Hello and welcome to 30 Minute Motorcycling – the podcast where we’re talking two-wheelers – from motorcycles, to scooters, and other things on two wheels – in under 30 minutes.

Have you seen oil dripping or seeping out from your front forks lately? This is an issue that is more common than you might think – and if not addressed, it can cause some serious problems.

You’re dealing with what is known as a “front fork seal leak,” or just a “fork seal leak.” But what is it? What happens if you have one – and most important of all – why does it happen?

That’s what you’re about to find out in this episode – so first of all, what does it mean to have a “front fork seal leak?”

At the front of your motorcycle are the front forks, which are part of your suspension setup. As such, the front forks are there to absorb any bumps in the road with powerful springs inside each fork leg to maintain a smooth ride.

But here’s a challenge – before I tell you, I want you to guess where the fork seals are. Unless you already know, they’re not easy to find.

Remember those powerful springs inside each fork leg? Between each inner and outer fork tube, there's a small rubber ring.

This rubber ring is the "front fork seal" - and if it ruptures, the front fork oil will pour, or rather "leak" out - creating our dreaded "front fork seal leak."

But why does this area need to be sealed at all?

First of all, having this seal means that no dirt can enter the inner fork area and contaminate the fork oil inside it.

Not only that, if this seal wasn’t there, the fork oil would not stay inside the fork tube and do what it’s supposed to – act as a lubricant so the front fork springs move smoothly when they compress and rebound.

In short, without the fork seals, your front suspension wouldn’t work like it’s supposed to, which can lead to 3 nasty side effects.

The first one is the fact that your suspension components will wear out faster.

It might sound like I'm repeating myself - but that's because this bears repeating:

No oil equals no lubrication and no lubrication leads increased wear-and-tear on your suspension's internal parts.

Worse still, with the fork oil all gone, putting weight on the front end would cause metal-on-metal grinding that quickly destroys bearings and bushings.

The second nasty side effect of a fork seal leak is that you might have problems braking.

Perhaps it sounds absurd to you though – how could a front fork seal leak cause issues with your brakes? It’s not like they’re related, right?

And you’re right – they aren’t. But remember all that oil that used to be inside the fork tubes?

That fork oil has to go somewhere. And since the fork seal is at the bottom of the fork, the oil will pour down toward your brake caliper.

Inside your brake caliper, you have your brake pads. If they get fork oil on them, it might affect their ability to stop the bike when you apply the brakes.

If the brakes start to feel "spongy," and you know that it's not because your brake fluid needs changing, it might be time to check your fork seals.

The third nasty side effect that comes from a leaky front fork seal is that the lower fork ends might start rusting.

Front fork oil may not be particularly corrosive (at least not when compared to brake fluid), but it can still attract trouble.

This trouble comes in the form of the dirt and dust that now sticks to your lower fork ends - all because the fork oil is no longer where it's supposed to be (i.e., inside your fork tubes.)

It's essentially like the brake problems we just covered, except it might not be as noticeable initially.

So now that we’ve gone over what it is, and 3 nasty side effects of one, let’s get to the question that’s probably on your lips right now - “why does a front fork seal leak happen?”

There are several reasons, and by far, one of the most common ones is aging and wear and tear.

It's not just tires that wear down with age and use - the same thing happens with fork seals.

And when you think about what they're exposed to regularly, it's not hard to see why.

All that vibration and force caused every time the suspension rebounds will eventually break the seal down.

Granted, it takes a lot of time and just as many kilometers/miles traveled, but at one point, the seal will rupture – and when it does, it’s time to replace it.

As you can see – even though it’s a small piece of rubber that’s mostly covered up by your front forks, a fork seal leak is a big deal indeed. Fortunately, if you’ve listened up until this point, you’ll know the 3 nasty side effects of one, but also what causes it in the first place.

Thank you for tuning in, and until next time – happy trails – no matter what or where you ride!