Corrosion on near new bike

[robbie]

Hi folks. I've got a Suzuki SV650K3 just under 2 years old, great bike but has developed blistering paint on both the front folks and now starting to show rust. Bike is garaged and well looked after and can't believe this is happening already.

Has anyone else had any similar experiences ?

cheers
Robbie :motu:

[White trash]

Welcome to KB robbie.

Unfortunately, SV650s are not know for their astounding build quality. You'll also notice alot of rust under the botom of the lower triple tree.

For the forks, get yourself a good, fine grade sandpaper, strip the paint off 'em and give them a polish. You may have to remove them and get them professionaly done on the K3. Can't remember.

They're a fantastic bike but Suzuki really screwed the pooch on build quality.

[DemonWolf]

Welcome to KB robbie... hope ya get the bike sorted.

[zadok]

Welcome to K.B Robbie. Sorry to hear about the dilema. It's disapointing when you look after something and this sort of thing happens. As WT said, it should polish out, but it would be interesting to know if there is some lacquer that can be applied afterwards to give it some protection. Someone will know.

[White trash]

As WT said, it should polish out, but it would be interesting to know if there is some lacquer that can be applied afterwards to give it some protection. Someone will know.

Problem is, that from 2003 onwards, Suzuki painted the fork legs on the SV650s silver. The alloy corodes beneath the paint and causes it to blister.

The earlier model bikes had lacquer applied over the alloy, simply strip the lacquer and polish the forks. Not sure what the later bikes look like under the paint.

[rc_36_rider]

as wt said the early models had a laker over the alloy you can get the same effect by as he said sanding back the paint polishing the alloy and putting a laker over it. so you dont need to polish it every day . id say the alloy under the paint doesent look bad or it would show up when painted so it shouldnt be to bad to tidy up

[mstriumph]

hi robbie - and welcome ..........hope its sorted for you soon [if anyone can help u with the problem, someone here can]

[skelstar]

hey robbie. bad luck with the rust, hope we see you on one of our rides sometime. we usually head over the rimutakas once each weekend.

[Quasievil]

I just cam on this thread to see if it was a Suzuki

[Sniper]

Its camE Quasi :) Welcome Robbie. Hope you get it sorted mate.

[bungbung]

I just came on this thread

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[XTC]

Reminds me of my brand new XJ600 years ago.... All the alloy bits were corroding under the clear laquer.... Take it back and demand a new one!

[SimJen]

Think yourself lucky you don't live in the UK. Thats where quality of build really comes into it.
Lots of the UK bike mags complain about rust and furry bolts on Kawasaki's and Suzuki's.......poor quality fasteners etc.
Its the Salt they use to melt the snow, and i've seen articles where even leaving a bike over a weekend (after a winters ride) without a wash leaves it mostly covered in rust by the following monday....

[Quasievil]

Lots of the UK bike mags complain about rust and furry bolts on Kawasaki's and Suzuki's.......poor quality fasteners etc.


For that you will be taunted till the day you die by the Kwaka Gods:devil2:

[Paul in NZ]

The lower fork legs get a fair old hammering from stanes and such like and the main selling point of the 650 was that it was cheap as chips.. It had to be to undercut the 600/4's as it was not as fast... Shame really 'cos the whole oint of the bike was to deliver a jolly sensible motorcycle that was different...

I guess the stones puncture the paint which allows a bit of moisture under the coating and it starts to bubble. It's quite tricky getting paint to adhere to alloy at the best of times but the Japanese usually do a better job than most.

It's a damn good bike but you can't have your cake and eat it too... Or so everyone tells me, but I don't like cake so I wonder if this also applies to pies?

Anyway - strip the paint off. It's NEVER going to last anyway and see if you can polish the alloy. If you don't want to do that, you could refinish the parts and put some sort of motocross protector thingy up there.

If it makes you feel better my 25 year old Guzzi has a similar problem which I fix by giving it a squirt of satin black paint ever 2 or 3 years (usually change a fork seal or want to upgrade something)...

My 35 year old triumph also suffers and I powdercoated the sliders this time. Hope it holds up or it's off to the chromers...

[Quasievil]

Its camE Quasi :)

Thanks for that, I suffer a bit with the bugger wurds

[Paul in NZ]

For that you will be taunted till the day you die by the Kwaka Gods:devil2:

Doubt it, the kwaka gods are usually too busy running about rusting up fasteners on kwakas....

[mattt]

I just cam on this thread to see if it was a Suzuki

Haha - I didn't need to even look, deep down I knew it was a suckzooki :dodge:

[Quasievil]

Doubt it, the kwaka gods are usually too busy running about rusting up fasteners on kwakas....

Blasphemy !!!!!!! you shall be stoned .

[Paul in NZ]

Blasphemy !!!!!!! you shall be stoned .

Far out - I might buy a kawaksaki if the gods reward you with drugs for blasphemy... I was wondering how seeming, otherwise normal people could tolerate the festering things... Now I know... :devil2:

just kidding Quasi -

[SimJen]

Its funny though, how the build quality issues never seem to pop up that often downunder. All good for us :)
You'll notice I have a Suzi, and yes the fork legs have started going a bit bubbly, but if I keep the bike polished and garaged it should keep it at bay.
My Honda was a '91 and had less corrosion issues though......

[pritch]

My Honda was a '91 and had less corrosion issues though......

Funny that. That's what the magazines all say too.

[kerryg]

IMO it's better not to clear-coat alloy if it's on a part of the bike you can easily get to to polish (eg sliders). Sliders, on the front surface in particular, are going to get the odd stone chips etc so if you clear-coat you'll soon find that the coating is damaged and as soon as the clear-coat is damaged the bare alloy underneath corrodes and it all looks like crap again. Best strip off the present clear coat with paint-stripper/oven cleaner.You might need to wash the stripped surface off with a solvent (I use paintbrush cleaner but Brakekleen or other similar product will be good) before polishing. Leave it uncoated I say, and give it a polish with some Autosol or similar from time to time. Another good way to keep it looking good is after polishing to slap on some of that 3M protective film bike shops sell, but it will still look better if it's left bare and regularly given a polish. Just my 2cents

[robbie]

Thanks to all for your comments. I've gone back to Suzuki NZ over this with photos etc so far they haven't spat the dumby !!!! There's always the consumer guarantees act etc - you know fit for purpose..... will keep you informed, I think they should "do the right thing" and simply replace it with a new GSXR1000...... :violin:

[Jackrat]

There is a paint that's supossed to be darn near bullet proof.
It's been mentioned on here in the past but I can't remember what it's called.
It has clear coat that can be mixed with it's color range an used to paint engines an such.
I want gold barrels,,,anybody remember what it's called???
Please.

[Hitcher]

On the subject of corrosion, how many people have had problems with their chromed Ventura pack racks rusting badly after a couple of months?