Gaiter Refit

Thursday 25 March

ATF oil for forks arrived so ready to fit replacement gaiters.  Had taken the old ones off last Summer but on balance I like the look of the bike better with the gaiters over the stanchions.  It all looks a bit more purposeful somehow.

So had sent off for some new ones with a more suitable bellow design.  The old ones (been on for decades) looked a bit too scrunched up when forks under load.  So bought some with fewer bellow segments.

The forks were stuck in the yokes, the rubber headlamp bracket seals fit so tight they seem to have bonded to the fork tubes.

So had to drop the sliders off - hence the need for new fork oil.  Reassembled, and followed the advice in Guzziology re optimising alignment.  As this involves removing the fork caps, was able to refill oil from the top.  (never done that before but there is about 6mm clearance between the damper body and the fork tube), enough to slowly pour in with a measuring jug.

Have sent off for black stainless jubilee clips to finish the job off, cable ties look a bit temporary, and a silver finish might look a bit OTT.

Will need to think about freeing those forks though.  A job for another day.