View Full Version : Corrosion - Suzuki build quality.
Well, I 've had my 650s K7 (from new) almost a year now and its just coming through it's second winter. I commute daily on it (apart from really icey or snowy days) and it gets hosed down most nights and a thorough wash every week plus copious amounts of Scottoil FS365...
I'm just a bit dissapointed at some of the quality of the metals used and the fact that the water pump housing is begining to corrode quite badly with the engine paint coming away around the hose union.
The chain atjusters are furry as are the brake hose clips, gear lever and various other parts of the bike.
You would wonder whether this should be a warranty issue as I look after the bike to a greater degree than the manual suggests yet it still has corrosion issues!
Anyone else experiencing this on a fairly new bike and fancy having a winge...?
D
xXBADGERXx
14-02-09, 10:13 PM
ACF50 is your Winter friend here
ACF50 is your Winter friend here
+1. ACF50 before winter starts, then don't touch it until after spring.
+1. ACF50 before winter starts, then don't touch it until after spring.
As in don't wash it or anything - just prep it before winter and then clean it in spring...?
fizzwheel
14-02-09, 10:23 PM
As in don't wash it or anything - just prep it before winter and then clean it in spring...?
Yep give it a good wash, then spray on the ACF-50 and then leave it.
FS365 is water soluable so eveytime the bike gets wet, the corrosion protection is provides is reduced / removed. This doesnt happen with the ACF-50 as its not water soluable so it stays put...
xXBADGERXx
14-02-09, 10:25 PM
And a tip for ACF50 is to spray it into the lid and apply it with a brush near sensitive areas like fork legs , you DO NOT want to get that stuff on Brake Rotors , makes stopping very very interesting :)
+ god knows how many now on ACF50.
Or alternatively, there's always a Honda... Although I don't like to admit it (much) they do seem to be more 'winter-resistant'.
One of the downsides of owning an SV is that you have to really keep on top of the cleaning or it just rusts before your eyes - the front disks are the worst - but there was a black "s" for sale on here recently - only done 70 miles and the chain adjusters on that were furry already!
I polish, then use this stuff - dries so you don't even know it's there. certainly helps on the bare metal stuff I find
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-52.jpghttp://www.partridges.uk.com/catalog/images/Clear_Metal_Laquer_125ml.jpg
thefallenangel
14-02-09, 10:54 PM
i find the sv appauling for rust. ACF50 and it still attacks everything. My advice is minimal winter riding and a weekend wash with ACF and don't worry too much through the winter but once the better weather comes go for a bigger clean.
kwak zzr
14-02-09, 11:00 PM
i had a mare see here-
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=125675
bike aint that old and its always kept clean and in good condition.
I got the bike last march and literaly the very first day the salt went on the roads, even though I cleaned the bike after riding, both chain adjusters fured up!
Problem is, the SV ticks all the right boxes except build quality/materials - there really is no other bike that suits my need better: Great looks, great engine, good performance, excelent, handling, very light, fantastic fuel economy...it's just a shame it has some poor finish in places.
Maybe Suzuk should to a 'delux' version that uses beter metals etc. This could be a whole thread in itself...
kwak zzr
14-02-09, 11:06 PM
ive always said bang £100 on the rrp and build it with better metals.
Can you get decent replacements for the likes of chain adjusters btw...maybe some nice anodised ally jobies?
kwak zzr
14-02-09, 11:08 PM
lots of people buy off chewy - http://www.chewys-stuff.co.uk/
he does a s/steel bolt replacement kit.
parkinmj
14-02-09, 11:14 PM
My bike is the same its a k5 first winter i used it i shoved waxoyl all over it. It looked a hideous mess but come spring and some hard graft getting the waxoyl off it was pristine.
My down fall was the second year i tried fs 365 and all my hard work went crusty and red.
last winter i used acf50 but rust is like my missus and my wallet once its got a hold there no chance of recovering it. except to buy replacements for the rusty bits but tht can become obsessive.
i wish i'd have just stuck to the waxoyl now and paid the price in hard graft rather than rust.
all the best
MJP
ACF50 and lots of neglect, apart from the odd bit of lubing is working for me. :D
Recoated it when the weather was alright before just after christmas, hasn't been touched since and looks allright.
