Also, which the equivalent MOtul fork oil grade for the KTM, becoz, thats the only dealer available, here! else i have to import?

 

There should be copious amounts of oil on either or both lower fork legs if the seal or seals are blown. Mine were a little weepy after being cinched down a bit too tight on the Auto-Train a few weeks ago, but not enough was present to replace the seals. I am keeping a close eye on them.

Replace both seals if one is blown and inspect the tubes for any nicks or gouges that could cut the new seals and make them leak, too.

 

The shop manual for the SDGT calls for SAE 4wt. fork oil, 410 ml in the right leg and 670 ml in the right. If 4 wt. isn't available, 5 wt. should be close enough.

 

G'day zen2.....

If your fork seals have been damaged (or there is a dried bug-guts sweeping past the seals while riding over bumps) then there should be a heavy oil ring at the bottom of the fork tube where the seal stops (end of fork stroke).... (and/or a puddle of oil under the fork from overnight parking).

The fork usually gathers dust so it's easy to see the 'ring' from a distance. Maybe remove the front guard (4 screws?) so you can inspect closely and clean as needed - my GT seals were a bit weepy when running in and I found a hard crust of bug guts stuck on one leg..... cleaned and very lightly sanded (cross hatch pattern) the tubes and the seals stopped leaking..... there is also a seal cleaner tool you can buy but it is really just a thin piece of plastic that slides up into the seal lips and removes any grit trapped in the seal.

I'd check the coolant levels too..... both the side bottle (should be at min mark cold) if you suspect it isn't oil on your leg/boot..... and also check the radiator is full (no air bubble to the catch tank).

It might have only been a temporary small leak..... oil spreads and looks far worse than it really is..... so it might have just been a small weep from a seal that possibly has cleaned itself and stopped weeping..... orrrrr.... it might be all of the fork oil has burst out at speed and hit your leg & boot.....(but it would surely have made a huge mess on the RHS ??)

It's a big job to do fork seals (even though it's simple enough, many get it wrong, and the bike needs F&R stands)...... best to make sure it is really necessary :wink2:

Ps The coolant pump is on the right side of the engine - I think it has an overflow drain pipe..... I wonder if it has a leaking seal - might explain why there is no oil mess on the front end? maybe also check all the coolant hose connections are tight.......

 

As others have said if the seals are really gone you end up with an oily mess on the forks

I would look carefully at all levels, coolent and brake fluid and for any signs of fluid on you bike then trace back

I had a leaky rear master cylinder but still ended up with fluid on my leg

 

tape a piece of white paper to your leg, ride and keep checking for leak patterns and investigate.

 

Thanks for the Suggestions!

I am very sure, its not the coolant, as the fluid is oily. I will be happy, if its the brake fluid as it easier job than the fork work!

I had similar front fork seal break and oil leak in My Rocket 3 and Ducati Diavel, But the leak was continuous and the oil sprayed everywhere.( on the boots ) But this one on the KTM was all the way from Knee to boots.

There should definitely some oil sprayed on the rims , spindle as its very closer to the forks, but that portion is totally dry.

I have changed the seals in both the rocket and Diavel and have the tools for the same.

I will have time around weekend to call my mechanic and do the checks again.

BTW, all I have is the Motul 10 W fork oil and the Castrol 10 W fork oil, is it ok to use the same??

 

Wows, i just checked my previous order from AOMC and found that i didnt order the fork oil seals. The seal kit part no is R14040 which is complete set for 2 forks and i will order now.

As iam ordering from USA, the freight will remain the same till weight reaches 5kgs. So let me order the fork oil too.

Whats is that SAE 4??mentioned in the manual? is it SAE 4W?? If it is SAE 4W , only one brand Motorex has that grade and its not found in Revzilla??

Can anyone tell me which grade oil to order?? the one which will be available in Revzilla too!

 

It is unfortunate that KTM specifies SAE 4W instead of a centistoke value (and yes, Zen2osho, the manual is specifying SAE 4W).

Following is something I researched when considering fork oil for the Andreani cartridges I installed in my Diavel. I think for you the bottom line is to pick one and hope it works well for you. Maybe avoid Torco and Agip, since they seem to deviate the most from the norm.


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The "weight" system for oil viscosity is extremely vague and there are major variances within and among brands. A more consistent way to specify fork oil is by cST (centistokes) at 40 degrees C.

To give a sense of the radical variations in weight ratings vis-à-vis cST, Honda Pro HP 5wt measures 17.0 cST, while PJ1 fork Tuner 5wt measures 31.2 cST. Other 5wt fork oils fall both below and above 19 cST.

The recommended Ohlins Road & Track oil is rated at 19 cST.

