Rust & corrosion evident

[usabikes 440]

Just gave the bike a good clean yesterday after some winter riding. Quite disappointed to find some sort of white/green corrosion on the radiator cap and various painted fittings such as the handlebar brake banjo bolt. It doesn't come off with cleaning. Fork sliders also seem to have gained some small blotches which don't seem to clean off.

 

Then there's the headlight surround - paint is flaking off one side and bubbling on the other side of the headlight. I initially thought it was due to stone chips, but the bubbling and searching threads here seems to indicate poor surface prep before paint was applied. Then there's the two pins that hold the front footpegs on to their mounts - both going rusty. And the gear lever & its mechanism also have rust spots. There are rings of rust around each of the forks either side of the triple-clamps. Also little stone chips in the stanchions can be seen to have the beginnings of rust.

 

I've never seen one of my bikes do this back in the '70's and '80's - when the words "Jap Cr*p" were in common use.

 

AND I generously treated the bike with ACF50 before winter

 

Back in the '70's I rode my brand new Kwak 750 every day in all weathers and the only place rust appeared was on the cruddy rear shock springs - but everybody's bike did that and we knew to keep 'em clean and dry.

 

I have never pampered a bike like I pamper this one and it rusts? OK, I know it's not an MV but really? My only conclusion is that Honda have built the bike down to a price for boutique use - heck they don't even supply drain screws for the fork oil - you have to pull the forks off, or pay for someone else to pull the forks off, every year? The local Honda shop says "we replace the oil when the seals are stuffed" - this is good maintenance? And Honda seem to have forgotten what grease nipples are too - steering head and swingarm/prolink bearings? Again back in the '70's we had folding gear shift levers on our trail bikes - I see these days you have to buy a full motocross bike from Honda before you get that luxury. The rest of you can bend your gearbox shaft and that's apparently OK...

 

Blow the ACF50 - I coated the metal with chain oil from a can (it expands into the gaps) and I am fitting the Triumph fork gaiters.

 

This really sucks - it shouldn't happen. Honda have been making bikes for decades this stuff should have ceased to be a problem a long long time ago. Bikes are made to ride, not sit in the lounge getting polished - or maybe I'm just old fashioned?

 

OK, cathartic rant over...

[Guest bonekicker]

People think that once they have had the ACF50 applied ---there is no need to ever oil again--and as you have found out it is not true--oil --oil --oil everywhere--not on tyres or brakes of course---wash clean --let dry and oil---I as you may or may not know---like WD40 !!!

[kharli 100]

I was hoping the gearbox was protected by the linkages ,I only seem to bend the foot lever itself .  Ac40..50 doesn't work for me ,I paint gear oil on first signs of corrosion and seems to stop it spreading. I agree though the radiator is terrible but ive got used to the rugged patchy appearance.  I used to spray the rad to help prevent the alu corroding as it seems to go dusty but I found that it blocks the fins up quickly so just leave them now. Gaiters are essential here in Scotland as all my suspension was stuffed by 24000 miles and all was replaced under warranty ..on 43000 miles now and no sign of leakage when peeking under the gaiter and rear sock . The local bike shopsr here in sw Scotland say never clean a bike !

 I agree about drain screws and grease nipples though ..it would add little to the cost but as another poster said 10% profit on new sale 90% profit on oem replacements and servicing ........

[RussB644 379]

Quite disappointing then to have that many issues, how old is the bike?

[Slowboy 20,345]

Three winters, over 20,000 miles, with regular cleaning, no special treatment and my NC700X still scrubs up well, so you must have some hard and gritty winters down the Southern Hemisphere. But then all my bikes have maintained good finishes, even my ducatis, and no they didn't just sit in the garage. Sometimes it's how you look after them.....

[usabikes 440]

Quite disappointing then to have that many issues, how old is the bike?

 

Coming up 2 years in September. It was fine 'til I got it at 9 months old, except for one tiny bit of missing paint on the headlight surround. I have to park it on the verandah. I tried a cheap Oxford bike cover once, but it just covered the bike in condensation, so that went. It's out of the weather even if it's not inside.

 

I have a hugger so can't see what the swingarm looks like under it - dread to think. We don't have salt on our roads but I have ridden over shingle and dirt road repairs. I think the problem stemmed from a winter ride in the rain and not giving it a good clean straight away, I might have left it a couple of weeks. It had some road spray/dirt on it that seems to have had a corrosive effect. But I didn't clean immediately after ride back in the '70's either and the bikes stood up much better.

 

All those years riding in the past and I never picked up a stone chip in the stanchions and this one gets a chip in 22 months and 9,000km.

 

I know everyone keeps saying "it's a cheap bike it's not built to last" but it's the dearest I can manage and it came with the great Honda Build reputation. Now I'm back to getting bits made in stainless and repainting - may as well have an old Norton to rebuild again...