And a tip for ACF50 is to spray it into the lid
What use is it in your helmet ? :confused:
What use is it in your helmet ? :confused:
The lid of the ACF50, not your helmet!
Alpinestarhero
15-02-09, 09:23 AM
Suzuki's and winter don't mix. Well, actualy, they do...suzuki's are wholly miscible in winter salty roads :smt040 but this is obviously a bad thing.
Use ACF50 and also WD40 on bits that move (lever bits and stuff) to keep things moving.
And think about buying a honda, although I hear even they are starting to get a bit bad quality on some parts
And think about buying a honda
As far as I'm aware Honda don't do an SV650...;)
thefallenangel
15-02-09, 04:38 PM
I'm considering getting SS spindles + spacers made up. However this is expensive or time consuming depending on whether i do it myself or not.
yorkie_chris
15-02-09, 04:44 PM
Blather it in ACF50 and ignore it. Occasionally spray more ACF onto it.
All you are doing washing it is making sure all the salt water has nice metal to eat away at.
H*nda build quality has a good reputation but from what I have seen it is undeserved. At least with the modern stuff.
Alpinestarhero
15-02-09, 05:00 PM
H*nda build quality has a good reputation but from what I have seen it is undeserved. At least with the modern stuff.
Performance Bikes have questioned honda build quality on the new fireblade, they say the exhaust is looking like its 10 years old on their long term one
As already mentioned just cover in ACF50 pre winter leave till spring
The forks are a bit manky & downpipe rest is "ok" and finsih is about the same as other jap bikes I've owned Kwaks & Yams , never owned a Honda
The finish on older BMW's looks great but I've heard even modern BMW's are built like they used to be ...
Cheers Steve
niccollotto
16-02-09, 03:14 PM
my '57 SV sport with 7000 miles, (mainly in the summer) has badly corroded fork sliders and water pump housing, mirrors are also losing their silvering...... and has always been covered with scott oil
will try for it under warranty but as they'll only replace them with the same parts its not really a long term solution is it.....
has anyone had a successful warranty claim fo rthis ????
yorkie_chris
16-02-09, 06:17 PM
Personally I don't think it should be covered under warranty, I haven't heard of anyone getting anywhere with it though.
fizzwheel
16-02-09, 08:10 PM
We got the fork outers replaced on Liz's K5 under warranty, took a bit of time to get sorted though.
The paint had bubbled off at the top by where the fork seals go into the fork outers. Looked a right mess....
thefallenangel
16-02-09, 08:12 PM
Personally I don't think it should be covered under warranty, I haven't heard of anyone getting anywhere with it though.
Why not as it's within 2 years and the paint has gone off. If it happened on a car i'd be claiming (although vauxhalls come with 3 year warranty after 4 the paint is a mess).
yorkie_chris
16-02-09, 08:19 PM
Because it's just cosmetics. My forks were perfect because they had always been ACF50'd, people wash them and don't protect them then whinge.
I'd far rather suzuki put some grease in the chassis bearings than pay out for people whinging at a bit of paint coming off.
I clean my SV as if I have OCD ... My CRM, it gets a hose down now and again when it's been down some filthy muddy lane and then left to dry - it's a 1991 model - and it has no rust on any of it .... brakes discs or nuts and bolts.
Honda made quality back then certainly.
If I did that with the SV it would be a brown rusty heap in the garage by now.
Spokey
dizzyblonde
17-02-09, 09:43 AM
Because it's just cosmetics. My forks were perfect because they had always been ACF50'd, people wash them and don't protect them then whinge.
