Finish
Finish
I was always under the impression that Hondas were high quality and had a better finish than other Japanese/Italian bikes. Bought my `Storm new in mid November and I`ve done over 2000 miles. I wash it when ever I get a chance but the salt has ripped into the finish of the footrest hangers and other bits particularly the bolts. My ZX6R didn`t deteriorate so quickly even though it received the same treatment/mileage over the 22 months that I had it. It really spoils what in all other respects is an excellent bike and I`m wondering whether I have a case to try to get this sorted under warranty. Any thoughts?
.... no more bike, divorce sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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firestorm_al
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Pete.L
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Hi Stevie.
Yeah I know what you mean about the finish
I drive mine all year and the salt kills the alloy bits every winter
I normally just try to keep on top of it in the winter and as soon as the salts gone I get the old wire wool out, a new tube of autosol, and plenty of soft rags. What you will probably find is by the time you finally get the finish you want back it's next october and some b@stards just put a new layer of salt down cause it's going to frost tomorrow
Sorry mate, it's just been one of those days. Good luck with the warantee quearie. If you get anywhere let every one know. I think it's something we're all having fun with this time of year
Pete.l
Yeah I know what you mean about the finish
I drive mine all year and the salt kills the alloy bits every winter
I normally just try to keep on top of it in the winter and as soon as the salts gone I get the old wire wool out, a new tube of autosol, and plenty of soft rags. What you will probably find is by the time you finally get the finish you want back it's next october and some b@stards just put a new layer of salt down cause it's going to frost tomorrow
Sorry mate, it's just been one of those days. Good luck with the warantee quearie. If you get anywhere let every one know. I think it's something we're all having fun with this time of year
Pete.l
Me too M8
Although we've both had our 'Storms for the same amount of time you have clearly had more opportunity to put the miles on, but mine is definitely looking the worse for wear too.
I found an article (MCN I think) about buying used VTR's where it was mentioned that the finish on these bikes suffer. I agree it's something we think of as strange for Honda, but it's really only in very recent years that the build quality on some of their top-end machines (like the VFR & Blade) has improved. I remember my old C90 looked like a pile of sh1t after just a couple of weeks, and what about the CB range & the old Superdream models? They rusted as you looked at them.
A good quality wax polish and loads of elbow grease on the alloy is the only answer I think. The 'Storm is certainly no worse than a Suzuki I had a few years back that would fur up the alloy overnight sometimes, seriously. I once took 'before' and 'after' photo's just to prove to myself that I wasn't being paranoid and imagining it!
A cold water rinse after a ride is always a good idea, it doesn't stop the chemical reaction, but it slows things down a bit (and it helps the bike too ).
TTFN
Although we've both had our 'Storms for the same amount of time you have clearly had more opportunity to put the miles on, but mine is definitely looking the worse for wear too.
I found an article (MCN I think) about buying used VTR's where it was mentioned that the finish on these bikes suffer. I agree it's something we think of as strange for Honda, but it's really only in very recent years that the build quality on some of their top-end machines (like the VFR & Blade) has improved. I remember my old C90 looked like a pile of sh1t after just a couple of weeks, and what about the CB range & the old Superdream models? They rusted as you looked at them.
A good quality wax polish and loads of elbow grease on the alloy is the only answer I think. The 'Storm is certainly no worse than a Suzuki I had a few years back that would fur up the alloy overnight sometimes, seriously. I once took 'before' and 'after' photo's just to prove to myself that I wasn't being paranoid and imagining it!
A cold water rinse after a ride is always a good idea, it doesn't stop the chemical reaction, but it slows things down a bit (and it helps the bike too
).TTFN
This is my 6th bike and all but the `Storm and the ZX6R lived outside unprotected. I racked up 8000 mile on an SV650S and 22000 miles on my ZX6R at an average of 1000/month. Neither looked in bad condition when I traded them in and I am worried what this one is going to look like in 2 years.
I bet Honda`s cars don`t deteriorate like this!
I bet Honda`s cars don`t deteriorate like this!
