ASK THE MXPERTS: CAN YOU MIX AND MATCH FORK SEALS?

Guess what? 48mm is 48mm in Europe and Asia.

CAN YOU MIX AND MATCH FORK SEALS?

Dear MXA,

I live in a small town, far from a large metropolitan city. To buy a bike, I have to drive three hours—and the same holds true for parts. When I raced Yamahas, I stockpiled as many commonly used parts as possible so that I could fix my bikes without waiting for the UPS man to deliver what I needed. Last year I bought a KTM 350SXF, and I love it. When I blew a fork seal, caused by a rock hitting the fork leg, I priced replacement SKF fork seals. They were very expensive. I have two sets of 48mm Kayaba fork seals in my garage left over from my Yamaha days. I have asked everyone—from my Yamaha dealer to my KTM dealer—and they both said that Yamaha fork seals will not fit in WP AER forks. So, now I am asking MXA. Perhaps I should have asked you first. Can I use my Kayaba fork seals in my KTM forks?

The simple answer is yes. The SKF fork seals that come stock on KTM’s 48mm WP forks are higher quality and will last longer than the Kayaba seals, but no fork seal can resist tearing when the fork leg is dented. Go ahead and put the Kayaba seals in the WP forks just as you would the SKF seals.