Greetings from a newbie member and request for assistance!

[Airtrax]

Greetings to all from a newbie to the world of Valkyries! My name is Bruce Jones from Ozark, AL, and have been a biker since the mid-sixties. Seems I may fit right in with you guys with me having a full head of solid gray hair!

While sitting quietly on the sidelines, I have been soaking up as much as I can about this machine through the posts on this forum and have learned quite a lot. In fact, I am amazed at how much information and expertise there is amongst the members! A treasure trove, to say the least, with a diverse and most interesting group of folks. I’m happy to be part of it.

I acquired my 2000 Interstate way back in September. It’s quite a machine in many ways, for sure! I wish I could say I was riding it every day but life keeps getting in the way. So I have instead focused on incremental maintenance and repairs when I can get to it. The latest is having the forks rebuilt (leaking left fork seal) and so I took it to the local dealer (don’t shoot me!) who found some offending rust on the bottom of the slider. Recommended replacing the tube (big bucks) and none to be had commercially anytime soon. So it’s either dress out the fork tube as much as possible and hope for the best, or make a shout-out to all of you. Here it is: does anyone have a serviceable left side fork tube they don’t need? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks guys. Looking forward to being a participant from now on!

[Airtrax]

Greetings to all from a newbie to the world of Valkyries! My name is Bruce Jones from Ozark, AL, and have been a biker since the mid-sixties. Seems I may fit right in with you guys with me having a full head of solid gray hair!

While sitting quietly on the sidelines, I have been soaking up as much as I can about this machine through the posts on this forum and have learned quite a lot. In fact, I am amazed at how much information and expertise there is amongst the members! A treasure trove, to say the least, with a diverse and most interesting group of folks. I’m happy to be part of it.

I acquired my 2000 Interstate way back in September. It’s quite a machine in many ways, for sure! I wish I could say I was riding it every day but life keeps getting in the way. So I have instead focused on incremental maintenance and repairs when I can get to it. The latest is having the forks rebuilt (leaking left fork seal) and so I took it to the local dealer (don’t shoot me!) who found some offending rust on the bottom of the slider. Recommended replacing the tube (big bucks) and none to be had commercially anytime soon. So it’s either dress out the fork tube as much as possible and hope for the best, or make a shout-out to all of you. Here it is: does anyone have a serviceable left side fork tube they don’t need? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks guys. Looking forward to being a participant from now on!

[Jopson]

Welcome aboard!
Someone smarter than me will have an answer to your fork question.
Don't mention politics!! 

[Savago]

Welcome!

[DirtyDan]

Welcome aboard

Best bike ever made

GREAT group of people

Dan

[Rams]

Welcome, check your PMs.

Rams

[Hook#3287]

Have you checked eBay?  Usually a couple of sets available.  Sometimes individual forks are on there.

I'm surprised to hear of rust on the slider.

Was it damaged prior to the rust?

Welcome to the site and the world of Valkyrie.

[hubcapsc]

So it’s either dress out the fork tube as much as possible and hope for the best

If you go for "hope for the best" all you're risking is the cost of the rebuild, and if
they don't leak later, you'll be good to go...

I just checked partzilla.com, both sliders seem to be available new OEM, but they're $350
each!

There's good stuff on eBay often, I see a couple of sets of forks at Pinwall's
eBay store that probably have good sliders, but they are $600 each...

-Mike

[Chrisj CMA]

Welcome. I don't have an answer or help on the forks but good luck, someone surely has one

[Misfit]

I have a nice pair of fork tubes I could sell you. 

[thedon]

Welcome from Wisconsin.

[signart]

Welcome. Hang in, you will always find help here. Someone with the fork tube expertise will chime in shortly, or you can post on the tech side and attract assistance there. Classified section gets great results also in short order most of the time.

Whoops, looks like we have a couple posts that might need to be combined if possible.

[sandy]

You said rust "at the bottom" of the tube. Is the rust in the seal slider area? If not, dress them up and go for it.

[da prez]

FYI , before replacing a fork slider , try using 0000 steel wool and polishing the area. If there is no gouge to be felt , it may be OK.  A dealer will try to replace because of liability , and not repair.
  There are many on this board who rebuilt their forks , as I have done several sets , and had similar problems. I have had a couple leak , but saved them as later experience has taught me what to look for.

                                     da prez

[old2soon]

Welcome to our sand box from down here in the Missouri Ozarks. As you may have already figured out the expertise the knowledge and in a lot of area the parts-used-sometimes N O S-are available here. BUT as yer already finding out Some but by NO means all are in FACT becoming unobtanium. Unless you Really KNOW your dealer they generally are in it fer the bucks. If the dealer will let you walk back into the shop area and have a look see at their "mechanics". Maybe someone in the area has rebuilt these forks already and you'd be surprised how far some Good BBQ and icy cold adult beverages will git ya!  As another old fart type when I see the mechs at my dealership I often wunder if they still let em out fer recess?  RIDE SAFE.

