Fork tube tops removal?

[Suzuki Mad]

I remember when it was suggested to replace the fork oil and used a standard socket to remove those caps. The handlebar was off which made it easier to get to caps.

I like the look of new OEM parts. Thanks for sharing your work...and of course all the feedback this great GSR crowd provides!


Ed

I remember when we first bought these bikes and were told they wouldn't do more than 20,000 miles before they would blow up and be scrap! How wrong could people be?

I'I just have to stop procrastinating about it and just get on and do the job.

[Steve]

I always though the bigger question has "how to get the cap back on". Problem is pushing against the spring while trying to get those fine threads started.
Trick I have learned is to try it without the insert, so is no spring pressure, turn it backwards slowly till can see where the treads start to mate, and then take good notice of where that is. THen put back the insert, and while pushing the cap in position and trying to line up the threads have the cap just a small ways off from the position you know it needs to be to line up with threads.

Pretty much the same tip that I got on the Wing forums. Remove the preload spacer so there is no pressure on the cap. Screw it in a few threads, use a Sharpie to make a mark on one edge. Slowly unscrew it, while pulling on it at the same time. Note the position of the Sharpie mark, put another Sharpie mark on the fork tube at that location. Slide the tube in the triple so the Sharpie mark is aligned with the crack in the clamp and snug it up a bit. Put the preload spacer back in, then turn the cap just a bit counter-clockwise of the mark, push it in and turn, knowing that within 1/4 turn, it will grab the first thread. It's easy after that.

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[Redman]

Pretty much the same tip that I got on the Wing forums. .......
.

Hey! I did not say THEY could use MY idea!

Although my idea is to turn it backwards, with no insert, to see where it drops INTO the threads to start threading it in place.
Okay, so THEY are NOT using MY idea.

[bwringer]

I took a 6 point 22mm socket and cut out one wall with a cutting wheel in an angle grinder to create an open-ended socket for turning these damn things.

This is very handy when you need to apply pressure to get them threaded in.

Another approach for turning goofy oddball shapes is to take a large cheap socket, fill it with an epoxy putty like JB Weld or mold the putty around the object, and push the socket on to create a custom-molded socket. You'll need to coat or protect the object so it doesn't stick to the putty; I think wax works pretty well.

[leftlostcommonsense]

Being a newb to the caps on my 650gl I would have loved to have those screw in style caps. It took me forever to develop a technique to push down the cap while not damaging the air valve in the very center and also get the the circlip out. I hated it the first time I tried to tackle it but after removing them both a couple times I'm a pro at it lol. Getting a non oem o-ring to seal was a real pain in the butt you'd think metric o-rings that look exactly the same as the ones you pull out but new and actually round would seal but they wouldn't. I ended up using 2 smaller o-rings instead of 1. Dust caps don't pop up from air pressure when hitting bumps anymore though and they hold pressure so I can't ask for much more...