I'd far rather suzuki put some grease in the chassis bearings than pay out for people whinging at a bit of paint coming off.
some people actually care about what their bike looks like chris:rolleyes:
Have to admit though, YCs forks I inherited last year, and for ones that had laquer on them, they were absolutely spotless. Its the laquer lifting that makes em look crap. I strip mine off and keep them polished, never had a problem with that, as I'm not bothered about spending time on keeping my bike look clean,
I've also had both bikes stripped down, to take the subs off to be powdercoated, rust free now :-)
yorkie_chris
17-02-09, 12:32 PM
Honda made quality back then certainly.
But no longer.
some people actually care about what their bike looks like chris:rolleyes:
OK then if people are so retarded that they would rather suzuki spend the dosh on an extra layer of lacquer than on making sure that parts vital for safety will last for more than 15k miles then they deserve the expense of replacing all chassis bearings.
It's supply and demand, people demand cheap new bikes. The manufacturers have responded by making cheaper bikes. H*nda have done it by only using half as much paint, suzuki have done it by importing cheese to make wiring out of.
I still can't understand why paint would be under warranty though...
dizzyblonde
17-02-09, 12:39 PM
Chris, I shall now publically give you a slap.
Some people don't know the ass end of a bike to the front like you do. People spend thousands on a new bike they expect the paint to last a little further than you or I. You and I both know if you don't look after something it'll rot. Some people only learn the hard way, like me. Some people aren't mechanics either, they don't know you have to pull out the chassis bearings and give em a grease.
Some people actually care about what their bikes look like, especially after spending a fortune from new, some people would rather dawb it in matt black paint on a stick, it doesn't necessarily mean they are thick as pig poo, so get off your high horse will you.
some people actually care about what their bike looks like chris:rolleyes:
Have to admit though, YCs forks I inherited last year, and for ones that had laquer on them, they were absolutely spotless. Its the laquer lifting that makes em look crap. I strip mine off and keep them polished, never had a problem with that, as I'm not bothered about spending time on keeping my bike look clean,
I've also had both bikes stripped down, to take the subs off to be powdercoated, rust free now :-)
It's not so staight forward keeping your bike spotless if you use it to commute every day come rain or shine - I don't have a spare two hours every single evening to spit and pollish what is essentially a tool to get me to work and back.
Obviously I care how my bike looks and I don't want a rusty, scabby mess of metal rotting away in the garage but a bike should not have corrosion issues if you hose it down every night and then give it a good clean and protect with FS365 or similar at the weekends.
No one in the real world can devote there lives to cleaning there bike - it's not unreasonable to expect some decent materials to be used by a modern motorcycle manufacturer in the 21st century.
So, great! Bully for you if you have the time and lack of other commitments to keep your machine pristine but a lot of us have bought an SV to use as an every day form of transport. I think my point stands that bikes, if looked after to a reasonable extent, should not rot.
Surely a bike sold into the uk market should be manufactured to withstand a degree of the British weather and roads....
yorkie_chris
17-02-09, 12:43 PM
Buy a triumph?
Hosing it down all the time doesn't work either, it just washes the salt off the surface. Metal has pores in it. Hello rust.
I'm a big fan of ACF-50, a nice layer of that built up over winter is about as good as you'll get IMO.
dizzyblonde
17-02-09, 12:53 PM
No one in the real world can devote there lives to cleaning there bike - it's not unreasonable to expect some decent materials to be used by a modern motorcycle manufacturer in the 21st century.
So, great! Bully for you if you have the time and lack of other commitments to keep your machine pristine but a lot of us have bought an SV to use as an every day form of transport. I think my point stands that bikes, if looked after to a reasonable extent, should not rot.
Surely a bike sold into the uk market should be manufactured to withstand a degree of the British weather and roads....
Agree entirely. its the point i was getting at really. My bike has been sat for two months with cack on it over xmas, a nice crusty salty mess, I used it to get too and from work, mostly in the dark when i can't see what on earth is going on, just slung it in the shed every morning, after a 12 hr shift, in the dark and hoped for the best. I just spend the time to really get a good inspection and clean when I'm off and its a dry day[-o< I'm luckier than most as I'm on holiday for a pretty long time at this time of year. Like i said I've learnt the hard way with one bike, I won't make the mistake again of neglecting it, as its expensive :(
sparkymarky
17-02-09, 12:55 PM
Can you get decent replacements for the likes of chain adjusters btw...maybe some nice anodised ally jobies?
