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Hi,
On my last trail ride out I crashed my bike. Nothing serious but when I got home, I noticed the left fork was leaking oil. Since this is a new bike (2021 CRF250f) I assumed the seals are fine and that it’s being caused by dirt stuck in the dust seal from the crash. I’ve been reading & watching videos on how to clean the dust / fork seal and I’m having the hardest time removing the dust seal. I’ve attached a pic below and the arrow is pointing to where I’m trying to dislodge it. Can someone let me know if I’m thinking right (I'm new to this so I can be 100% wrong) and if anyone has any tips on how to get it apart? I’ve tried a screwdriver, but the flat head just isn’t flat enough.

Thanks,

What you want to do is take a thin flat screwdriver or flat punch/chisel and gently tap in different locations , to pry it up , at the same angle shown by the red arrow..... If you are concerned about scratching the tubes , just wrap them in masking tape to protect them while wielding the hammer/chisel

Hey Jim, much appreciated. I'll give that a go.

Hey Jim, thanks so much! I was able to finally get the dust seal off. I cleaned around it, removed the stopper ring, and cleaned under the oil seal the best I could. I've got a Risk Racing Seal Doctor tool, but it didn't seem like it went down far enough behind the oil seal, but that was all I had. I put the stopper ring back and pushed down on the handlebar some and let it sit overnight. So far no leaks! I'm going to order a driver tool and once that comes put the dust seal back on and take it for a spin. Again, thanks so much for the help. Also.. I guess I should look at refilling the fork oil that was lost. It didn't seem like it lost a lot, but now I wonder if that could also be why it's now not leaking too.

It will most likely be low , but to what extent , I can't say , the only way to know for sure is to do a fluid level check , on those Conventional forks , I believe it is done with the spring out and the tubes collapsed/compressed all the way , , so basically you have to disassemble the forks , if you are going to go that route , I would order the Factory Service Manual from Honda , I am guessing it will take a few weeks to get , it took 3 weeks to get the one for my 2020 450R , and they ordered it the day I picked up the bike new , and it still took a few weeks to ship it to me .... (On the R's you get a decent Owners Manual with it , and it shows all the breakdown of the suspension , and most everything else , except electrical testing) , those F model manuals basically give you just enough info to ride it and change the oil and check tire pressure and that is about it ... But you should be safe to ride it till you can get that sorted out ....

Thanks for the info Jim. I do have the service manual, unfortunately sometimes it's still clear as mud to me . I'll give it a go for awhile and then look to do a more thorough service on it later on.

Just go Step By Step ..... don't skim over anything , just follow the manual and it should be fine .... Once you do it , it will be a breeze the next time ............. Also when you do the seals , do both forks , that way you know there are no issues and then they both should be good to go .....

I would also recommend either OEM or SKF seals ... The SKF are a bit pricey , but are much better than All Balls or Pivot Works , etc. , which I find have a tendency to go bad fast , or just leak right off the bat , especially All Balls for some reason they have poor tolerances , and just seem to leak more than not , and just don't seem to last as long as other brands ...

If the bike is a new 2021 as you stated - why not let the warranty cover the repair or problem.

Just go Step By Step ..... don't skim over anything , just follow the manual and it should be fine .... Once you do it , it will be a breeze the next time ............. Also when you do the seals , do both forks , that way you know there are no issues and then they both should be good to go .....

I would also recommend either OEM or SKF seals ... The SKF are a bit pricey , but are much better than All Balls or Pivot Works , etc. , which I find have a tendency to go bad fast , or just leak right off the bat , especially All Balls for some reason they have poor tolerances , and just seem to leak more than not , and just don't seem to last as long as other brands ...

Jim, thanks for that info.

If the bike is a new 2021 as you stated - why not let the warranty cover the repair or problem.

Hi Back2-2, I just figured this would be considered normal wear/use and not necessarily a defect. Please let me know if I'm thinking wrong. But I assume that maybe it would also depend on how willing the dealer is to cover it as warranty?

That is most certainly a warranty issue as long as the bike is under warranty still. Honda is building crap nowadays but they have to still stand behind it while it is still under warranty.