I have studied the service manual and several write ups on removing and dissembling the forks.
Thanks Greg for all your pictures and notes. Really just one thing that concerns me and that is loosening the top cap.
Not much there to grab on the top cap. Is it safe enough to use a regular 6 pt 24 mm (or 15/16”) socket with a chamfered bottom? (I know Greg also says to use electrical tape to protect it.)
Or should you get a socket with a non-chamfered (flat) bottom. I found one made for bicycle forks, here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FCK567/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me= $24 on Amazon with shipping. I do not know if it is deep enough for this top cap.
I know this is probably just common sense but nothing I have seen, in the service manual or write ups, say anything about removing the handlebars. I do not see how you can break the top cap loose with a socket and ratchet without removing them. Am I missing something here?
The plastic wrench also looks like a good way to break it loose but you would still need to use a socket if you are going to use a torque wrench to tighten it back down. Like most anything else I would guess it takes more torque to break it loose than to torque back to spec so maybe that could be done before you put the fork back in the clamps.??
I will be removing fork legs soon on my 2013 Tenere. I got all the tools and parts to replace seals, bushings, and oil.
I had a fork seal leak last May (2017) at almost 50,000 miles. Cleaned it out with a Seal Doctor and got a few very small black specs out and it never leaked again, only lost about 1 oz of oil. Probably some of the Teflon coating on the bushings. It has not leaked anymore since then. Currently 64,000 miles on the bike.