[Guest Southerner]

You're right Graeme - this wouldn't be acceptable, hell it wouldn't even happen, to a two year old car!

 

Assuming you had a two year warranty and that period has only just passed, it may be worth approaching a Honda dealer to see if they'd consider some retrospective warranty work. 

 

Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Southerner

[glencoeman 129]

If you think the finish is bad on the NC's, a friend of mine bought a new Morgan three wheeler a couple of years ago. A lot of the visible bolts are now rusty and paint is starting to bubble up on the mudguards. Mind you, it only cost £34,000! Some people are worse off than us as I don't think he uses the Morgan during the winter either.

[Guest jpb]

I have a nc750x brand new at Christmas. Gave it a wash the other day (not for the first time by the way). The swing arm is rusting at the rear end badly on both sides. That’s 4 months old - ridiculous. Cars have got corrosion pretty well licked these days - but seemingly bikes are getting worse!

[baben 11,695]

4 hours ago, jpb said:

I have a nc750x brand new at Christmas. Gave it a wash the other day (not for the first time by the way). The swing arm is rusting at the rear end badly on both sides. That’s 4 months old - ridiculous. Cars have got corrosion pretty well licked these days - but seemingly bikes are getting worse!

I'd be straight back to the dealer with that. Warranty job for sure.

[Guest machinman]

I had a swing arm changed at a similar age, no probs.

Just a heads up, the new arm comes without any labels on for chain adjustment, tyre pressures etc. You may have to remind your dealer.

[SteveThackery 3,090]

To be honest this sort of problem is almost enough to make me give up using a motorcycle for winter commuting.

 

All bikes, including the NC, are riddled with moisture and salt traps all over them, which is just asking for corrosion problems.  What's worse is that the absence of rear mudguards, and the useless vestigial front mudguards, mean that pretty much the entire bike gets soaked in grimy, salty water.

 

Huggers make a small difference, as do front extenders, but SMALL is the key word: the only decent protection comes from proper mudguards that go right round the wheel.

 

Some people are happy to spend ages fiddling and farting around cleaning their bikes every few days, but I'm not.  I don't have to do that to my car, and I genuinely hate cleaning my bikes.  Getting into all the little fiddly places with a bucket of water and a sponge, a cloth and various brushes of assorted shapes and sizes, drives me nuts.  Especially as I know that 15 minutes into the next morning commute, all that work is undone.

 

I'm dead interested in the 700cc Yamaha as a possible alternative to the NC, but that seems even worse for having everything fully exposed with no protection at all, and an astonishing number of awkward, twiddly, fiddly bits to keep clean.

 

I wish I could buy a bike that not only gave reasonable protection to me from the weather, but also to itself.  

 

I think the only reason it isn't done is to do with styling.  In general, motorcyclists, and thus motorcycle manufacturers, care more about looks than any other single factor.  Yes, some owners prioritise other factors, but they (I mean "we") are in a minority.  Just listen to any conversation between two motorcyclists about a bike that goes past, or is shown in a magazine - 9 times out of 10 the first thing they comment on is its looks.  And "good looks" seems to preclude all the wrap-around panels, mudguards, etc, that would make the bike much more practical for winter use.  Let's be honest, you could encase the entire engine in plastic bodywork, with just a few holes for the exhaust, coolant pipes and cables.

 

I've never owned a scooter, but get the impression that they protect themselves much better than any normal motorcycle.  The bits that get constantly sprayed with dirty, salty water seem to be far fewer, and being out of sight don't usually affect the appearance and value of the bike.  In that respect they are much more like a modern car: only a few suspension parts are unshielded from the spray, and they are made to last as long as the rest of the car despite that.  Other areas, such as the floor, are comprehensively protected by tough coatings.  Plastic liners/shields protect the wing areas from spray.

 

Does anyone know of a bike that DOESN'T have loads of awkward nooks and crannies where water and dirt can get?  That protects itself well?  That can be cleaned in ten minutes?

Edited April 7, 2018 by SteveThackery

[Andy m 23,463]

Motorcycle design peaked shape wise in 1955. They had mudguards that actually guarded against mud . With new materials we could have what we wanted, but Motorcycle News, BSB and Harley Davidson dictate we live with the equivalent of turning up to a marathon in 14-inch stilettos. We are stupid, we buy the things.

 

My NC had swing arm rot. I did the brush/spray Hammerite trick on it on the basis that replacing a chocolate fire guard with a chocolate teapot via Honda would just waste time, paper and raise my blood pressure.

 

I know of no other vehicle you strip on the day you get it home to apply anti-corrosion products.

 

Andy

[Foxy 4,301]

Come on Andy you can't blame Harley Davidson for problems with your Honda??

[Rocker66 34,371]

4 minutes ago, Foxy said:

Come on Andy you can't blame Harley Davidson for problems with your Honda??

