Fork Gaiters

[Martin6]

1976, K6. Still going well and I'm enjoying my rides. Nearly 2,000 miles in the last couple of months. The bike hadn't had much use for many years and it seems to be smoother and punchier the more it's ridden.

Anyhow, both fork gaiters have given up. They are both more splits than rubber. Doesn't look awful, but I have replacements and a bit of time free over the coming week.

I thought I could just remove the front wheel, unthread the speedo drive, take the brake calliper off the other fork. Then loosen the pinch bolts and slide the forks down and out of the clamps (mudguard still attached) to get to the gaiters.

However, the Haynes manual starts with disconnecting all the wiring and removing the headlamp, then clutch cable, braking system etc.... Is there a short cut? Will the forks just slide out of the clamps and headlamp mounts without needing to do all that?

Thanks,  Martin

[Trigger]

Don't believe everything you read 

Front wheel out, mudguard off, undo top pinch bolt and lower yoke clamp bolt and pull the fork out 

[Oddjob]

What about the brake lines? And the speedo cable?

If you dismount the calipers, detach the speedo cable and loosen the pinch bolts top and bottom you can indeed remove the whole front end in one piece, it’s fiddly and heavy but it can be done, then just remove the gaiters, replace with new and refit in reverse. It is easier with the front wheel out and the mudguard off though.

[Martin6]

Thank you both. 👍

[Trigger]

You do not need to take any brake lines off.
Once the mudguard is unbolted from the fork, unbolt the lower bolt on the caliper arm and let the brake hang. Easier to loosen the two allen keys a couple of turns in the back of the caliper so, the disc slides out with ease 

[Oddjob]

No you failed to mention the brakes at all, failing to mention them means the brake lines would stop the forks from coming out of the frame. Keep up.

[Trigger]

It will not stop forks, it will stop one fork %"$$.

[Oddjob]

Depends if there are 2 calipers or one, either way the point stands.

[Trigger]

And my f*%&£ point stands that he doesn't have to take all wiring, head light apart. So stop being so pig headed 

[Martin6]

All done, I just undid the two Allen bolts and parted the calliper. Getting the mudguard off was the trickiest bit  .

👍

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Hope the metal behind the Gaiters is not like mine were - well rusted.

[Martin6]

I was lucky. The chrome behind the gaitors was fine on both. Not the case for the area covered by the headlight shrouds. One was clean, the other was pitted. I cleaned it up and put a coat of ACF50 on. Will be fine for now.

[Trigger]

Great that you have them fitted now Martin 

[Bryanj]

The bit inside the headlamp brackets was not chromed in thevfirst place

[AshimotoK0]

I got some brand new genuine Honda fork gaiters from Yamiya a couple of years ago .. one of them has a  split in it... even though the bike has never been on the road since the chassis was rebuilt ! The original 1969 ones had done 46k miles and not split at all ... only hardened a bit at one end. Trigger sold me some genuine NOS ones to replace them, which are hopefully from supply a few years back. Problem with Yamiya is that it's hard enough ordering from them in the first place, never mind returning anything. If you complain or question anything it's as if their honour that is at stake and they dig their heels in. The world seems to have forgotten how to compound rubber properly any more. So many aftermarket rubber parts are sh$te and seems that  you can't even trust genuine Honda any more.