Chrome Pitting on Fork Tubes

[dave]

I am anal about keeping my bike clean, and dry. I live in San Diego where I am fortunate enough to have only been sprinkled on twice during a ride during the past four years, my bike is garage stored, and I live far enough away from the coast so that the salt air is not a problem. But, I have experienced unusual rusting and chrome pitting on my 2014 dlx that none of the previous bikes I have owned have experienced. One of my fork tubes has very, very tiny pit marks on it, about the size of a pin-poke. These pit marks are into the area where the lower tube travels, not directly adjacent to the lower fork clamp on the triple clamp. Has anybody else discovered anything similar?

[Tezza_imp]

I had to get my tubes hardchromed again after about 25 thousand kilometres. They originally started leaking at the fork seals and new seals made no difference. The place that did the hardchroming said there was only about 4 microns of chrome on them.

[dave]

I had to get my tubes hardchromed again after about 25 thousand kilometres. They originally started leaking at the fork seals and new seals made no difference. The place that did the hardchroming said there was only about 4 microns of chrome on them.

Tank you Tezza. I'll bet the chrome plating on my forks tubes are excessively thin also. I wonder if anybody else is experiencing this condition also.

[jtopiso_imp]

If I had to rechrome my bars, It would be a nice excuse to pay for a DLC coating.

[dave]

There's been 142 reviews of this post and only one person, besides me, has reported an issue with the fork tubes pitting. I just looked at a 2013 CB1100 in the parking garage where I work and both of the tubes are 100X worse than mine - at least. It doesn't look like this bike has been well taken care of, and it looks like it has never been cleaned. All of the pitting was above the travel of the lower tubes (not the full travel of the forks, but the full travel that this owner uses), so there wasn't any leakage - yet. My 1976 CB750F, that has been stored in my shed for 20 years, has less pitting on the fork tubes.

[LongRanger_imp]

No issues here. The fork tubes on my '14 are still pristine. A bunch of folks here use gaiters -- perhaps that's something for you to consider.

[dave]

I replaced the complete fork assemblies on my 2014 Dlx yesterday with Dual Bending Valve forks from a 2017 model (this had nothing to do with the pitting chrome). Both tubes were rusted where they clamp inside the lower triple clamp. They were rusted so bad that the rust cannot be completely removed with steel wool.

As a comparison, I replaced one of the upper fork tubes on my 1998 VFR800 three months ago because it was pitting, and after 105,000 miles developed a leak. There was absolutely no rust on the VFR800 fork tubes where they clamp to the triple clamps.

[SportsterDoc]

When I return from a ride, I use a hot wet rag to remove bugs, then apply Turtle wax to tank, especially in the front where bugs collect. That rag then is sacrificed to wipe off the rims (alloy) and ends its life catching overspray from lubing the chain, if I am at the 600 mile mark.

Then I spray a small amount of Johnson's Pledge on the flyscreen and headlight. After removing excess with a dry rag, I apply the remaining residue on the front of the forks and fork tubes. Makes it easier to remove bugs, after the next ride...might also help to protect from pitting, in your coastal climate, Dave.

No fork pitting in this dry climate, but I do change brake fluid if it is no longer clear. When it absorbs moisture, it will pit the inside of the brake calipers...water likes to settle to the bottom. The only fluid becoming dark on the CB to date, was the clutch fluid, when it came out of the crate, last November; which now has fresh DOT 4 in the reservoir.

BTW, I now have 2,000 miles on the scrambler tires, installed 5 weeks ago. I have been easier on acceleration, but appears to be almost 20% wear on the Pirelli Scorpion on the rear, so they may go 10,000 miles, as did the stock Dunlops. Sure makes handling in pea gravel better. Would post photos of my Extraterrestrial ride, if I could.

Final ride along Lake Mead is tomorrow. Going with Vrod friend, who has already inherited my under-the-seat tool kit: 1/4" drive ratchet, extensions, sockets, Torx bits, #2 & #3 Phillips and Metric bits, plus small Channellock diagonal cutters and some thin Yamaha wrenches (8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 22). Difficult letting go of the Metric bits, as they are hard to find in 1/4" drive.

[max]

Max, re this post, would you be willing to post these on my behalf.

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid217143

They are low resolution flip phone photos:






















There you are Jerry, safe travels .

[Cormanus]

Sportsterdoc's pictures, max?

The look good. I hope it was a great final ride.