gatored!!

angus67

angus67

Welder's penetrate deeper!!
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so I was reading this thread, http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12653&highlight=gators and wondered what my bike would look like with them, so I went and got the rancho gators, and cut three bellows off the top, and re inserted one of them into the top like 5twins did, used a good looking hose clamp at the bottom, and 25$ later ,viola'!!
Looks way better. helps even out the bike. the forks looked a little spindly to me, plus I have some pitting that the gators cover, so, winner winner, chicken dinner!
Just follow the directions as in the above thread, and good luck!
Thanks 5twins.:thumbsup:
 

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I used the SpeediBoot and think it turned out well.

57912_4315603947618_1750541185_n.jpg


After 6 months though I can see the rubber is starting to crack pretty good around the base, the bellows look great though.
 
angus67 said:
- - - I went and got the rancho gators, and cut three bellows off the top, and re inserted one of them into the top like 5twins did, used a good looking hose clamp at the bottom, and 25$ later ,viola'!!
Looks way better. helps even out the bike. the forks looked a little spindly to me, plus I have some pitting that the gators cover, so, winner winner, chicken dinner!
Just follow the directions as in the above thread, and good luck!
Thanks 5twins.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Hi angus,
what you bought are gaiters, a gator has big teeth and lives in the swamp.
But no matter how it's spelled, they do look good.
However there's no way they'll stop the fork tubes' pitted chrome from wrecking the fork seals.
 
fredintoon said:
Hi angus,
what you bought are gaiters, a gator has big teeth and lives in the swamp.
But no matter how it's spelled, they do look good.
However there's no way they'll stop the fork tubes' pitted chrome from wrecking the fork seals.
Click to expand...
I know it dosnt stop the pitting, it probably hastens it ,even! But its just a chopped up '80.
 
angus67 said:
I know it doesn't stop the pitting, it probably hastens it ,even! But its just a chopped up '80.
Click to expand...

Hi angus,
even a chopped up '80 don't need it's front brake pads lubricated by the fork oil that leaked out through the fork seals that got eaten up by the pitted fork tubes, eh?
 
I suppose. I need a new m/c, and pads. I had it on a lift and it fell off. First point of contact.....brake lever. blew out the m/c, and as a result, the brake fluid is getting to the pads.Its still kinda works, but is spongy with a stainless brakeline. Its one of those $70 dollar ones from mikesxs. I really like the feel of it though(when it worked right) But just cant pull the trigger to get a new one.
 
angus67 said:
so I was reading this thread, http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12653&highlight=gators and wondered what my bike would look like with them, so I went and got the rancho gators, and cut three bellows off the top, and re inserted one of them into the top like 5twins did, used a good looking hose clamp at the bottom, and 25$ later ,viola'!!
Looks way better. helps even out the bike. the forks looked a little spindly to me, plus I have some pitting that the gators cover, so, winner winner, chicken dinner!
Just follow the directions as in the above thread, and good luck!
Thanks 5twins.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I was reading that too, and got to wondering about Rancho gaiters, but discovered they're not available for any sensible money here, and shipping prices being quoted are beyond insanity, so I took inspiration from BloodyD and went looking at steering rack boots - picked up some NOS Volvo 440/460/480 manual rack boots for a song, seeing as they're not steady selling items any more. They fit great and are really well made. The top hole is around 39mm, but easily stays in place with a supplied tie-wrap, and the bottom is a perfect fit on the slider.
 

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I got some pro comp shock boots at pep boys for like 10-15.00
Cut them to fit and used a matching color zip tie. Totally changed the front end.
 

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angus67 said:
I suppose. I need a new m/c, and pads. I had it on a lift and it fell off. First point of contact.....brake lever. blew out the m/c, and as a result, the brake fluid is getting to the pads.Its still kinda works, but is spongy with a stainless brakeline. Its one of those $70 dollar ones from mikesxs. I really like the feel of it though(when it worked right) But just cant pull the trigger to get a new one.
Click to expand...