Oils that are close to Ohlins' 19 cST include:
Motul fork Oil (Comfort 5) - 18.2
Motul Factory Line (Light 5 wt) - 18.3
Agip fork (2.5 wt) - 18.5
Bardahl (5 wt) - 19.3
Bel-Ray HVI (5 wt) - 19.5
Torco RFF 10 - 19.9

 

I called my neighboring country KTM dealer, he is giving me the fork oil specs tomorrow as they are closed for today.

I will let the forum, what the dealer recommends!

 

Here is an extensive list of fork oils and their CSt ratings:
https://transmoto.com.au/comparative-oil-weights-table/

 

I think you'd have to be pretty sensitive to notice the difference between 4 wt. and 5 wt. A jump from 5 wt. to 10 wt. is fairly noticeable and from 5 wt. to 7.5 wt. is less so.

 

Pretty sure the leak you are experiencing is not the fork so you need to investigate. As mentioned there would be oil all over the fork tube.

 

CRFan1, One common sense there is there should be oil traces on the rim and spindle and the fork should be oily too! which is not the case with my bike.

I wish its not the fork. The next option is the brake oil ??

I was fatigued after a long 10 hrs ride , so could not check properly.

I will call my mechanic and check very well again.

Thanks for the input.

 

This is very strange. It will be interesting to learn the source. I agree with others that it does not sound like fork seal failure.

Coolant feels slippery, but not really like oil; so I assume you are right that it is not coolant.

If it is brake fluid and you touched it, if you did not wash it off then your skin will be peeling; and you may notice paint damage on the bike. If brake fluid got on any clear plastic such as gauge faces, then they will be obviously damaged by now.

The clutch hydraulic system uses oil rather than brake fluid. But it is on the left side of the bike, and if it leaked as much as you described then you would be reporting clutch trouble.

A very curious thing, indeed!

 

Was your bike part of the front master cylinder recall, and have you had it repaired?

 

Atlast someone is talking!! Hammerhead, Yes sir, some brembo part on the front brake was a recall and the dealer told me that he will attend later not to worry??

 

Master cylinders on certain machines were recalled for possible piston failure/leakage. Maybe that's the source of your leak.

 

Is possible?? I wont wait, i close @ 18.00 hrs today local time and do complete inspection,

I started disturbing the dealer already. Iam sure there is recall as i have seen it in the purchase papers from the KTM factory.

Thanks for your suggestion. Pressurized directional flow of oil towards my legs and boots matches with this theory.

 

If it is Brake fluid I hope you immediately cleaned it off of your paint because it will destroy the paint in short order......

 

The splash on the bike was very minor, it was more or less on my pants n boots, The Dainese pant is still black in color ! LOL!

 

Atlast i found out the problem. Its the radiator top end which is burst and the coolant splashed. The engine never over heated during my trip and i was lucky that it was during the last leg of my journey. I dont know of the radiator is covered in warranty. Iam sure , no stone notin hit the radiator as the guard was der attached to it.

I watched oily marks on the radiator and started the engine to see the coolant seeping from the top of the radiator. And fan turned on, it splashes coolant to the back.

I was initially afraid that the engine oil and coolant got mixed, but its jus the coolant which is oily. I qucikly rushed to check the spare motorex coolant from stock and and felt on my hands to be oily only.

The radiator is 550 dolas and thats the penalty i pay for the year end ride??

Lesson learned is Motorex 3.0 coolant is Oily! Lol,

Thanks all for guiding me. I will order spares fix and update status.
Is there anytin extra i should order while buying the radiator??. Suggestions pls.

 

Engine Ice is the best motorcycle coolant I have used. Not sure if it's available where you are.

 

I think you would have noticed if your front brake had failed. Since you did not mention brake failure earlier, and since the failure covered by the recall is very rare, I do not think that is the cause.

Does the front brake work? Is the reservoir fluid level correct? These are very easy things to check.

 

I checked all the front and rear brake lines! they are intact.

Its the radiator puncture in the RHS.

 

I'd try asking your dealer as there have been a couple of radiator leaks reported...... you might be lucky and get some help from KTM.

The SDR leaking rad post I'm thinking of, had his radiator repaired by an aluminium welder-repairer shop that specialized in radiator welding...... I haven't heard anything more so i assume it was repaired and is working better than new. I think he said it was way cheaper than buying a new radiator..... but his dealer initially fobbed him off as a 'wear & tear' complaint so he just got it repaired instead of arguing and waiting for KTM to respond.

If the post isn't on this forum, it's probably over on the "KTM Super Twins" forum page.

Cheers mate...... glad you didn't have to do those fork seals....... :wink2: