Rust on lower fork bracket

[Cormanus]

Are you sure thats rust around the key switch? Mine has a brown ring too. It looks like a phenolic like material, but I can't really tell what it is made of. Mine isn't as dinged up as yours and looks factory to me.

No rust on mine that I've found yet, and I just looked at my oil cooler lines, as your pics look bad. My lines and forks look fine. Bike has been in the rain, and I've hosed it off more than once. It is garage kept.

Popgun, I'm not sure whether the stuff around the key switch is rust. I think it's always been there, but I did think it looked a bit worse yesterday. I'm not at all happy about the oil lines. If a road bike can't withstand reasonable moisture, there's something not right about it.

[the Ferret]

I am starting to be concerned about the rust reports on the CB.


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Me too Elipten, the thing is, it seems to be so random. One here, one there. Still for a company that is known for fit and finish, this is not acceptable IMO, especially if they are not going to take care of it. I miss Soichiro ..he would never let shoddy product go unrepaired as long as it had his name on it.

[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.

[Cormanus]

G'day Pteroldactyl

Where to start? The cover I suppose. It is one of those synthetic-type waterproof beasts with a reflective outside etc. It has a couple of vents in it at the front as well as some small holes now as it's a couple of years old. I don't clip it together at the bottom so the air should move through it. I don't cover the bike until it has cooled down as I suspect the cover wold melt onto hot engines and pipes. But thanks for your advice about that. It makes sense and I'd better reconsider. I'm not sure that covering it with an old cotton sheet would provide it with good protection against the elements. What do you think would happen if it got wet?

I don't have a garage; only a car port through which the rain and wind blow enthusiastically when the weather conditions are right—you know what it's like in SE Qld. It can get wet in there, but air movement would quickly dry it out—except, perhaps under the dreaded cover! Since I've had it, it did sit for a week once, uncovered, by the mouth of the Brisbane River. Not enough for the salt to get it I wouldn't think.

It sits under the car port under it's cover. From time to time it's under the cover for a period if I can't use it, but not much as I use it as my main means of transport.

I've not done as many kms as you, but it's been ridden in the rain when I have to and on the odd gravel road. I dunno whether I clean it as well as you. I wash it with a hose and sponges and dry it off with an old-fashioned chamois. I don't use polish other than the odd squirt of Mr Sheen—did you know that was Kevin Rudd's nickname—on the tank and the chrome. I have used a cutting compound on a couple of areas to remove marks. I also use kerosense to wipe chain lube and brake gunk off the wheels and bits and bobs of road marks off the engine. I tend not to use a gurni, although I have one and have used it a couple of times. I read somewhere they're not always good for bikes as they can force water through seals. Like you I am not a shine and show cleaner, but I like the bike to look good.

I'll be interested in what Honda has to say. I'm not optimistic. On the other hand, given the bike has been at least reasonably well looked after since I've had it, I don't think the oil pipe corrosion is acceptable.

Cheers

PS: Hope you're recovering well.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Cormanus. Sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place as far as a cover goes. A sheet would not be good if it gets wet. I assumed that your CB was garaged. Sorry.

You are right. The rust on those oil pipes is unacceptable. Interesting that the corrosion on mine, however minor, is in exactly the same place. Push Honda as hard as you can. Maybe someone on this forum can help with strategy.

Getting better? Yes, not a lot of pain now. Just discomfort. My left arm is still braced and limited in movement by that brace to about 120deg of bend. I will get rid of the brace in another 9 weeks or so. Then physio I guess. I am going bloody crazy as I love to swim, kayak and various other fairly active pursuits. Went down to the shed to check for rust this morning then sat on the bike, pushed it off the centre stand, kicked it in the guts and thought that, even with a braced arm, maybe I can ride this. Then reality hit me. I shut down and sat it on the side stand. If I screwed the results of this (expensive) operation Death-by-Wife would be inevitable.

Cheers

[Barkingshins_imp]

All this talk about premature rusting of CB's is really making me anxious about my decision to pull the trigger on the DLX this year. My CB, when it arrives, will be garaged... and I generally don't ride on a day that rain is expected. Despite all that, sh*t happens and it's bound to get a bit wet here and there for whatever reason, same as any other vehicle on the road. It would really tarnish (no pun intended) my first new-bike experience if I'm dealing with nonsense like this after only a season or two of ownership. Ugh! Someone please put my mind at ease.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

All this talk about premature rusting of CB's is really making me anxious about my decision to pull the trigger on the DLX this year. My CB, when it arrives, will be garaged... and I generally don't ride on a day that rain is expected. Despite all that, sh*t happens and it's bound to get a bit wet here and there for whatever reason, same as any other vehicle on the road. It would really tarnish (no pun intended) my first new-bike experience if I'm dealing with nonsense like this after only a season or two of ownership. Ugh! Someone please put my mind at ease.

Mate, the same as any other vehicle there will be a certain amount of natural attrition (do I sound like Rumsfeld?). It's a Honda. Look after it and it will look after you. If you don't want it then please on-ship it to me. If you bear the costs I will express my eternal gratitude with a case of Aussie beer and a Christmas card .

Cheers and enjoy the ride.

[the Ferret]

All this talk about premature rusting of CB's is really making me anxious about my decision to pull the trigger on the DLX this year. My CB, when it arrives, will be garaged... and I generally don't ride on a day that rain is expected. Despite all that, sh*t happens and it's bound to get a bit wet here and there for whatever reason, same as any other vehicle on the road. It would really tarnish (no pun intended) my first new-bike experience if I'm dealing with nonsense like this after only a season or two of ownership. Ugh! Someone please put my mind at ease.

Mate, the same as any other vehicle there will be a certain amount of natural attrition (do I sound like Rumsfeld?). It's a Honda. Look after it and it will look after you. If you don't want it then please on-ship it to me. If you bear the costs I will express my eternal gratitude with a case of Aussie beer and a Christmas card .

Cheers and enjoy the ride.

I agree. Since I was in a discussion with someone on another forum about the Fz-09, I went to 3 different fz-09 forums for a look see. Quite eye opening. They wish they only had a minor rust issue (which is after all, random and only cosmetic). A lot of their issues are knocking/ ticking due to defective cam tensioners, really lousy fueling that seems nearly impossible to fix, so bad they can't use 1 of 3 engine modes, hard or not starting when hot, really lousy suspension front and rear, mushy front brakes. Anyone who considered one of them and bought the CB 1100 instead should go out to the garage and hug and kiss their bikes, even if it is one of the ones with some rust issues.

Again, the rust issues are rare and random, although I sympathize with those that are having the issue and don't believe we should be having the issue in the first place.

[Guth_imp]

So far this issue appears to be too random to nail down the cause.

The use of a bike cover possibly being related is an interesting thought though.

[the Ferret]

Right Guth..at least 2, Ack and Cormanus both park their bikes outside under a cover. But again, without a larger sampling, or reports from those who park outside under a cover and DON'T have rust issues, we are only speculating at this point. I wonder if Chris on the UK forum parks his outside under a cover. I will ask him.