I’ve recently become the owner of a 2012 Specialized Enduro Expert Carbon, with specialized E160TA fork. On my previous bikes the crown race included a seal to stop shit going up inside the headtube and destroying the bearing but this doesn’t – or at least I dont have it if there is meant to be one. See pic below, there is nothing to stop dirt going in the gap and hitting the bearing which you can just about see.

Has anyone else come across this issue?

That’s how my Stumpy came. I just fitted a Hope crown race that has the seal.

i cut an old inner tube up, glued two pieces together and cut out a seal the right size from the resulting dual thickness rubber

seems fine so far

Thats how mine is and not had any problems with mine.

My Stumpy Evo is the same, bearings have just been replaced after nearly a year.