Corrosion

[Dazalp]

Hi all, I am new to this mad house, I am the not so proud owner of an 08 XL 700, which i bought as an ex demo with 300 miles on the clock, about a fortnight , notced corrosion appearing in both wheel spokes, after many weeks of heated discussions with the dealer Dragon Honda and Honda uk, they replaced both wheels, today after not using the bike for several weeks, noticed the spokes are corroded again, any one else out there had the same problem

[Pondlife]

Heard that a lot on the new X700, In fact I think someone on here had the same problems and took it back to the dealer. All I can suggest is that you keep on to the dealers as I'm sure by now Honda are aware of the problem.

Haven't check mine lately, but then they are always covered in Crap so would be hard to notice.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Spokes on Alps etc have always been prone to rusting.
Probably got something to do with salt being very corrosive & spokes being a PITA to clean!!!

Why not protect them with one of the corrosion inhibitors on the market - ACF50/Scottoiler FS365 etc.

Phil

[Plasnart]

My 8 month old 700 is the same, it had bright clean spokes then in 1 week went to rough black when the salt came, I'd been washing and using an anti corrosion spray too. I've tried a bit of autosol polish to see how bad it is and the black is actually really hard to remove. The chain adjusters are furry, brake fittings corroded, abs sensor rings furry, paint is coming off the pillion pegs (rust) and the exhaust can has actual brown patches. Certainly not made for British weather and salt (we're about the only country that uses it, most of Europe uses Glycol type stuff. I'll certainly be taking it back to see what the dealer thinks, the more info I have about other owners warranty the better so can't be fobbed off.

I'll be stripping and re-manufacturing it in the spring I expect, getting some bits plastic coated or laquered, not ideal for a new bike but no point having new parts that will only go the same way.

[samben]

I think its the same with all new Honda bikes. The spokes on my FMX went the same way.

[MCsanandreas]

i think Honda's build quality has dropped over the years? my MTX200's are 23 years old and are in better condition on some parts than my 10 year old T/A.

[StumpyFingers]

I think it has something to do with where it is put together.
I think some of the parts are sourced from the cheapest suppliers, therefore cheaper materials.

[phil w]

I hope its not too bad I just buying 09 TA. There is not one manufacturer these days who seems to have build quality sorted, even new BMWs are not that great. Yamahas seem particularly bad but Honda
always to me seem pretty good.
I wonder on the factors that cause it to corrode
Is it being used all through this particularly bad weather??
Is it being cleaned using good quality cleaners??
Is any protective measures being applied to minimise the dreaded salt eating away??
Is it kept outside or in a garage??
Is it just the wheels how is the rest of the bike ??

[StumpyFingers]

I do not know if it would help but what about applying a lacquer to the spokes to protect them.

[stephen McG]

I am afraid to say
if you want a shiny bike, buy one, keep it in the garage and never take it out.
I use bike all year round - 40mile return commute.
my new TA700 (got in July) looks quite good after a clean
It is a lot better than DV700 and DV650 (I have had both)
The owners used to moan about corrosion on these (the 700 was worse than 650)
I do not have a chain oiler, I put some gear oil on chain (very) regularly
every couple of weeks, I clean back wheel, it comes up great.

I just accept that the bike will never be spotless, it will be well used though

Stephen McG in Glasgow