Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

Hi Folks

First post here from sunny Adelaide, South Australia.

My GZ's front forks are really oxidised and so the silver paint on them has started to go bubbly and is coing off.

Has anyone stripped the paint off theirs and redone it, or done something else (chroming) to them?

Cheers

Jimmy

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

From my understanding, chroming is a SERIOUS process, and can be quite expensive. I think you'd be better off just replacing them. I don't imagine they'd be too expensive (bikebandit.com has them for $119.39 each) and you can probably find them used for really cheap.

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

:plus1:

Just went out and looked at mine. How old is this bike anyway? My lower fork tubes LOOK like brush/hammer finish aluminium alloy of some sort.....but could be painted I guess, my eyes aren't what they used to be.

You could have a serious problem developing, like pending front fork collapse.
I suggest a really good inspection is in order.

In order to clean and repaint them, they will have to come off .......to prevent damage to the disk brake rotor, upper tubes, etc. and by the time you do that, you might as well put on new ones.

If there is SERIOUS corrosion at work, you do NOT want to just cover that up with new paint. :skull:

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

Are you talking about the upper (chrome) part or the lower (gray paint) part? I was under the impression that you meant the chrome tubes.

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

Hi Guys

The lower parts. Upper tubes are fine, nice and shiny. It isnt corrosion as such, more an oxidation of the surface of the aluminium, causing the paint (or whatever the top coat is) to peel.

I'm not worried about the safety factor, it is just unsightly.

Cheers

Jimmy

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

You could sand them down and have them polished to almost a chrome like finish.

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

A nice powder-coat job would probably be perfectly fine on them. I don't see a problem with it.

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

Oh, then it shouldn't be a really big deal unless you find some serious rust damage when you start sanding the paint off. I thought you meant the chrome parts.

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

Nomenclature FYI:

Bottom Part = Lower Legs

Chrome Part = (fork) Tubes

:biggrin:

Re: Front Forks - Has anyone re-painted?
 

You wouldn't have to remove the forks from the bike to paint them. Remove the wheel, unbolt the brake caliper and zip tie it out of harm's way.