Oily film on 1100 front end

DeanR

DeanR

Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
2,817
Location
finger lakes ny
Bike
1999 ST1100
Just found an oily front end on my 1100. Radiator, grey lower cowl, brake lines, fender etc. Oily film on all of that. This is a first, and very recent. No recent work done.

I don’t see any oil on the engine from what I can see without removing any plastic yet, other than the maintenance covers. Valve covers showing no signs of oil. But it seems that it would be engine oil, not fork oil? It’s dark colored and sprayed all over.

Thoughts on possible sources? And how best to clean? Thinking about spraying down with Simple Green then hosing it off.
 
It’s all on the front of the bike…any chance of a fork seal leak and it’s fork oil all over? I will assume if it’s fork oil, it would be less viscous vs motor oil, and if it was coming from the valve cover gasket or the like, it would likely blow backwards as you ride (I would think). How about underneath (like at the oil pan)?
 
Hadn't yet looked underneath!
Oil pan does have the oily film all over the bottom.
Clutch cover/front, top of the engine are dry.
 
Perhaps post a photo or two, Dean? Might generate more input for this thread. And help get you fixed up in time for OHSTOC!

A couple of times I've had a fork seal leak on a trip and I was able to ride a long ways by cleaning up the oil then using a zip tie to wrap a clean rag around my fork.
 
Well, I removed the fork brace and zip tied some microfiber towels around the forks. Hope this is ok to do for a while. Should verify that the forks are the problem, if things stay oil free.

Before this apparent leak happened in the last week or two, I had planned on having some fork work done anyway since that oil has been in there for quite a while. RaceTech Gold Valves. This may take a couple weeks to have done, and I have OH-STOC fast approaching. Around 1300 miles. Is it possible to use these wrapped forks for such mileage or would I need to skip OH-STOC?

May try the Sealmate approach in the meantime. It worked on another bike years ago.

IMG_20250527_080033.jpg
 
DeanR said:
Hope this is ok to do for a while.
Click to expand...
Well, don't wait too long...
Above pics where taken up in Norway, by the time I made it back to Austria the lack of lubrication wore out the fork bottoms -> replacements expensive...
 
DeanR said:
May try the Sealmate approach in the meantime. It worked on another bike years ago.
Click to expand...

I had a fork seal leak at ONSTOC a few years ago. Splashed oil on the tire, the fender and the lower fairing. A Sealmate type tool made out of a piece of plastic by Rayzerman fixed the problem. Had a bit of grit in there.
 
DeanR said:
Well, I removed the fork brace and zip tied some microfiber towels around the forks. Hope this is ok to do for a while. Should verify that the forks are the problem, if things stay oil free.

Before this apparent leak happened in the last week or two, I had planned on having some fork work done anyway since that oil has been in there for quite a while. RaceTech Gold Valves. This may take a couple weeks to have done, and I have OH-STOC fast approaching. Around 1300 miles. Is it possible to use these wrapped forks for such mileage or would I need to skip OH-STOC?

May try the Sealmate approach in the meantime. It worked on another bike years ago.

IMG_20250527_080033.jpg
Click to expand...
Sealmate saved me when I was 2,000 miles from home. Not a drop since. When I changed out the fork oil, it wasn't missing any that I could measure, but it sure looked like a mess on the front wheel. Good luck.
 
ST1100Y said:
Well, don't wait too long...
Above pics where taken up in Norway, by the time I made it back to Austria the lack of lubrication wore out the fork bottoms -> replacements expensive...
Click to expand...
Martin, how did you clean the oil off the radiator without removing it?
 
DeanR said:
Martin, how did you clean the oil off the radiator without removing it?
Click to expand...
Found a gas station with adjacent workshop to obtain a can of brake cleaner to wash the fork oil off the brake pads and rotors every day...

Back home some bike cleaner/shampoo and hosed it down...
 
Last edited:
Well they use Dawn to clean oil off of birds so that and a hose oughta work well on radiator fins.

Forks are going to the local RaceTech guy next week, hopefully.
 
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