Fork Removal - Bodywork removal necessary?

I am about to pull my forks to replace the seals, and would like to know if it's necessary to remove any bodywork beyond the front fender?

Its not necessary. I've done 5 of them and never have. It would make it easier to get to the lower pinch bolts, but it isn't worth the extra time in my opinion. Make sure to loosen the caps before you loosen the lower pinch bolts though.

mlheck said:

Its not necessary. I've done 5 of them and never have. It would make it easier to get to the lower pinch bolts, but it isn't worth the extra time in my opinion. Make sure to loosen the caps before you loosen the lower pinch bolts though.

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+1
And, the last 5/6 pair of fork seals I'v done, I've used NoBalls fork seals from ebay, never a problem with the seals and caps, they sell in sets of four pieces, much less expensive than Honda. YMMV

I just did the seals and springs on my 06. Plenty of room after the fender is off to get to the lower bolts. Because my bike has the Tourmaster risers I had to lower the forks to have enough clearance to get a breaker bar with extension to the top caps to loosen them. Some people have reported success using an air impact gun to loosen the caps with the forks off the bike but my setup did not have enough power so I reinstalled the forks and tightened the lower bolts which worked just fine. With all the work involved I was more comfortable using Honda seals and so far everything is tight and dry. Also, if like me, you weigh north of 200 lbs, consider replacing the stock springs which are too soft for the weight of the bike. Much better control and handling IMO. This thread was very helpful:
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?133458-ST1300-fork-seal-replacement-and-sonic-spring-installation