Rust Never Sleeps

[The Spaceman_imp]

I was at the dealership service dept. yesterday to order a new mirror under warranty. The original one is bleeding glue under the glass. While I was there Dave, the service manager, asked to look my bike over. I said sure, and he inspected the chrome, especially under the fenders.

According to Dave, two CB owners have come in with serious corrosion issues. In particular the undersides of the fenders seem to be a problem area. Dave said one guy lives on the beach and didn't maintain his bike, but the other guy lives out west and his bike looked good aside from the chrome.

Also according to Dave, Honda is not replacing the corroded parts under warranty. I'm a little surprised at that; I thought there were government standards for vehicle corrosion performance. Maybe that's for cars and trucks only.

Keep your bike clean, even the "up and underneath" parts. Consider wax or another coating on areas like the fenders undersides. If you live up north and ride on salty roads (ferret!) be sure to get that salt coating off ASAP.

 

[the Ferret]

Yiiiii... good plan. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[dlhmatt_imp]

Guess it's time to put some underbody coating on there...

 

[Deanohh_imp]

Chrome plating on a lot of metric bikes has never been that durable from what I've seen. You either get pits on the show surface or it rots from the inside out. On top of that, the concave shape of the fender causes the chrome deposit to be generally thinner on the inside of any fenders because the plating current tends to flow less to the inside of shapes.

probably would be good prevention to paint or undercoat the fenders when you get a chance.... Salt or no salt.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I wish I had put underbody coating on mine when I had it off. I did wax it up good at least.

 

[yetanotherGerman_imp]

Chrome plating on a lot of metric bikes has never been that durable from what I've seen. You either get pits on the show surface or it rots from the inside out. On top of that, the concave shape of the fender causes the chrome deposit to be generally thinner on the inside of any fenders because the plating current tends to flow less to the inside of shapes.

probably would be good prevention to paint or undercoat the fenders when you get a chance.... Salt or no salt.

Use clear coat or transparent hard wax inside the fenders. If you use car body (or even underbody) spray you will only see the rust once it's bleeding through.

And of course careful with wax spray - you may not want it on your tyres or brake parts.

 

[Huladog_imp]

Look on the brighter side of things, NOW you have an excuse to order those fancy replacement color-matched fenders from Samurider!

Aren't you happier now?

Aloha,
Huladog

 

[CB4ME_imp]

Look on the brighter side of things, NOW you have an excuse to order those fancy replacement color-matched fenders from Samurider!

Aren't you happier now?

Aloha,
Huladog

that's exactly what i'm doing. Takashi is working with Chic Design on hole spacing for US license plates. I think Japanese plates are larger.

Takashi also mentioned everyone shuts down for a week at the end of the year, so expect a delay if you have stuff in the pipeline.

 

[Ole]

Look on the brighter side of things, NOW you have an excuse to order those fancy replacement color-matched fenders from Samurider!

Aren't you happier now?

Aloha,
Huladog

that's exactly what i'm doing. Takashi is working with Chic Design on hole spacing for US license plates. I think Japanese plates are larger.

Takashi also mentioned everyone shuts down for a week at the end of the year, so expect a delay if you have stuff in the pipeline.

crap that figures
PayPal made Mr. T a contribution last night
so now I wait

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

Some auto wax is a great preventative measure. I have also used some WD40 on a rag to wipe down the under side of the fenders. Cleans way dirt and debris and also leave a nice coating of oil to prevent rust. By the way, WD40 on a soft cloth or shop towel works excellent for cleaning the brake dust off the wheel rims. I wipe mine down every couple or rides or so. Keeps them looking brand new.

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

Some auto wax is a great preventative measure. I have also used some WD40 on a rag to wipe down the under side of the fenders. Cleans way dirt and debris and also leave a nice coating of oil to prevent rust. By the way, WD40 on a soft cloth or shop towel works excellent for cleaning the brake dust off the wheel rims. I wipe mine down every couple or rides or so. Keeps them looking brand new.

"Great minds think in like channels!"

That's pretty much my routine too. Use WD as a GP cleaner for stuff that detergent won't remove. Then wax as a barrier to protect paint, polished metal, and chrome.

 

[the Ferret]

Well, I just washed the salt residue off my CB. Unfortunately I did it in the rain, meaning its warm today, but it's raining, so when in a period of light rain, I pushed it outside, squirted it down with Bike-Brite and my wife hosed it off paying special attention to the wheels and undersides of the fenders. Then I pushed it into the garage and we dried it off. While drying it off I discovered a broken left front turn signal lens (tab broken on bottom where it screws thru the housing).. Came off in my hand. Will go down Tuesday and see if the shop will warranty it for me. If not it appears they are about $6 .

