fork gaiters - can you make them last?

swamp2

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The fork gaiters on the CB450 I picked up had split all apart, so I got some fresh ones off ebay. They're EMGO, as I suspect most of them out there are. I know from my brit bike experiences these aren't great for longevity, and was wondering if there are some magic/recommended treatments (e.g. ArmorAll? silicone spray?) that can be applied to give these a bit more useful life. Any thoughts?

Steve
 
The OEM ones must have been made of some sort of magic material, because the original gaiters on my ‘69 CL350 are still in fine condition…

43994D39-C5A9-4789-AAAE-580DEDEB45E5.jpeg
 
swamp2 said:
The fork gaiters on the CB450 I picked up had split all apart, so I got some fresh ones off ebay. They're EMGO, as I suspect most of them out there are. I know from my brit bike experiences these aren't great for longevity, and was wondering if there are some magic/recommended treatments (e.g. ArmorAll? silicone spray?) that can be applied to give these a bit more useful life. Any thoughts?

Steve
Click to expand...


I've had good results using Mothers Back to Black although I'm sure there are a lot of recommendations out there. I've tried Armour All on other projects and found it didn't last.

As always - they look great for a while and then require re-treatment. I find the Mothers is good for a month or so.

backtoblack.JPG

Also - I've found splitting at the narrow of the accordion forms can be stopped completely with black silicone adhesive - two or three splits on mine have been repaired this way and there is no sign of it separating or splitting further after this entire past riding season. I applied about a 1/8" bead around the split area and finished it with a fingertip. You can't see it unless you know it's there.

Someone said the late 60's triumph/bsa boots from 4 into 1 are a very close in measurement and a near perfect fit for $20.00 a pair.

HTH
 
Moved to Tips and Tricks since it isn't really technical.

Aging boots that have to be replaced somewhat often are one reason I went to dust caps on mine, though the older fork tubes are often rusty in the upper portions near the steering stem so I understand the need to cover them. My situation worked out well only because I was also lowering my bike a bit and the small area of rust was painted and hidden above the stem.
 
Not that they are interchangeable with stock gaiters, I'm using gaiters from 4wd truck shock absorbers on my 250 Nighthawk project. I've actually had them stored in damp and dry basements since 2008 and they're still as new.

Perhaps with some searching a set can be found that is not a bad match for stock?
 
Just to close the loop, after some additional googling around I settled on "303" protectant. It doesn't seem that much different than Armor All on (spray) application but had considerably better endorsement from folks on the net. Obviously it'll be a while before I can comment on the efficacy of it (hopefully, anyway)...
 
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