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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Rust
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Message started by WoodLark on 02/21/10 at 19:14:15

Title: Rust
Post by WoodLark on 02/21/10 at 19:14:15

This is my third LS650; I bought it about a year ago. I had a '96, an '01 and now this '06. For the first time, I am experiencing rust problems. My rear wheel is rusting, my belt guard is rusting, and my toolkit cover is rusting. Note that these are all chrome. Has Suzuki's chrome plating gone to h*ll? :(

Title: Re: Rust
Post by verslagen1 on 02/21/10 at 19:17:17

Might be, cheap bike getting the penny pinchers to look after it.

Is it all over, or spots?

I got an '88 that had spots from maybe salt on the road.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by WoodLark on 02/22/10 at 07:48:01

It is mostly spots, but a lot of them. They don't use salt on the roads around here so thats not it. I find it very frustrating and it leaves me rather angry.

I gave very serious thought to getting rid of the bike, but I like it otherwise. It is simple, light, low seat, and narrow, all things that I find desirable in a motorcycle.

Every other bike that I considered was heavier by quite a bit.

I finally decided to stay with the S40, but to make a few changes. I've added a passenger backrest/luggage rack, and installed a Dyna muffler. Next jobs are fuel filter, manual petcock and carburetor re-jet.

I wish I had a good answer for what to do about the rust though.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by verslagen1 on 02/22/10 at 09:04:45

pitted chrome won't clean up, but you can remove the rust.
chrome cleaner and various mothers products are available.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 02/22/10 at 09:37:55

Some of my chrome on the mirrors and a few other places pitted last winter from keeping the bike in an unheated garage over the winter. Around here, winter days that are in the 30s or 40s, with drizzle or rain are naturally very humid, and that humidity causes the pitting and rust.

Only solutions of which I'm aware are:

1. Keep the bike in heated storage, and

2. Keep it clean and WAXED with a good quality wax that will prevent moisture from eating the chrome.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by bill67 on 02/22/10 at 09:44:54

Harley sales a pretty good spray cleaner and polish,You can't fix damage thats been done, just keep it well polished.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by Rocco on 02/22/10 at 12:42:59

that's nature's way of sayin to flat black the whole thing! lol

i like a little rust myself!!!

Title: Re: Rust
Post by thumperclone on 02/22/10 at 14:25:14

how close to the ocean/salt water are you
i had an aluminum camper shell where the struts pitted from me fishin at the docks

Title: Re: Rust
Post by Phelonius on 02/22/10 at 15:07:31

When I lived in Honolulu, because of the warm air, there was moisture in the air all the time. In warm coastal climates this warm moist air will contain sea salt too.
A day after washing my Harley, I could wipe a finger across a surface and have white salt residue on it.
If you live in one of these places, wash or wipe down the bike every day to prevent rust. keeping it in a garage will help a lot.

Phelonius

Title: Re: Rust
Post by WoodLark on 02/22/10 at 18:27:31

jerry Eichenberger probably has identified the cause. Although I don't live close to the ocean (over 200 miles), I do live in South Carolina where it is very humid much of the time. Unfortunately I don't have a heated garage (or even an unheated one) so the bike sits in an unheated carport year round.

I'm not a big fan of chrome anyway, so the suggestion of "flat black" may end up being the solution sometime down the road.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by Charon on 02/22/10 at 18:40:30

Perhaps there are advantages to the much-maligned plastic.

Title: Re: Rust
Post by Phelonius on 02/23/10 at 09:23:20

7C575E4D50513F0 wrote:

Perhaps there are advantages to the much-maligned plastic.

Plastic rusts much more slowly.

Phelonius