Front Fork Tubes

[DaveB]

Stripped down the front end of my 76 K6 and this is what the fork tubes look like.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Looking at eBay and other posts on here it seems this is 'normal'.

I'm pretty stringent about making sure everything is right as can be and so I'm wondering what others would do?

Clean them somehow? (How?).

Replace them?

Leave them as is as the important part is perfectly OK and the rusty cruddy part will always be hidden?

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks,

[haynes66]

while they are off, get them rechromed. look up phillpots on pitted forks.co.uk

[DaveB]

Re-chroming seems more expensive than just buying new stanchions. Admittedly new stanchions wouldn't be original but is there some hidden advantage I'm overlooking? I'm still a little tempted to leave them as they are as I can think of better things or at least visible things to spend £300 on but I'm not sure my OCD could cope with that

[JamesH]

Dave - so long as they're good in the free travel area (ie not causing premature seal failure) you could just de-rust them with deox-c (bilt hamber) for anfew days, rub down the challenged area and then mask off and paint with a suitable silver paint (thin coats). Then just re-assemble. Pretty sure Uk pete dis a similar think on some K0 stanchions last year? James

[kevski]

I always get new, as re-chrome is normally more expensive these days, these parts are a consumable and not like a frame or engine, you could always keep the old ones stored properly for the next owner when you come to sell the bike.

[Bryanj]

Phillpots re-chrome uses a harder grade and basically will still be good when you ain't so worth it in my opinion

[hairygit]

Problem with buying new is most of the pattern ones are made in Italy, and the chrome on the sliders will look like the top of your existing ones in a very short time! Far better if you can't get or afford new genuine ones is to have the originals re chromed at Philpotts, original 40+ year old Honda tubes will be far better quality metal than new Italian pattern ones. But it's your bike, so your choice!

[Nurse Julie]

Re-chroming seems more expensive than just buying new stanchions. Admittedly new stanchions wouldn't be original but is there some hidden advantage I'm overlooking? I'm still a little tempted to leave them as they are as I can think of better things or at least visible things to spend £300 on but I'm not sure my OCD could cope with that

Not sure where you get £300 from. I have just had a set of CB550 and a set if CB750 ones hard chromed  by Philpots. Their website shows £175 inc VAT retail per pair.

[DaveB]

Re-chroming seems more expensive than just buying new stanchions. Admittedly new stanchions wouldn't be original but is there some hidden advantage I'm overlooking? I'm still a little tempted to leave them as they are as I can think of better things or at least visible things to spend £300 on but I'm not sure my OCD could cope with that

Not sure where you get £300 from. I have just had a set of CB550 and a set if CB750 ones hard chromed  by Philpots. Their website shows £175 inc VAT retail per pair.

If I strip them down myself which I'm not sure I'd make a very good job of Otherwise £275 plus whatever the shipping costs are.

[Nurse Julie]

Re-chroming seems more expensive than just buying new stanchions. Admittedly new stanchions wouldn't be original but is there some hidden advantage I'm overlooking? I'm still a little tempted to leave them as they are as I can think of better things or at least visible things to spend £300 on but I'm not sure my OCD could cope with that

Not sure where you get £300 from. I have just had a set of CB550 and a set if CB750 ones hard chromed  by Philpots. Their website shows £175 inc VAT retail per pair.

If I strip them down myself which I'm not sure I'd make a very good job of Otherwise £275 plus whatever the shipping costs are.

Stripping them is easy and putting them back together is just the reverse with a bit more huffing and puffing 😊😊😊

[Nurse Julie]

Also, if you went out and bought replicas, you would still have to strip and rebuild.

[DaveB]

Well, you're all correct of course except there was quite a lot of huffing and puffing dismantling them and I think re-assembling them will be a lot easier. I've never come across such over-tightened bolts and fork caps in my life - thank God for my impact driver. Both 8mm Allen bolts in the bottom were way over-tightened, one so much that the copper washer had been deformed and pressed into the fork casing. Had to do some micro surgery to remove the washer.

I've decided to buy new tubes after all but this will give me the opportunity to get the originals re-chromed at a later date if the replacements are completely naff.

Thanks for the pointers as always

[Trigger]

I did post a picture on here some time a go of what the repro ones look like after some years.
Philpots will do the top caps FOC when they do stanchions and you will see them while riding 

[AshimotoK0]

I did post a picture on here some time a go of what the repro ones look like after some years.
Philpots will do the top caps FOC when they do stanchions and you will see them while riding 

I agree my Z650B1 ones they did yonks ago were superb .. they had some top nuts at Stafford last year though and I thought they looked a bit ropey .. chrome was OK but visible pit marks still in them. I appreciate that this is a very difficult part to have re-chromed though ...that's why I always try to find NOS or new if not discontinued.

I bought my K0 fork tubes from Yamiya and they assured me that they were made in Japan, not Italy. Anyone have any experience of Yamiya ones? All I can say is that they are not chromed at the very bottom, which is correct and the DS (Italian made) ones are incorrect in that region.

Dave ..I agree with JamesH ..those tubes look reasonable in the clamped regions.