[Dusty]

 From Jeff k's page. May be what you are looking for.


Fork Tube
 Aftermarket replacement fork tubes, just the tubes not the lowers.

Left fork tube (614 mm): 05-0538sx
 http://www.fastfromthepast.com/servlet/the-1632/Honda-1500-F6C-1997/Detail

Right fork tube (620 mm): 05-0538dx
 http://www.fastfromthepast.com/servlet/the-1631/Honda-1500-F6C-1997/Detail

 Hope this helps

Dusty

[steveB (VRCC UK)]

Despite the parts fiche showing the leg and alloy bottom yoke as one part they do come apart. They are fine threaded with a very strong locking agent which is a pain to break. We held the leg in a large vice packed with soft alloy and then gently heated the alloy yoke to expand it. Use a long bar the same diameter as the axle to rotate the yoke. Keep the heat on and regularly soak with WD40 (or the penitrant of choice). Probably a good idea to have a mate help, that way you have an extra pair of eyes making sure you don't scratch anything.  (Work the yoke anti and clockwise to break the locking agent and corrosion )
Here in the UK we can get the legs hard chromed and centre less ground so its a viable repair.
Yoke has a hardened washer at the bottom of it and a viton O ring (stock size from a bearing house).
Oh, and it's a piece of cake to polish or powder coat the alloy yoke.

[Airtrax]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Looks like I'll go the easy route for now and use what I have. At least it will be back on the road soon. The rust I mentioned looks like little rust 'scabs' about twice the size of a pinhead located no more than two inches above where the tube screws into the alloy. One of you mirrored my own thoughts when I looked at it and thought "geez, it would be bottomed out for the seal to reach that far down". Funny how the rest of the tube is like new where the seal actually slides up and down. Hmmmm.

[Hook#3287]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Looks like I'll go the easy route for now and use what I have. At least it will be back on the road soon. The rust I mentioned looks like little rust 'scabs' about twice the size of a pinhead located no more than two inches above where the tube screws into the alloy. One of you mirrored my own thoughts when I looked at it and thought "geez, it would be bottomed out for the seal to reach that far down". Funny how the rest of the tube is like new where the seal actually slides up and down. Hmmmm.

You should be good.

[Willow]

http://sealmate.net/

Likely you just need to clean the seal.

Don't go back to that dealer.  Someone there was under the assumption that he could fool you into purchasing a repair at hundreds of dollars that you don't need.

[SpidyJ]

http://sealmate.net/

Likely you just need to clean the seal.

Don't go back to that dealer.  Someone there was under the assumption that he could fool you into purchasing a repair at hundreds of dollars that you don't need.

+110 on the Seal mate.....worked on my '99 IS.  Good luck

[Jess from VA]

I've used both.  The Fork Doctor is easier to use than the Seal Mate.  Once fork oil starts weeping out, the skinny thin Seal Mate is hard to hold on to while using a sawing motion around the fork leg.

http://www.riskracing.com/pages/Seal_Doctor_Page.html

[Crazyhorse]

I'm in Andalusia. I haven't had time to set my shop up but if I can help feel free to contact me (93one-801-one010. Hopefully we can do some riding together. Love those Valkyries.

[baird4444]

Welcome!!
   enjoy this group and ask questions....    we are scattered all over the country so
   if you're road tripping you can always find someone to ride with. Get out and
   enjoy the roads on that new mahine.

           - Mike, Western Slope, Colorado

[Valk-Obsessed]

Welcome!

[Farside]

I'm in Andalusia. I haven't had time to set my shop up but if I can help feel free to contact me (93one-801-one010. Hopefully we can do some riding together. Love those Valkyries.

Greetings to you "Bruce from Ozark"  Welcome to the Valkyrie Brotherhood. I can't help you with your forks other than I did see some on Ebay a couple days ago.   I was working in Dothan this past Tues-Wed. but know excatly where you are, traveling all over S. AL. Also reached out to Crazyhorse the otherday to say Hi and if you guys ever have a desire to try and met up with a few of the Valk riders in the Pensacola/ Milton/ Crestview area just let me know. Crazyhorse, we had a RTE breakfast ride this morning not to far from you down in Baker, FL. If you think you'll get this way my # 850-748-5154. I know that the AL Valk team is also trying to start the "Cheaha Ride" back again. Great area to ride if you'd didn't know and best time to catch up with more Valk Brothers too.