So let me get a grasp on this, you need a new M/C and pads, you have brake fluid contaminating the pads, you say it still kind of works, and you are too much of a skinflint to purchase a new M/C, am I also right in presuming that you are currently not riding this machine on the public highways.
 
no im not riding it on public roads. I have 5 other bikes to f with. Thanks for judging. Do you have 70$ I could borrow?
 
angus67 said:
no im not riding it on public roads. I have 5 other bikes to f with. Thanks for judging. Do you have 70$ I could borrow?
Click to expand...

Maybe Skinflint was a bit harsh, only $70 you need to double that in the UK.
5 other bikes to fettle? I only keep 2 at a time as I only have one ass.:bike:
 
After taking a peak under the gaiters of my Honda CB750 and seeing the total destruction of the forks from the trapped moisture, I cut them off. I had to replace the forks, they were so bad, so I installed some forks from a Yamaha XS650 along with the 64 spoke wheel, disk, caliper and fender.

hondaha4.jpg


The gaiters were also factory on my CB450, but fortunately, I caught them before the rust and corrosion set in as the bike had only 8,000 miles on it when I bought it, so I cut them off as well. Easier than removing the forks. I don't even know what the purpose of the gaiters is, but they trap moisture and prevent you from seeing any leaks from the seals.

forks.jpg
 
Unfortunately the problem actually lies in the production end, if a decent layer of nickel was under the chrome there would not be so many problems with the fork legs.
 
kevski said:
Unfortunately the problem actually lies in the production end, if a decent layer of nickel was under the chrome there would not be so many problems with the fork legs.
Click to expand...

Hi kev,
if you were an old fart like me you'd know that the problem actually lies in the gaiters' mis-application.
Fork gaiters were originally used to hide the external fork springs on Britbikes so the fork areas underneath the gaiters were slathered in grease.
Later forks as seen on XS650s have internal springs and folks put gaiters on just for nostalgia's sake.
As (in theory, anyway) it's all clean and oil-free under there of course it's gonna rust, eh?
 
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fredintoon said:
Hi kev,
if you were an old fart like me you'd know that the problem actually lies in the gaiters' mis-application.
Fork gaiters were originally used to hide the external fork springs on Britbikes so the fork areas underneath the gaiters were slathered in grease.
Later forks as seen on XS650s have internal springs and folks put gaiters on just for nostalgia's sake.
As (in theory, anyway) it's all clean and oil-free under there of course it's gonna rust, eh?
Click to expand...

Great explanation! All the more reason to cut them off.
 
fredintoon said:
Hi kev,
if you were an old fart like me you'd know that the problem actually lies in the gaiters' mis-application.
Fork gaiters were originally used to hide the external fork springs on Britbikes so the fork areas underneath the gaiters were slathered in grease.
Later forks as seen on XS650s have internal springs and folks put gaiters on just for nostalgia's sake.
As (in theory, anyway) it's all clean and oil-free under there of course it's gonna rust, eh?
Click to expand...
Hi Fred I am well on my way to being an old fart and cut my teeth on old brit rubbish, whereas your explanation is quite correct, when ever I have applied gaiters to modern forks I have always put high melting point grease under them and have never suffered the problems that some do, but here is the good bit as a former electroplater and metallurgical chemist, I can assure that modern fork legs barely get a sniff of nickel if any, all in the name of production and huge profits, and as we all know chrome plate is full of macro cracking therefore rendering it as water tight as the R.M.S Titanic, so the bottom line is our forks are doomed to fail meaning we all go back to the makers for new parts that could actually be made to last significantly longer.
Life's a bitch when we at the bottom of the food chain. :shrug:
 
I've been using gaiters for years and have never suffered any fork stanchion deterioration from using them. On the contrary, the lack of them exposed the stanchions to debris damage, and that started the pitting off.
Otoh, with gaiters in place I occasionally remember to lift them, check the condition underneath and give a lick of oil or grease to the chrome.
Gaiters should always have a breather hole at the bottom for air expulsion and if they're working normally, the moist air inside them will be expelled anyway.
 

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