I just removed mine cleaned them up then smeared them with lots of grease in the swing arm and then a smear of grease on the silly inaccurate adjuster guides on the outside. They've been right since although they do look a bit dirty and messy :cheers:
I wasn't dirrecting my frustration directly at you dizzyblond, there just seems to be a mentality that we should expect rust if we don't go over our bikes with a toothbrush and WD40 every 2 hours - the bottom line is, we shouldn't have to!
I clean my bike over and above what is recomended by the owners manual so it should not be corroding 11 months out of the showroom...
dizzyblonde
17-02-09, 01:00 PM
I clean my bike over and above what is recomended by the owners manual so it should not be corroding 11 months out of the showroom...
Thats why I ranted a little at YC:smt008 he knows I love him really. Although I've never had a bike straight out of a showroom, I certainly wouldn't expect it to start rotting after that time from a showroom. Its expected to last a tad longer than that after you've spent a small fortune of getting the bike of your dreams etc
Respray SV
10-03-09, 07:30 PM
Thought I'd share my gripes too. K8 model 6 months old and it's looking terrible underneath - almost every bright nut and bolt is corroded. Suzuki are not interested in changing the parts. My K1 went for years without looking this bad. Oh I forgot to mention I also sprayed it liberally with ACF50 - didn't stop it though.
M
Steven T
11-03-09, 05:08 PM
DaveB & Respray SV - I'm in the exact same position as you both.
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=126336
My SV is only 5 months old, 1,800 miles on the clock and is becoming a rustbucket, despite continuous cleaning and spraying of FS365 (as recommended by the dealer but ACF50 appears to be the recommendation from posters. If there was an easy way of getting hold of a better quality nuts and bolts for the whole bike then I'd be first in the queue
kwak zzr
11-03-09, 05:11 PM
i think suzuki are cutting corners on new bikes in terms of build quality, the older suzukis were built much better, curveys keep their finish much better than its pointy brother.
Steven T
13-03-09, 01:31 PM
Attached are some pics of areas of my 4-month old bike which basically look pretty f*****. This, despite ample sprayings of FS365 after every wash.
I gave up worrying about the corrosion after about 2 years and just accepted it. My SV has got to a level and never really got any worse. I took the lacquer off the forks and the engine casings i fill in with permenant marker!! Other than that i just buff it up with an angle grinder once in a while.
At the end of the day you cant stop metal from being. Its sole purpose in life is to rust, its a matter of science. I used F365 for a few weeks but got bored. I tried ACF50 and its ok, but still not perfect. Just stop cleaning your bike and let the dirt protect it. It seems to have worked during this winter for my old SV :)
Alpinestarhero
13-03-09, 01:41 PM
Attached are some pics of areas of my 4-month old bike which basically look pretty f*****. This, despite ample sprayings of FS365 after every wash.
blimey - my bike is 10 years old with 35,000 miles and nothing on my bike looks that bad
Bought my bike brand new and within 3 months the fork sliders were starting to rust along with the bottom yoke. Oil cooler pipes looking mank and starting to leak around the banjo bolt as pictured 2nd from left in Steven T's last post. I have a spare pipe that I have cleaned up and sprayed with high temp paint, will get new bolt/washer and change this at next oil change, have already changed the other oil cooler pipe as that was leaking. Can get some bolts from pro bolt, my wife told me she knows someone who's husband will make any bolt to any spec out of any material so might look into getting some stainless bits and bobs made if its viable.