You are quite right and I don’t see where BSB comes into it either as people were riding race replicas long before that was thought of.

BTW thank you to your team for taking 2 points off the red side of city today  so that we are now level with them except on GD.

[Foxy 4,301]

11 minutes ago, Rocker66 said:

BTW thank you to your team for taking 2 points off the red side of city today  so that we are now level with them except on GD.

Yes I wish you luck in topping them in the table, and not that I'm bitter but after the disgraceful scenes prior to the city game perhaps they will be chucked out of the champions league as well. 

[Andy m 23,463]

Harley Davidson promote "Lifestyle" to cookie cutter dentist and account "rebels" in a product that should be transport. Their dealers invented the idea of a riding season in a country that has maybe a dozen days a year you can't actually ride . BSB continue to promote sports memorabilia when I want transport. The list is not comprehensive or getting to the root or start of the problem, but both organisations mix in fashion and all the other guff that result in it being acceptable to have a bike that can't be ridden in winter  because it dissolves in rain water. They are more like symptoms to be honest.

 

The primary cause is of course that we buy their soluble fashion items. When all you can buy is dross though, the market will demand dross.

 

Andy 

[Rocker66 34,371]

1 hour ago, Andy m said:

Harley Davidson promote "Lifestyle" to cookie cutter dentist and account "rebels" in a product that should be transport. Their dealers invented the idea of a riding season in a country that has maybe a dozen days a year you can't actually ride . BSB continue to promote sports memorabilia when I want transport. The list is not comprehensive or getting to the root or start of the problem, but both organisations mix in fashion and all the other guff that result in it being acceptable to have a bike that can't be ridden in winter  because it dissolves in rain water. They are more like symptoms to be honest.

 

The primary cause is of course that we buy their soluble fashion items. When all you can buy is dross though, the market will demand dross.

 

Andy 

Quite honestly I think you are being unjustibly rude about HD owners. Several of my exworkmates on the railway  own HDs and use them for touring around the UK and Europe quite possibly some of them do more miles than you . When I started riding back in 1963 there were hardly any HD dealers yet there were still some fair weather riders. As I said race replicas were around long before BSB came into existence. 

It would appear from your comments that your one of those riders who thinks anyone whose choice of bike differs from yours are wrong.

2 hours ago, Andy m said:

 

 

[Bart Stilgo 428]

I've been looking for someway of putting a mudguard on the rear of the NCX.  There must be someway nc700 with its members can develop and make a 'rear mudguard' that offers protection for the bike.  The only thing I have seen is on a Multistrada 1200 that looks ok.

It has a close fitting guard but its too short to make use of it on the NC.

There must be some way of creating parts (in low numbers)

Any ideas??

 

 

 

[Foxy 4,301]

Im'e  with you on that Bob and have been looking for the same since I purchased the bike. I have the facilities to do it but so far lack the right idea or the ideal part to copy.

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

[Black Marauder 100]

The  Leader did have some very interesting design features for 70 years ago & with further development ARIEL could have better sales ! & take note VERY little plastics !

[Tex 36,816]

There’s a black and white Leader still in daily use in Eastbourne. One of my school teachers used to ride a white and turquoise one into work every day. Just wore a tweed jacket and grey flannels. Brown brogues and a white Corker helmet completed the ensemble. Oh, and a pipe clenched between his teeth.  

[Guest machinman]

10 hours ago, Rocker66 said:

Quite honestly I think you are being unjustibly rude about HD owners. Several of my exworkmates on the railway  own HDs and use them for touring around the UK and Europe quite possibly some of them do more miles than you . When I started riding back in 1963 there were hardly any HD dealers yet there were still some fair weather riders. As I said race replicas were around long before BSB came into existence. 

It would appear from your comments that your one of those riders who thinks anyone whose choice of bike differs from yours are wrong.

 

I think youve jumped the gun again Rocker. Andy was implying that the bikes mentioned are marketed as leisure items and not transport tools. Remember, people buy with their eyes, hence shiny bits and race replicas sell (though declining fast). The majority of folk wont drool over a mudguard.

 

[Andy m 23,463]

The Leader was surely the NC of its day? Aimed at chaps (and in those days they will have only marketed at men), who didn't want oil in their turn-ups but didn't want a Vespa or Velocette Noddy-bike LE thingy (the MP3 of the time).  All overtaken by Austin Mini prices, HP laws and people generally getting richer though. Given time and management maybe they'd have come up with the Goldwing though?

 

I'd be interested to have a good look at a few 5 year old top end scooters. I wonder if anyone does use proper paint to stop the rot under the bodywork? The old boys 400 Burgervan at 6 years old was in a state I'd expect of a twenty year old commercial trailer. Structurally sound and hidden by the bodywork, but not something you'd want to see. 

 

Andy