2017 crf1000l after 1200miles (Rust warning!)
Discussion
Mods, if this should be in the dedicated CRF thread, please move it and accept my humble apologies. It's not a particulalry constructive thread just a rant but has anyone else had this problem?
I've spent most of the day stripping down the AfricaTwin to try and get to the rust before it gets too bad but I fear I may be too late! I've had it about 8months.
It's literally done one 400mile trip in the rain when collected, then six or seven circa 100mile work trips (2 when there was still salt on the roads) and a few local short trips in the dry.
It's been washed relatively regularly and even given a few doses of acf50 (before use on salted roads). For comprision, I ran a GSXR K4 through 3 winters and a 90's Aprillia Tuareg through 2 and the acf50 has always done the trick, wtf Honda?!
Looks like new fork legs and spokes methinks
I've spent most of the day stripping down the AfricaTwin to try and get to the rust before it gets too bad but I fear I may be too late! I've had it about 8months.
It's literally done one 400mile trip in the rain when collected, then six or seven circa 100mile work trips (2 when there was still salt on the roads) and a few local short trips in the dry.
It's been washed relatively regularly and even given a few doses of acf50 (before use on salted roads). For comprision, I ran a GSXR K4 through 3 winters and a 90's Aprillia Tuareg through 2 and the acf50 has always done the trick, wtf Honda?!
Looks like new fork legs and spokes methinks
Edited by drunkenmunkey on Monday 18th June 15:07
I've ran a 12yr old SV650 all year round for the last 3 years with nothing more than a good coat of ACF50 before the salt went down and there's not a spot of rust on it and Suzukis are apparently one of the worst, that's what I'd expect a 10 year old banger to look like not a basically brand new bike.
Definitely something not right there - I did 700 odd miles through the worst NE Scotland could throw at it when i picked mine up in September, rode it all through winter (and salty roads) and sitting at c. 2000 miles now and it's pretty much as new. I ACF'd it around the 1000 mile mark and have washed it a few times since then - nothing OTT just the usual level of attention. What have Honda said about it?
So its done less than 1200 miles and looks like dogs
t?
I'd be parking it up right outside the door of the dealer who sold me it and playing merry hell, I've had 20 year old bikes that have lived outdoors in better condition than that, did you put it away wet and covered in salt into a damp garage? it certainly looks like it.
t?I'd be parking it up right outside the door of the dealer who sold me it and playing merry hell, I've had 20 year old bikes that have lived outdoors in better condition than that, did you put it away wet and covered in salt into a damp garage? it certainly looks like it.
Something is not right here. Things like the pad backings, brake disc edges and rear wheel spindle are heavily corroded. Many of these parts aren't even Honda. Only time I've seen corrosion on everything like that in a short space of time, is when a salt covered bike was put in a leaking/wet shed for 6 months and everything furred and corroded through it being pretty much permanently wet in storage with condensation on it.
The last picture shows a dried rusty puddle of water on the rim that's dripped from the disc. This would not happen immediately and water would not drip for days if put away wet but in a dry environment. Most likely this is repeat/permanent condensation all over the bike that rusted everything, then mixed with rust, dripping off the disc onto the rim. Even the screw head pictured is dark orange with rust.
If it was a few specific areas, then fine - a quality control issue on some Honda or outsourced parts, but rusted Stanchions on off the shelf Showa forks, that level of rust on components like pad backings? This smacks of a salt covered bike put into a storage area with a damp problem.
There's a few of us at the station I go to who all year bike in snow, salt, sun and rain and we have various levels of bike care and prep. The only bike other than Chinese £900 scooters I've seen even approach that level of rust was a KTM 390 Duke with no care. It still took 4 years. The Chinese scooters look better than that after a winter with zero prep and they are made of monkey metal. Thai made Honda have exhausts and mild steel fasteners that rot, but still take years to look like yours.
I'm afraid I'm just not buying that amount of corrosion is purely down to the usage you mention.
The last picture shows a dried rusty puddle of water on the rim that's dripped from the disc. This would not happen immediately and water would not drip for days if put away wet but in a dry environment. Most likely this is repeat/permanent condensation all over the bike that rusted everything, then mixed with rust, dripping off the disc onto the rim. Even the screw head pictured is dark orange with rust.
If it was a few specific areas, then fine - a quality control issue on some Honda or outsourced parts, but rusted Stanchions on off the shelf Showa forks, that level of rust on components like pad backings? This smacks of a salt covered bike put into a storage area with a damp problem.