If you haven't had new brake pads fitted yet I strongly advise you at least take the brake pad retaining pins out and copper slip them up if this hasn't been done yet before they stick solid and makes changing the pads very difficult. The first set I went to change ended up costing 75 quid just to change because the pin had to be cut, a nut welded onto the pin so a spanner could be put on it to loosen it, bit of copper slip and not had a problem with them since.
gettin2dizzy
14-03-09, 12:40 AM
Attached are some pics of areas of my 4-month old bike which basically look pretty f*****. This, despite ample sprayings of FS365 after every wash.
That isn't acceptable. Take it back under waranty - you won't be the first, or last.
I get the impression that quality got worse with age on the SV. Curvies seem to hold out better.
Steven T
14-03-09, 07:46 PM
Your right - I think it is unacceptable to part with £4k for something only to "waste away" before your very eyes. I'm going to show these photo's to the dealership that sold me the bike and see what they say, but how do you go persuading them that thgis sort of thing shouldn't happen and that the warranty should cover such "defects" ? I'm expecting to be given the runaround, to be honest.
thefallenangel
14-03-09, 07:49 PM
i'm going to a different dealers to the one i bought my bike from for an opinion. If i can get them replaced i'll be doing it. My front spindle is brown, my engine mounts are brown and i've put aftermarket SS on which hasn't rusted although i had the ****test bellypan in the world from Powerbronze and the brackets rusted up in 5 minutes.
Steven T
14-03-09, 08:02 PM
i'm going to a different dealers to the one i bought my bike from for an opinion. If i can get them replaced i'll be doing it. My front spindle is brown, my engine mounts are brown and i've put aftermarket SS on which hasn't rusted although i had the ****test bellypan in the world from Powerbronze and the brackets rusted up in 5 minutes.
Yeah, if the original dealership starts p****** me off then I'll see what a second dealer says - regardless I'll post their response for all to see. Seems the bikes look ****hot enough to get you to buy them then all the problems start........
thefallenangel
14-03-09, 08:03 PM
both are suzuki registered dealers so if one won't do it the other has too.
Respray SV
15-03-09, 08:05 PM
I'm having a problem getting the corroded parts replaced - the dealer called in Suzuki's warranty chap who has now refused to get the parts changed. Currently I've written to Which? asking for help. Their legal department are suggesting the small claims court action after finding an expert who would vouch the parts are substandard - does any one know of expert in this field?
Mike.
Steven T
15-03-09, 08:36 PM
What was the reason(s) they gave for not changing the parts ? What parts were they ? My dealer has left a message on my phone asking me to bring my bike in asap, giving me the impression that this is happening with other new SV's.
Respray SV
15-03-09, 09:01 PM
They wouldn't give too much detail, but it seems this is a very common this year as so much salt has been sprayed down. My bike has corrosion on the following:
Brake caliper mounting bolts back plates and bleed nipples. Front axle, brake pipe unions and support brackets, oil radiator, and all the pipe metal work for it. exhaust pipe clamps right foot peg support bracket. engine casing bolts. rear brake pipe banjos and pipe support. rear brake mounting bolts and bleed nipple. rear axle bolts adjusters and supports. Finally the chain guard fixing screws.
What is really annoying I bought a cheap licence holder and mounted that on the chain guard screws- that hasn't corroded at all!
Obviously I feel there are real issues with the quality of this new machine, but at present I can't seem to get any satisfaction from either the dealer or Suzuki, I hope you do better. Please let me know how you get on.
Mike
dizzyblonde
15-03-09, 09:11 PM
Gawd, some of these posts are making my toes curl. Its not acceptable on bikes so young, at least it took 7 years of hard labout before my curvy got so bad through winters.
