How can you tell if your front forks are leaking?

When I first bought my bike, I swung by a motorcycle shop to ask about maintenance and such. He looked at my bike for free and told me that to get my bike in decent condition I would need to replace the muffler (there are cracks in the weld, and their on the wrong sides), have the carbs cleaned, and my forks were leaking.

After reading a post from MiCarl, I was wondering if mine were leaking at all, but I'm not sure how to tell and was wondering if anyone had pics of where to look and what to look for, but if you just tell me I can do my best.

I just like pictures.

 

If you have oil coming out at the rubber dust cover they are leaking, that's at the top of the thick bottom part of the fork, where the chrome inner tube slides up & down.

 

How will or when can I tell..? If that makes sense?
Will I see that it leaks, after I've been riding or does it leak when its been sitting? or when will the best time to check? Really hope that makes sense.

 

you will see dark rings of oil on your forks if they are leaking bad, small light smears if they are just begining to leak.

 

Remind me to check mine

 

You should definitely be able to see oil if they are leaking. It will often also be dirty, so you'd see black oil.

 

If you're lucky it will run down the side of the fork, pollute the brakes, and blow back onto your pantleg while riding. But that's an extreme leak.

Usually just manifests itself with oily rings left on the fork tube above the lower leg, or some oil dribbling from the seal.

 

Wipe them with a clean rag or paper towel at the dust covers. You should see oil on the rag/paper towel if they are leaking.

 

that's what made me decide to change my seals since I drive 40 miles one way to work. last night I couldn't get the forks completely apart. still figuring out how to remove that inner fork part that is held by the allen head at the rear. I don't have a 13/16" socket with a 3/8" square hole completely thru to turn it around. any other suggestions?

at first a few hundred miles back the seals would just let some oil remain at the top whenever the forks compressed. now its to the point that oil is blowing in the wind visually and misting all over my engine. forks are coming off the bike tonight and I'm putting my better spares back on once they are assembled and fork oil changed!