There's a few of us at the station I go to who all year bike in snow, salt, sun and rain and we have various levels of bike care and prep. The only bike other than Chinese £900 scooters I've seen even approach that level of rust was a KTM 390 Duke with no care. It still took 4 years. The Chinese scooters look better than that after a winter with zero prep and they are made of monkey metal. Thai made Honda have exhausts and mild steel fasteners that rot, but still take years to look like yours.
I'm afraid I'm just not buying that amount of corrosion is purely down to the usage you mention.
It does get put through all weathers and has been put away after a few wet cold rides and also left for 2 weeks before I had time to wash it down once. Otherwise it gets washed with some turtlewax shampoo, left to dry for an hour or so, sometimes acf50, and put away.
Here's it's stablemate, it gets treated less harshly but did get several wet runs and covered in salt and mud then left for months before it got cleaned. It comes up spotless every time.
The only difference is that I had the chance to cover it in acf50 before turning a wheel on the ktm.
Here's it's stablemate, it gets treated less harshly but did get several wet runs and covered in salt and mud then left for months before it got cleaned. It comes up spotless every time.
The only difference is that I had the chance to cover it in acf50 before turning a wheel on the ktm.
drunkenmunkey said:
It does get put through all weathers and has been put away after a few wet cold rides and also left for 2 weeks before I had time to wash it down once. Otherwise it gets washed with some turtlewax shampoo, left to dry for an hour or so, sometimes acf50, and put away.
Here's it's stablemate, it gets treated less harshly but did get several wet runs and covered in salt and mud then left for months before it got cleaned. It comes up spotless every time.
The only difference is that I had the chance to cover it in acf50 before turning a wheel on the ktm.
Thing is, you don't ACF50 the discs and most aren't anal enough to do the ABS/TC sensor rings. You also don't get it near your pad, yet the pad backings are rusted as are the ABS rings and the unswept areas of the discs. Even the wheel spindle thread is corroded and bloomed. This is odd, even on all weather bikes used in salt unprotected.Here's it's stablemate, it gets treated less harshly but did get several wet runs and covered in salt and mud then left for months before it got cleaned. It comes up spotless every time.
The only difference is that I had the chance to cover it in acf50 before turning a wheel on the ktm.
Your other bike has immaculate silver discs - not rust. This metal is *give or take* the same on all production bikes.
Typically, the first areas to go are OEM banjos on brake lines, mild steel sections of exhausts, steel welds, and metal fasteners and clips.
It looks like the whole bike has been dragged out of a salt marsh!!
It will be good to hear if Honda fight it, but looking at the edges of the brake pad backing, something very bad has happened with combination of salt, wetness and temperature for EVERYTHING to oxidise like that - if the RC8 was treated the same but way better quality, or protected, you'd at least see the brake discs and pad backs looking the same as the Africa Twin.
3DP - You got me, fair cop. I've actually been using it to trawl for lobster pots 
It's an odd one, it looks better now I've had a good 6 hour go at it (I'll stick up photos later for those interested) but that rust is just going to get worse every time I wash it. The spokes are knackered and the fork legs are pitted (that brown oxidation wiped off but the damage is done), the exhaust mid section is also pretty shocking. The discs were interesting, they had a thin slver coloured layer (I assume paint?) that just flaked off, as did the steel bolts nd the rear brake cylinder actuator. I would suspect a harsh degreaser could do it but it ony gets that on the discs and drivetrain.
Hard to believe I know, I've treated bikes much much worse than this in the past and never had them go this bad. When I was removing the upteenth plastic cover, I did wonder if costs are cut on the metal and then just covered (to an extent) by the increasing amount of plastic on bikes so it looks ok in the showroom.
I had thought to just keep using it but you're all right, I need to get Honda to have a look at it. It's not even been off road and those fork legs and spokes are knackered!
It's an odd one, it looks better now I've had a good 6 hour go at it (I'll stick up photos later for those interested) but that rust is just going to get worse every time I wash it. The spokes are knackered and the fork legs are pitted (that brown oxidation wiped off but the damage is done), the exhaust mid section is also pretty shocking. The discs were interesting, they had a thin slver coloured layer (I assume paint?) that just flaked off, as did the steel bolts nd the rear brake cylinder actuator. I would suspect a harsh degreaser could do it but it ony gets that on the discs and drivetrain.
Hard to believe I know, I've treated bikes much much worse than this in the past and never had them go this bad. When I was removing the upteenth plastic cover, I did wonder if costs are cut on the metal and then just covered (to an extent) by the increasing amount of plastic on bikes so it looks ok in the showroom.
I had thought to just keep using it but you're all right, I need to get Honda to have a look at it. It's not even been off road and those fork legs and spokes are knackered!
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff