Anyone have experience using? I've always been generally a proponent of sticking with OEM seals and avoiding most of the aftermarket stuff but SKF is a reputable company from what I've researched and pretty much all the reviews (albeit most are from the dirt, to a lesser extent the pavement folks) are 2 thumbs up for both more longevity and less stiction. What say the beeb?
You mean skf, apparently . It's a reputable company. I would trust any of the big names :skf, koyo, ntn, fag etc After all, even the oem seals and bearings are made by them.
Oops. SKF I mean, these guys have been sponsored by them for many a seasons, so hopefully they're not junk.....
it's all the guy that does my offroad stuff will use. And if RM says they are good for road bikes, i'm sure they are.. Another nice feature is one of the seals will have an o-ring that you roll off and on to the lower, as your fork travel indicator. Keep this in mind and look for it if you are particular about what leg you want that on.
Unless there's some reason we can't or the customer specifically requests OEM seals, I use SKF seals on everything. We started using SKF seals a few years ago when gas cartridges started becoming more common and now we use them on everything. Everything about them is superior to OEM seals. You can even feel it when you're assembling the forks with how they slide. They're more expensive than OEM seals, but like a lot of other motorcycle parts, you're getting what you paid for.
Probably the only gripe I have with SKF is how their catalog is laid out. It's absolutely maddening. It's organized by part number. So you look up the part number, then you search through that part number to see the bikes the seals fit, instead of the other way around. If it's not there, you try another part number. Granted, it is organized by seal ID and brand of fork (Showa, KYB, etc), but it's rather difficult to look up by motorcycle make and model.
Wait. I lied. Those are KYB legs on the pre 09 bikes. KITB-43K. (or KITG-43K in green). @Ra.Ge. Raptor just wanted to make sure you saw the corrected post.
Thanks a ton ! Do they make dust seals as well? (I'm clearly and shamelessly taking advantage of your knowledge )
Yes. The kits come with both a dust seal and an oil seal in the box. You need a box per leg. If you're in need, we can ship a set out.
Not in need, just for future reference . I'd be more than happy to order from you but shipping to Greece would cost a lot .
That's actually what reminded me. I did a newer set of GSXR big bike legs this week that were the Showa legs, but yours has the nice DLC coating
I was told by my PU rep that the PU branded seals are the same as OEM. Not sure if it's true but I've been using them for years with no problems. Unlike Leakproof which should be named Guaranteed To Leak.
Some are, some are not. Generally, the PU branded seals are quality regardless. I had one experience with LeakProof seals when someone brought them in with their forks for a service. They don't even feel right. Of course they leaked and needed to be replaced almost immediately, which is what happens when you bring your own steak to the restaurant.