Mind you saying that I noticed that the Gladius MCN Liam was tring out a fortnight ago, was already rusting in places, that disgusting in such a new bike
Steven T
15-03-09, 09:13 PM
Jeeeeesus, Mike - sounds like we have identical bikes !! Have you been using FS365 or ACF-50 ? I've been solely using FS365 since I bought the bike (copious amounts after every wash and dry-down) although everyone seems to recommend ACF-50 so nothing to lose by trying that, I suppose. The undernoted does a stainless bolt kit for £27 so if I get no joy from the dealership then I'll plonk for that as a starter.
http://www.chewys-stuff.co.uk/ (http://www.chewys-stuff.co.uk/)
dizzyblonde
15-03-09, 09:15 PM
ACF 50 is much better, the FS365 is water soluble, so it washes off quicker. ACF 50 sticks like glue and can stay on for months 8)
acf50 most of the bike. and on brake banjo bolts, chain adjusters, ends of front and rear spindals and any other unproperly treated metal smear it with vasoline it dosnt budge under rain or snow and the salt off the road wont get passed it. ive dun this for 2 winters and not one spot of white corrosion appears. oh and for the winter i completly cover my forks with that see through plastic sticker stuff. also befor u acf50 your bike give it a full wash and polish i remove fairings to get in every were.
there is also another type of acf50 its american its called s100 corrosin protectant i used that this winter and i think i prefur it once its dry it looks much thicker than acf50 took less elbow grease on the spring clean aswell .
Respray SV
15-03-09, 09:39 PM
Thanks all for the suggestions folks. I've been using ACF50 - prehaps I needed to put it on thicker and not wash the bike at all. With regard to the Gladius. Guess what? a lot of the components are identical to the SV, I had a real good look at the dealers when I put the SV in for espection. The the brakes and lines are identical - those are going to look horrible in no time if there's salt about.
Has anyone got some good suggestions on how to clean up metal to make it look good again - polish and metal lacquer I guess?
Thanks Mike.
fizzwheel
15-03-09, 09:41 PM
Thanks all for the suggestions folks. I've been using ACF50 - prehaps I needed to put it on thicker and not wash the bike at all.
That does seemt to be the general consensus as to how to go about it over the winter months.
Or every time you wash it, re-apply the ACF-50... just depends if you can live with having a mucky bike or not.
thefallenangel
15-03-09, 09:52 PM
No one here buys a car and puts ACF50 all over it to protect it and they stay fine for longer than 2 years, it's Suzuki cutting corners.
I bought (and regretted) buying my SV from Thunder Road but i'll be phoning South Wales Superbikes for an opinion tomorrow as an SV shouldn't have corroded calipers,discs and bolts, front stanchions which get eaten away easy and engine mounting bolts which are corroded too.
No one here buys a car and puts ACF50 all over it to protect it and they stay fine for longer than 2 years, it's Suzuki cutting corners.
I bought (and regretted) buying my SV from Thunder Road but i'll be phoning South Wales Superbikes for an opinion tomorrow as an SV shouldn't have corroded calipers,discs and bolts, front stanchions which get eaten away easy and engine mounting bolts which are corroded too.
feel guilty now.Was looking at your bike on the last rideout and was thinking to myself "why buy a new bike and let it get like that.
I remember yrs back when Ford had a prob with the new Sierra Saphire.They were stockpiled ready for release and thousands were flooded.If you had one of those ,then you were in trouble
Nobbylad
16-03-09, 10:08 AM
My K8 was in exactly the same condition by December last year. Bought the bike in July and by December all the bolts were corroded. I used ACF-50 (and lots of it) as well as keeping most bolts greased.
I'm not sure that Suzuki are entitled to replace the bolts on the basis that, they are metal and when in contact with water and air, will rust.
Besides, what will they replace them with? The same cheese bolts that came as standard.
Maybe it's the British lethargy in me, but I don't think there's much hope of a good result here other than replacing the OEM bolts with stainless from somewhere (although appreciate it will be difficult for some of the hose unions etc).
If anyone does have any success, I'd more than happily raise a warranty claim with my dealer...in fact, I have one in at the moment for new mirrors on the basis that they are losing the mirror finish under the glass as it's fading. When I called the dealer they said they had experienced quite a few of these so watch out for it on K8> bikes. Good thing is they know the bike was written off recently (Cat D) but are happy to try and process the warranty claim for the mirrors, which means the lhs one (which is scratched) will be replaced! :smt038
Might mention the corroding bolts etc to them when I take it in for the mirrors.