Unlike meowguy, my bike has already seen plenty of rain, ridden thru it for hours on vacation, and it sat outside all night in the rain in Maggie Valley NC while on vacation so it's no stranger to water. Lol. If it can't take a little water I need a different bike, cause even though it's a toy, it gets used rain or shine..or snow and salt for that matter, as do my other bikes. Bought them to ride.

 

[Gingersdaddy_imp]

Well, I just washed the salt residue off my CB. Unfortunately I did it in the rain, meaning its warm today, but it's raining, so when in a period of light rain, I pushed it outside, squirted it down with Bike-Brite and my wife hosed it off paying special attention to the wheels and undersides of the fenders. Then I pushed it into the garage and we dried it off. While drying it off I discovered a broken left front turn signal lens (tab broken on bottom where it screws thru the housing).. Came off in my hand. Will go down Tuesday and see if the shop will warranty it for me. If not it appears they are about $6 .

Unlike meowguy, my bike has already seen plenty of rain, ridden thru it for hours on vacation, and it sat outside all night in the rain in Maggie Valley NC while on vacation so it's no stranger to water. Lol. If it can't take a little water I need a different bike, cause even though it's a toy, it gets used rain or shine..or snow and salt for that matter, as do my other bikes. Bought them to ride.

Maggie Valley! Did you get to the Wheels Through Time Museum?
I love watching "Whats in the Barn"

 

[the Ferret]

Yep..lots of neat stuff to look at in there

BRP, the Dragon and more Part 2

 

[HondaJon_imp]

I use this on my Jetski. I am sure it would protect the underside of the fenders just fine.

http://store.sea-doo.com/product/614578/293600016/_/XPS_Lube

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

If you're a weirdo like me and want to take your bike cleaning to the level of clinical sickness, here's a tip I picked up recently from some sport-bike guys:

Fill a hand or pump sprayer with distilled water. After you wash the bike, use the sprayer to rinse the bike one last time. Then you can either dry it as usual, or just leave it alone to air dry. There will be no spots or residue on the paint, chrome, etc. Tried it Sunday and it worked great. It doesn't take much water to do this, BTW. Looks like a gallon of water will last 3 or 4 washes, maybe more.

 

[Gingersdaddy_imp]

Yep..lots of neat stuff to look at in there

BRP, the Dragon and more Part 2

That's cool. I was in Black Mountain in Mid July with the family for a week, but I did not know about the museum then or it would have been on one of our stops. Were talking about going again this July.
Ooops, sorry about the high jacking of the thread.

I've been hand washing and waxing the painted and chrome areas, no armor all, just wiping down, But my CB has not been out in the rain or on anything but pavement so far. I'm sure when I can log more miles this spring it will require a lot more detail.

 

[Ole]

If you're a weirdo like me and want to take your bike cleaning to the level of clinical sickness, here's a tip I picked up recently from some sport-bike guys:

Fill a hand or pump sprayer with distilled water. After you wash the bike, use the sprayer to rinse the bike one last time. Then you can either dry it as usual, or just leave it alone to air dry. There will be no spots or residue on the paint, chrome, etc. Tried it Sunday and it worked great. It doesn't take much water to do this, BTW. Looks like a gallon of water will last 3 or 4 washes, maybe more.

When we built our home in 1997, I made sure the plumber put a soft water hose bib in the garage for this very reason. Soft water rinses are sweet! And the water flys off with a leaf blower or a wand on the air compressor. Can you say anal? YES

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

Another product that just came to mind that would do an terrific job is a product called Shark Hide metal protectant. This is a clear liquid you wipe on with a rag. It dries clear to the touch after 20 - 30 minutes. This product is specifically made to protect exposed metal that sees a lot of outdoor activity including marine applications with exposure to salt water. Treating the rear fender would be pretty easy. Would likely have to remove the front front fender to get to the underside.

 

[EGAlvarez_imp]

Bringing an old thread back to life...

Tonight I installed my fork gaiters with the excellent assistance of Ferret's "how to" picture tutorital. After removing the front fender I found some corrosion and rust underneath the fender! This is a babied bike that is only ridden in nice weather and garage kept. I took the fender inside and gave it a good wash with dishsoap to remove all dirt, old wax and anything else that might be there. I then sprayed two layers of ACF-50 on both sides of the fender.

I'm crossing my fingers that no more develops over the next year. If it is any worse, I'll sand off the rust and primer and paint the bottom of both fenders next fall.