.... no more bike, divorce sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I'm buggered if I know why you lot over there use salt on the roads what do the under side of cars look like? In NZ we spread light grit on the roads after a frost and it usualy dissapairs after a while. The only thing you have to watch is loosing a wheel on it but thats only if you think your a top rally car driver.
As for the finish on Honda's the fist thing I noticed with my Storm is the lack of clear lacker on the fairing (over the firestorm sticker 03) Yet the Honda wing on the tank is very well finished just as previous Hondas I've had like a CX500 turbo which had the best paint finish i'd ever seen on any bike. But nowdays the finish is just the avarge run of the mill.
As for the finish on Honda's the fist thing I noticed with my Storm is the lack of clear lacker on the fairing (over the firestorm sticker 03) Yet the Honda wing on the tank is very well finished just as previous Hondas I've had like a CX500 turbo which had the best paint finish i'd ever seen on any bike. But nowdays the finish is just the avarge run of the mill.
cheers Darryl
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Fireman on a Storm
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Worth a try!!!
Warning keep away from brakes and tyres!!!!!!
WD40
When you have got your bike clean and dry, smother it in WD40 leave it over night then take it for a blast.
DON'T START IT UP IN THE GARAGE
The bike will smoke like mad from the engine and exaust for the first few miles, but when it gets covered in crap, the crap will be sitting on the layer of WD40.
Come spring clean time use some degreaser to get off the WD and the crap sould not have recked your finish as much as it would have done.
I have done this and a couple of bikes and it does seem to help. I do ride all year!
Warning keep away from brakes and tyres!!!!!!
WD40
When you have got your bike clean and dry, smother it in WD40 leave it over night then take it for a blast.
DON'T START IT UP IN THE GARAGE
The bike will smoke like mad from the engine and exaust for the first few miles, but when it gets covered in crap, the crap will be sitting on the layer of WD40.
Come spring clean time use some degreaser to get off the WD and the crap sould not have recked your finish as much as it would have done.
I have done this and a couple of bikes and it does seem to help. I do ride all year!
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essexbloke
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Corrosion blues....
Read a while back that Castrol Chain wax works well on alloy bolt heads etc. over winter to prevent corrosion (not near brakes/ tyres!). Would make sense as it dries similar to Waxoil. Haven't tried it yet but I have been a frequrent user of the WD method on my (previous) VFR800. Amazing difference when I compared my bike to my brother in law's, who didn't like the smell/ smoke . His looked decidedly ratty after 13000 miles whilst mine was still a minter. This was with very similar winter usage.
Vaselene also useful but won't dry or form a shell like the chain wax.
Clean off with white spirit then wash.
Vaselene also useful but won't dry or form a shell like the chain wax.
Clean off with white spirit then wash.
I have used clear waxoil (for the last two years) on the underside and all areas exposed to the crap thrown up by the front wheel. When returning after being out in salty conditions I let the bike cool down wash the worst of the traffic film, dry it and spray the exhaust headers with good old WD40. As fireman on a storm said dont start it up in the garage.
Another thougth are you having a frostier than usual winter down your neck of the woods and perhaps encountering more salt than usual, as up here we have had (so far) not too much salt.
Cheers A.M.
Another thougth are you having a frostier than usual winter down your neck of the woods and perhaps encountering more salt than usual, as up here we have had (so far) not too much salt.
Cheers A.M.
Common sense ain't all that common!
There might be more salt this year after last years fiasco but I`ve ridden all year for the last 8 years and the point is that without doing of the above to any of my bikes I haven`t experienced such rapid deterioration. Christ, I`ve only had it 10 weeks and done 2200 miles.
Its not possible to wash it after every run as I work shifts, so hosing it down at 11pm in sub zeros is not clever, `specially for the next person to walk across my ice rink...err, I mean drive (shared with the neighbours..could they sue?)
As I said, it gets treated exactly the same as my other bikes
Its not possible to wash it after every run as I work shifts, so hosing it down at 11pm in sub zeros is not clever, `specially for the next person to walk across my ice rink...err, I mean drive (shared with the neighbours..could they sue?)
As I said, it gets treated exactly the same as my other bikes
.... no more bike, divorce sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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essexbloke
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