Geoffrey
16-03-09, 12:44 PM
it is not just suzuki that has this problem as my zx6r was the same
niccollotto
16-03-09, 03:36 PM
have raised my corrosion concerns with Steve Jordan, and the party line is "we'll take photos and suzuki will say yes or no to the claim", fair enough for the dealer methinks. so will wait till near the end of the warranty period before i take it in. if they replace the parts (fork sliders, mirrors and 3 engine cases) the new bits wont be any better than the old so i'll get them etch primed and then painted in summat suitable.
its fair to say that if we put up with crap quality thats all we'll ever receive. so complain to your dealer or keep quiet about it !
AmigaNut
16-03-09, 03:48 PM
Attached are some pics of areas of my 4-month old bike which basically look pretty f*****. This, despite ample sprayings of FS365 after every wash.
You say the bike is 5 months old, but the forks (if that is a pic of your forks) are black andthe paint looks well wornaround the spindle, my K7 has silver forks. Is the bike 4 months old or have you only had it for 5 months? :smt017
Steven T
16-03-09, 04:05 PM
You say the bike is 5 months old, but the forks (if that is a pic of your forks) are black andthe paint looks well wornaround the spindle, my K7 has silver forks. Is the bike 4 months old or have you only had it for 5 months? :smt017
The bike was bought new in October 2008 and yes, the forks are silver/ black.
I bought my bike in July and yeap it's rusting as well, even with a covering of ACF50 before the salt arrived. Started by washing the bike and recovering in ACF50 and have now just let the crap stick.
Not sure when to give it the summer clean but I'm guessing I'll find out how bad it is then.
Steven I see your in west lothian, would love to see the bike back to back to see if the rust is in all the same places.
Steven T
16-03-09, 04:18 PM
I bought my bike in July and yeap it's rusting as well, even with a covering of ACF50 before the salt arrived. Started by washing the bike and recovering in ACF50 and have now just let the crap stick.
Not sure when to give it the summer clean but I'm guessing I'll find out how bad it is then.
Steven I see your in west lothian, would love to see the bike back to back to see if the rust is in all the same places.
I'm heading up to Cupar on Friday morning if that helps ?
Working in the morning I'm afraid, but free all afternoon. Won't be mentioning anything to the dealer until I've cleaned the bike to see how bad it is.
AmigaNut
16-03-09, 05:58 PM
I kept the GS for the winter, the SV stayed in the Garage from mid november untill 2 weeks ago when the weather changed for the better.
Respray SV
17-03-09, 08:11 PM
have raised my corrosion concerns with Steve Jordan, and the party line is "we'll take photos and suzuki will say yes or no to the claim", fair enough for the dealer methinks. so will wait till near the end of the warranty period before i take it in. if they replace the parts (fork sliders, mirrors and 3 engine cases) the new bits wont be any better than the old so i'll get them etch primed and then painted in summat suitable.
its fair to say that if we put up with crap quality thats all we'll ever receive. so complain to your dealer or keep quiet about it !
That's exactly what the dealers said to me, expect a wait then the line Suzuki aren't prepared to do anything. Legally your recourse is against the dealer - they sold the bike so the buck stops with them. Unfortunately I still haven't got anywhere with getting my corroded parts replaced. I've just placed an order for some stainless bits from Chewy's so I can make the bike look decent again.
Anyone know where I can get some good quality made to measure brake hoses for a K8?
Mike.
[quote=
Anyone know where I can get some good quality made to measure brake hoses for a K8?
Mike.[/quote]
Prolly want to start a new thread for that mate...:rolleyes:
If you are replacing some of your bolts with stainless steel make sure that they will not come into direct contact with any aluminium components. If they do the corrosion will be catastophic on the aluminium components. This fact is well known in the aerospace industry. The only way around this is to cadmium plate the bolts if you can still find someone to do it and it will cost you a fortune.
