Suspension leakage can technically occur at any point in time if your motorcycle is older than one or two years. Also, it totally depends upon the roads conditions around your area and your riding style too. If you have a habit of over jumping the speed bumps rather than going smoothly, then chances are that you will wreck up your suspensions sooner than expectations. Other riding habits such as motorcycle stunting and off-road riding may also cause damage to the suspensions of your motorcycle.
In the report below, we explain to you what are the different steps that you need to take, and other steps that you need to avoid if the suspension of your motorcycle suspension starts leaking.
What is a suspension leak?
All motorcycle suspensions are present in the form of a tube which has fluid filled inside along with recoil springs. This suspension fluid starts leaking outside from the tube when suspension seal is unable to hold it off due to high compressed fluid pressure which spikes whenever the bike goes inside a pothole or jumps up on a speed bump. Or in other words, the suspension seal becomes weak and breaks away from its position.
What to do in case of a suspension leak?
When it comes to front suspension rods, you will notice the fluid dripping out from the rod to the ground. It will not be much, but even if you see some fluid drops on the suspension rods then assume that your suspension is gone.
The first thing to note down is that this fluid may also drip down on the brake calipers, technically making the front brakes ineffective. So in such case check if the brakes have been affected or not, if so then try not to ride the bike aggressively and go easy on the throttle until the bike reaches the service repair shop.
The other immediate change your will notice down is in terms of handling, the leaked suspension unit will not have any/less liquid inside the rod which means that its shock bearing abilities have been compromised now. In short, ‘the suspension in question’ will become ineffective putting more pressure on the other rod which is currently doing fine.
In such case, make sure you ride the bike as minimal as possible and head out straight to the service and repair shop or else you may end up losing the other suspension rod too as it has to bear more than the required pressure.
What about a monoshock suspension?
Even a fat mono-shock suspension can leak too, but the sad part is that it cannot be repaired, unlike the front suspension rods.
The rear monoshock units are designed to bear an extreme level of jerks and pressures, but if you are running out of luck then even such a suspension unit can bear damage. The difference is that the rear will instantly become very springy as it’s unable to soak up the jerks.
Since a leaking suspension unit becomes springy, the handling of the bike becomes vague, and hence it is critically important to get the suspensions repaired as soon as possible.
How to avoid it?
The only way you can avoid damaging your suspensions is by riding the motorcycle in a sensitive/sedate manner for example – going down slow on the speed bumps, and trying no off-roading. Also, your suspensions will definitely thank you if you stay away from stunting and potholes.
Also, make sure that you clean the tubes regularly so that there is no dirt and grime on the tube which can destroy the suspension seal.