Repairing Bluey in Ranau & Hot Springs

Ranau was a like a nice hilltop town, with many ammenities and possibility to find workshop and a place where people from Kundasang goes to run minor errends which they dont need to go all the way back down to the main city KK. Hence I spend one day going to all the motorcycle shop trying to fix up the front fork suspension which was leaking on the left side. Pretty sure I notice it when I rode to Kudat but 300km later in Ranau was the time I decided to do something about it.

Ranau - Sabah

Ranau - Sabah

Supprisingly there was a lot of motorcycle shop and from the looks of their spareparts stockpile and the number of unfinished custom bikes lingering around, I could tell that there was a lot of custom modification bikes in Ranau. Good place for Bluey to be fixed for unless it was those crazy custom mechanics, doubt they would know how to handle even a simple thing like Front Fork Oil Seal for they wont know if they had the parts until they strip it which was bad.

I enquire on the net for the type of oil seal and got a reply fairly quickly from the facebook Demak D7 group. Original front fork oil seal size was 31 x 43 x 10.3. With that information, it was more easier to establish the repair method. I went from one workshop to another asking if they had the part and all the biggest and baddest workshop in Ranau said nope, sorry dont have that size. They had all the others but not that one. Friendly as they were, one workshop refer me to another big workshop but alas all did not have the right oil seal size.

The Last Oil Seal for Bluey 

Servicing Bluey at Ranau

Fork Servicing for Bluey in Ranau

Fork Servicing for Bluey in Ranau

I had more or less given up hope and went to get laundry done. While waiting, I decided to explore the few shops in this new area where the coin laundy was located. Walk into a really small motor shop and ask the lady for the oil seal with the size given. I did not place much hope actually expecting a negetive answer so while she was looking for the size, I was brousing the few stickers they sold.

This one ka ? But dun have 10.3 have 10.5

Dafaq, really ....

I verify the size and according to online advice, it was the inner and outer diameter that was most important and the height a little diff should still be ok. OK I said, Change, both fork ...

The girl proceeded to find the pair but came out short. That peice was the last peice the shop had. The last peice in the whole of Ranau. What chance. I got the fork serviced and change the one faulty oil seal and it was time to leave Ranau the next day for Sandakan.

In terms of things to do in Ranau, I really did not do much other than go to the Poring Hot Spring for a bath and visit the Sabah Tea Plantation. Laziness is surely starting to set in.

Sabah Tea Plantation - Ranau

Sabah Tea Plantation - Ranau

Offroading around Orchards in Ranau

Poring Hot Springs is free to enter with nicely done up public pools which draws the waters from the natural hot springs. Cool mountain weather with lovely hot springs was like a heavenly match and I would think nearly every one in Ranau and Kundasang would make a monthly picnic trip to the springs. This I observe base on the special extra large drain suction plug each of the family brings with them to plug up pools in the hut. I of course have to patiently wait for the very very few plugs that are free and workable.

Poring Hot Springs in Ranau

Open Common Hot Spring Pool 

Poring Public Pool which is like a private bathtub ... Bring Large Suction Cup Drain Plug for best experience - Ranau

Traveled on: Sep 2019