You should add a dab of oil to the o ring before you screw the fork cap back on securely. Don’t forgot to replace the rubber plug and your are finished changing your fork seals.
Fork oil seals are designed to stand up to a certain amount of 'movement' between the fork tube and the slider, this ensures oil containment for the life of the bushings.
I don't like to go through all the trouble of removing the forks and taking them apart just to replace leaking seals, if you don't install new bushings at that point then you are just asking for trouble in the form of the new seals leaking prematurely.
-Put the bike on the center stand.
-Remove the cover on the top of the forks - if it's rubber, it's just pressed in.
-"Loosen" the top cap of the forks (17mm allen) before removing the forks from the bike..
-Put a floor jack under front of the engine to lift the front wheel off the ground.
-Remove the brake calipers, wheel and fender.
-Loosen the top & bottem pinch bolts on the steering stem.
-Remove the forks.
-With a screw driver and hammer, tap the dust seal off.
-Remove the snap ring (circlip).
-Remove the allen head bolt at the bottem of the forks. Very important - don't use an allen wrench. Use an allen "socket" (it's an allen bit on a 3/8 drive socket). Put the allen socket in the bolt and slam it a few times with a metal hammer to shock it loose. Then remove it with a hand held impact wrench.
-Drian the oil out of the hole you just removed the bolt from.
-Remove the top bolt and fork spring. Take note as to the direction the spring goes and the order of spacers and washers. Some bikes have 2 springs. Others have a spring with tightly wound coils and wider spaced coils.
-Hold the lower fork leg with one hand and pull the fork tube out with the other. The seal is in tight, so you have to keep yanking them apart. Push the tube in an yank apart untill the seal is hit. In - OUT - in - OUT - in - OUT. Get a freind to help pull them apart. Remove the seal.
-Put the tube back in the fork leg and tighten the bolt at the bottem (push the spring in the fork tube to help get the lower allen bolt started).
-Slide the new seal on the tube and install with a fork seal driver.
-Install the circlip and dust seal.
-Put in the correct amount of oil .
-Add the oil, install the spring and spacers, install the top cap.
-Install the forks on the bike and tighten the pinch bolts.
-Tighten the top cap.
-The very top of the fork should be flush with the top tripple clamp.
