All the stupid things you can do (or not) to screw up the handling

I am usually thorough with maintainance, but when the fork legs started to get a bit greasy before the winter season I thought I'd leave the job until the spring service. Bad idea. By the middle of february the forks started pumping out emulsified oil through the seals and the fork had developed an unpleasent clanking. Time was up!

Changing seals and oil is a quick and easy job. Now the bike is transformed. Slightly heavier oil to make up for 20 years of wear and the bike feels planted and the clanking is completely gone.

Lessons learned:
1-When the seals start to leak they go bad quickly, and they let water in.
2-When water gets in the oil looses its bearing and damping ability.

Conclusion: Change the oil and seals a bit more often than feels necessary.

Bring on the dry roads!

Any similar experiences?