07-14-2013, 08:28 PM
(07-13-2013, 11:52 PM)Jim21680_imp Wrote: Thanks Spaceman (I guess you're near the Kennedy Space Center)? My aunt & uncle live in Cocoa Beach.
Anyway, I'm sadly aware of what a coastal environment can do to metals. Another aunt & uncle have a house right on the beach in Cape May, NJ...and that place takes a beating! There's an outdoor kitchen with a stainless steel grill and refrigerator, but it's not a high enough grade...rusting areas still develop every season. Then, there's everything else, like galvanized nails that don't stand a chance. Electrical boxes. Faucet hardware. Door hinges. Everything that can oxidize will not fare well; it's a terrible maintenance point. I couldn't imagine owning a bike or car in that area, so I fully appreciate why you'd need to be so obsessive about it.
You're really close! I grew up in Cocoa Beach, and worked at KSC in Launch Control on the Shuttle project. But I moved to South Florida and private industry after Challenger.
I remember the original CBs were very rust-prone. Under the fenders, the headlight buckets, turn signals, etc all rusted fast on the beach. Aluminum parts didn't do much better; they'd pit and turn white if you neglected them.
MikeHJ: you're definitely right about the fork leading edges. The factories put a thin clearcoat on them, a few rock hits later they're pitted and corroded. Carnuba will help, but this Defender stuff may be the hot setup. Ducati makes kits with a clear "peel n stick" plastic for some of their bikes. You can buy the product in bulk and cut it yourself, but the spray seems better.