Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Looking for some ideas on a fix for scored fork tubes. I recently obtained a badly neglected bike that had been run for some time with what looked like a combination of mud and water in the front forks, instead of fork oil. The fork seals were completely shot of course. When I started getting into the forks, I found very deep scoring on the front side of both tubes, only about an inch in height, and hidden by the dust seals. The tubes are straight and in fairly good shape, except for these areas of deep scoring. New seals would be immediately torn up by the gouges in the fork tubes. I would like to try to salvage the tubes for a knock around bike, or keep them for emergency spares, and not replace them, if I can get away with it. My idea is to fill the scoring gouges with silver solder, or something similar, and then trying to use emory paper to smooth them back out so that they can't tear up the new seals, right away. Does this have any merit, or should the fork tubes be tossed and replaced?

_________________
Steve Amling

1976 CR 250M
1980 Yamaha DT100G
1980 XR 200
1981 CSR650

I'd try to find another set of tubes, more like another set of front forks first. What kind do you need?

_________________
Garry Mainer
#33m (retired)
Honda Cr250r 1980
Honda Cr250r 1980
Yamaha TY250C 1976
Arctic Cat 650 H1 2007

Found a decent set of forks for it last night, so I guess it is a moot point now. But it is still a thought that gnaws at me. As Parts for these aging bikes become scarcer and scarcer, eventually, a replacement in any condition won't be available. I guess that there's nothing to lose, but a set of fork seals, in trying to fill the gouges in the tube with something and smooth them back out.

_________________
Steve Amling

1976 CR 250M
1980 Yamaha DT100G
1980 XR 200
1981 CSR650

Can you not have them rechromed??

I know what you mean. I love trying to fix stuff just to see if it can be done. Your idea might work if that silver solder will stay put. How deep are the scores? I wonder if epoxy or JB weld would work. Ya gotta give it a try. Good luck ...Van

_________________
1980 Honda CR125R

I agree with Mitchie. Get them rechromed.
They will be better than new done by a specialist.

I've used a product called Belzona Molecular (industrial JB weld) to smoothout a fairly large ding, in a set of tubes, it's holding but it's a little early to give it a glowing recomendation. I've heard of people using crazy glue with limited success. The trick is to get the area smooth. Around here it costs about $150 a leg to have them rechromed, so for that price I'd look at "Forking by Frank" (http://www.frankmain.qpg.com/) they make fork tubes. I have not deal with them personally, but I have heard good things.

Thx
Hans

I got a couple of quotes from shops that were recomended to me by a former racer and the prices were IMO the most expensive way you could do it.

A bit foggy but the shop said they wanted $140 to evaluate the forks to see if they could be saved Everything else was an additional cost they tagged onto the evaluation price. If they could be saved, they wanted to $traighten and grind them down followed by rechroming.

It may be worth it for a set of Foxx or Simmons forks but stock forks it is a money losing deal.

Holy Wallet, Batman!! I would have thought it would be about $40 a set to rechrome them.