substitute for gaiters boots on forks

[Ridercam]

I just did a major rebuild on my front forks on my R100cs - i should have replaced the gaiters while they were off and hadn't put everything together including the fairing.... Now they split after a few sub zero day rides and I trying to avoid the 2 plus hours to do them properly- I was thinking of neoprene or other wrap.

Suggestions?

[bbelk]

Super glue and a split condom? A piece of intertube would be more durable, but might not take to the corrugations very well.

Edit - Make that rubber cement. I think super glue dries brittle.

[Bamboo812]

Household Goop; make a bead at least 1/2" wide centered on the crack (doesn't have to be all that thick), let cure the full 24 hours recommended. Flexible and Durable.

[Ridercam]

Good points - I have some Sikaflex 291. I was thinking of cutting a inner cardboard tube to protect the tubes and then adding the goop rebuilding the rubber. I think it will look nearly new when done. 24 hours in a heated garage and i will be motoring sunday morning.

[Rob]

Do you remember the fabric gaiters they used to make?

All I can find like them are these made for bicycles:
http://www.jensonusa.com/!tKk93CaTWDmai ... Fork-Boots

[Duane Ausherman]

As a reminder for others, when you have the forks down for maintenance, replace the gators.

[ME 109]

As a reminder for others, when you have the forks down for maintenance, replace the gators.

My squeeze boxes are 15 or 16 years old, and still in excellent condition. Depends on the product.

Ah, just saw Rob's post. Duane must be talking about the fabric ones.

[SteveD]

60-75minutes to replace the gaiters...uninterrupted, no hiccoughs. No need for many steps if just replacing gaiters and if they've been done recently.

Changing BMW fork Seals/ springs/ gaiters/ oil

Nomenclature: I call the chromed tube the fork tube. The fork leg is the lower forged bit that the calipers attach to.

1. Put new seals in the freezer for 1 hour beforehand.
2. Loosen, remove, the top fork bolt to allow drainage and refill of fork oil..move h/bars to get to bolt.
2a. To replace the springs, you need to remove the large hex bolt at the fork top, therefore no need for point 2. That bolt is very tight and easy to round off. Make sure your tool fits well.
3. Remove the lower drainage small bolt. Allow oil to drain.
3a. Replace springs, loosely replace top bolt.
4. Disconnect brake calipers from fork legs...hang carefully.
5. Loosen, don't remove, the retaining bolt at the bottom of the fork. Better leverage before the axle comes out.
6. Remove axle/wheel/front guard.
7. Now remove retaining bolt, drop fork leg down, leaving the fork tube on the bike. Remove old gaiters/boots.
8. Clean fork leg internals.
9. Carefully lever out the old seal. I use a blunted straight screwdriver. Insert the cold new seal, use old seal to push new seal in.
10. Slide upper gaiter spacer then gaiters onto fork tube.
11. Install fork leg with new seal carefully over the fork tube..
12. etc, etc...both sides
13. Reinstall drain bolt, refill oil, tighten top bolt.
14. wheels etc back on...
15. fiddle with the gaiter spacer, locate it into the breather tube on the inside of the lower triple clamp.
One hour max. Quicker the next time.

[Duane Ausherman]

It is possible to replace the gaitors without ruining the fork alignment, but one really must know something about the alignment procedure in the first place.

We lost count of the hundreds of times that somebody would come in after swapping out some fork part. It was usually some "go fast" part from San Jose BMW.

Now the bike wobbles and they aren't happy at all. They blame the part when in a lot of cases it was related to simple fork alignment that was made worse by the owner.

[Zombie Master]

You can goop them up for a while, but you need some new boots.