Rust on lower fork bracket

[Pterodactyl_imp]

My CB1100 is a 2011 model, although it wasn't sold and ridden until May 2013. I bought it second hand in September 2013 with 2091 kms on the clock.

Since I've had it, I've been pretty careful about cleaning it. It lives under a roof and a cover. I have, from time to time ridden it in the rain. The other day I noticed rust at either end of the chrome pipe along the top of the oil cooler. I then noticed a faint hint of rust around both sides of the fork brace, on the bolt between the handlebar mounts, and around the key.

I took it back to the dealer I bought it from yesterday as I happened to be nearby. The warranty chap took photos and told me he would have to check with Honda. He also told me they had little success with rust clims as Honda classed it as maintenance. I'm waiting for a response.

I intend to do some more research about Australian consumer law, as I have a nagging suspicion it is up to the dealer to make good and then sort it out with the manufacturer.

I don't know abut the minor spotting; maybe it is a maintenance issue and I need to lift my game, but the rust on the oil cooler pipe looks nasty and I don't think it is acceptable that a road bike with a mere 9000 kms on the clock which has been reasonably looked after should be this vulnerable to rust.

I'll keep you all posted on how it pans out. In the meantime, here's some photos.

G'day Cormanus,

After seeing your photos I galloped down to my shed to check my bike.

Unlike your machine mine has led a fairly rough life. My CB was manufactured in 5/10 and I bought it (new) in 2/12. It was parked somewhere between those dates, hopefully under cover but maybe not. It now has 29000 exactly on the clock. It has been ridden many hours in rain, much of it heavy, been exposed to gravel rash from heaps of dirt/gravel riding (and a low-side), exposed to extreme temps on hot days and cold nights (40C+ to -10C) and parked out in the rain and dew on any number of days and nights on various trips. I live close to, but not not on, the eastern suburbs beaches. While at home it is garaged and covered. More on covering in a moment.

The check I just ran was not super thorough but did not reveal anything amiss in the ares you have detected, and photographed, rust. There is, however, a very small sign of corrosion around the oil cooler pipe, front to underside in the position that yours shows rust. I have rubbed it out with metal polish and will monitor closely. Something I would not, without reading yours and other posts on this thread, normally be concerned about. I have always made it a practice to clean the bike thoroughly after an extended ride. I use a high pressure hose (Gerni) followed up with the usual polishes and cleaners. I lubricate linkages and spray down into the key hole with silicon lubricant. Any gravel rash on the engine side covers I rub out with wet and dry and repaint with etch primer and high-temp aluminium coloured paint. A couple of stone chips on the front of the tank I have covered, reasonably successfully, with spots of nail polish (not mine) that matches Candy Glory Red. In summary, most of the bikes I see on this forum are real "show and shine" candidates and put mine to shame. However I will say it is far from a "rat bike" and most people do comment on how new it looks.

So, why would your machine, as opposed to mine, show such rust? Storage between manufacture and purchase? Maybe. Poor manufacturing technique? Maybe, but our bikes are fairly concurrent models with presumably the same base and component manufacturers (oil feed pipes for instance). Routine cleaning and care? Well, after reading the above you can be sure you care for your bike at least as well as and almost certainly more than I do mine.

You mentioned that your bike was covered. Do you cover your bike with a "bike cover"? By that I mean those that, typically, are waterproofed and have a sun reflectant exterior - Oxford etc. It is my experience with these that they can or may promote rust. When left on for more than a few days, condensation can be trapped under the cover and produce conditions that favour rust forming. I suspect that this is especially so if the bike is still hot when covered. These covers often come with a warning label with words to the effect that they should not be used for extended periods. I don't think that they breath very well. Outdoors is probably better than garaged as wind at least circulates air in and out of the cover. I detected this problem with a previous bike. I now cover the CB, while garaged, with ordinary cotton bed sheets. Cotton breaths and does not abrade. I do have a cover, as described previously, but don't use it. I don't take it away with me on trips figuring that rain and dew are usually very pure water and if the bike is wet in the morning I just use a micro-fibre cloth to clean and dry. I suppose if I thought that sand or heavy dust, tree sap or maybe even bird cuss was going to be a problem I would use it.

You may not use a cover as I described so, if that is the case, I would be at a loss to explain what has happened. I will be very interested in your comments. You can save yourself some time with a simple and concise "cuss" if you wish. I am an old digger so I can handle that . I am of course interested in your next steps anyway. I will be looking more closely at my CB from now on. Thanks all for the heads up.

Cheers and good luck mate.