Questionhi pat!, i have a yamaha r6 and have discovered a problem with my rear shock today.at the bottom of my rear shock there is fluid leaking out.i had a puncher in my back tyre on sunday and didnt realise till i was out so by the time i had got back home the tyre was flat.iam wondering if having the flat tyre might of broke a seal on the shock or damaged the shock.any idea wot it could be mate?.
many thanks danny
AnswerHi Danny, sorry for the delay--
This is curious. Shocks are pretty heavy-duty. I've never heard of one leaking before...at least in stock (unserviced) form.
It is possible that because the tire was flat, it stressed the shock to a degree where it broke the seal. But I doubt your puncher had anything to do with it. If you are a big guy, and maybe you hit a really, really big bump or something, you could blow out the shock and start it leaking.
Are you certain it's the shock leaking and not something near it? Maybe something that the flat tire tossed its way? Shock oil should be clear brown/brownish-red in color.
You could also try a bounce test. Clean up the shock as best you can (while its on the bike) so there's no fluid on it or dripping from it. Then get on the bike and compress the shock a couple dozen times, bouncing/sitting on the seat, maybe have someone hold the bike from the front while you bounce up and down on the footpegs for a minute or two. Does the response feel "normal?" Or does the bike bottom out? When you're done, then see if there's more fluid dripping out. It could be that the leak you notice is coming from somewhere else.
A shop manual or a book like 101 Sportbike Performance Projects can guide you in rebuilding the shock.
Good luck,
Pat