Bought my bike brand new and within 3 months the fork sliders were starting to rust along with the bottom yoke. Oil cooler pipes looking mank and starting to leak around the banjo bolt as pictured 2nd from left in Steven T's last post. I have a spare pipe that I have cleaned up and sprayed with high temp paint, will get new bolt/washer and change this at next oil change, have already changed the other oil cooler pipe as that was leaking. Can get some bolts from pro bolt, my wife told me she knows someone who's husband will make any bolt to any spec out of any material so might look into getting some stainless bits and bobs made if its viable.
If you haven't had new brake pads fitted yet I strongly advise you at least take the brake pad retaining pins out and copper slip them up if this hasn't been done yet before they stick solid and makes changing the pads very difficult. The first set I went to change ended up costing 75 quid just to change because the pin had to be cut, a nut welded onto the pin so a spanner could be put on it to loosen it, bit of copper slip and not had a problem with them since.
kurtis.randle
25-03-09, 09:50 PM
Attached are some pics of areas of my 4-month old bike which basically look pretty f*****. This, despite ample sprayings of FS365 after every wash.
did u say this was after three months??
thefallenangel
25-03-09, 11:09 PM
did u say this was after three months??
4 if you read. Anyway i'd give up going for Suzuki because the only way you'll effect it is by going through Bike or someone and getting national press on the story. I suppose going down the warranty road you could claim for new fairings etc . . as you could claim that it's not 2 years good finish.
kurtis.randle
25-03-09, 11:12 PM
4 if you read. Anyway i'd give up going for Suzuki because the only way you'll effect it is by going through Bike or someone and getting national press on the story. I suppose going down the warranty road you could claim for new fairings etc . . as you could claim that it's not 2 years good finish.
that is shocking concidering i have a 2000 and its not even a quater that rusty
kurtis.randle
25-03-09, 11:16 PM
4 if you read. Anyway i'd give up going for Suzuki because the only way you'll effect it is by going through Bike or someone and getting national press on the story. I suppose going down the warranty road you could claim for new fairings etc . . as you could claim that it's not 2 years good finish.
surly the bolts arnt stainless steal as stated ??????
thefallenangel
25-03-09, 11:17 PM
that is shocking concidering i have a 2000 and its not even a quater that rusty
My pointy has rusted engine mounts, both spindles and spacers, calipers bolts and calipers are going brown, my gear spindle was brown before i replaced for stainless and all the bolts which aren't stainless on the sv are brown too. Suzuki provide the crappest steel there is. I'm going as much stainless as i can. I've just ordered braided lines and stainless fittings and where the connections are on my current brake lines are theyre white. My forks are corroding too.
ACF50 helps but you shouldn't have to pay to protect something which is under warranty.
yorkie_chris
26-03-09, 11:14 AM
Careful with stainless in critical areas.
Steven T
31-03-09, 12:32 PM
Update: dealer has confirmed they are going to replace all the corroded "nuts and bolts" - unfortunately, it's on a like for like basis, so same result will undoutedly happen. They also advise corrossion caused by low build quality to make cost of new bike as alow and appealing as possible.
Now seeking to heavily invest in some ACF-50......
yorkie_chris
31-03-09, 03:53 PM
It comes as no surprise to me... people demand cheap bikes and the resulting build quality. You can't have your cake and eat it.
£15 of ACF-50 a year vs an extra £1-2k for having quality parts in the first place. Do the maths ;)
yorkie_chris
31-03-09, 04:22 PM
I'm quite aware of the economics of that one. Hence why I don't whinge when a neglected bit siezes up/looks nasty. Then again a nasty looking bit on my bike just adds to the character.
Though from the photos that's worse than my K4 - currently resting shy of 23K
Zen Beetle
31-03-09, 08:47 PM
Like the fallenangel I also brought my SV K7 from Thunderroad and while I don't regret having brought the bike I will agree that the build quality is crap. For ten years before the SV I had a 30 year old BMW R100RS and while not as much fun to ride as the SV the build quality was superb. Ironically I spend more time looking after my SV than I ever did with BMW. Christ! I can't even remember ever having to spray it with ACF50.
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