All bike engineering/ fork re chroming?

[BravoCharlie]

Good evening guys, looking for a bit of advice.


i bought a Honda VRX400 the other day in the knowledge that it needed some work done. the main thing is that the forks need attention (photo below) and i am unsure what the best option would be. it is a japanese import, and i can't find a replacement set anywhere.

someone recommended ABE to create new ones for me, as he had his done the other week and had a good turnaround (2 weeks) and - he claims - good value for money (£300).

i assume the other option is to have them hard chromed, but i have no idea where to send them to, and the rough costs etc, if anyone can advise?

here's the photo of the forks to give you an idea of what i'm working with: https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zps8f3018b9.jpg

thanks in advance
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

May struggle to rechrome that because of the corrosion on the OS fork leg.
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[BravoCharlie]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Walloper]

In order for a chromer to lay chrome on the rods have to be ground down to good metal. Then they can be built up and finally ground to the polished finish.
All chromed rods are ground to achieve a uniform surface.

I used to sell chrome rod and chroming service for a mob in RSA.

It is never impossible to do anything.

The mob I worked for would reverse engineer a job if the core was useless. Still cost less than a third of OEM prices.
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[BravoCharlie]

suppose it can't hurt to ask!

however, is there any reputable companies i could contact?
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
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[Walloper]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[kramdra]

Some people pay silly amounts of money to uprade forks and you want to rechrome those..? If the outside is that bad, what are the internal components going to be like?!?


Ebay some modern forks, 41mm diameter. Were my CBR600 forks not 43mm I would offer them to you for £300

[BravoCharlie]

[kramdra]

[BravoCharlie]

the stanchions are the main problem as the forks seem to be alright themselves apart from needing seals. i was thinking if i found a 41mm stanchion it would possibly have fitted but i asked the question wrong, my bad.

i think you've got a point. i'll try and research into getting a new front end but it's finding a similar bike that'll be the problem!


thanks for the advice
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[Kickstart]

Hi

There are a few places doing fork rechroming.

Over the years I have used 2 of them. HCP up in Notts, who I used many years ago. And Philpots down in Luton, who I have used recently (for the USD forks on a GSXR1100 and the normal forks on a GSXR50).

Rechroming basic forks was abotu £160 I think, if sent just the fork stanchions, more if you send them the whole forks and want them to strip and rebuild them.

Note that it might take a month or so to get them rechromed if they are busy.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[stinkwheel]

I personally think you're going to struggle getting those forks apart with out damaging the fork legs. There seems to be a hell of a lot of corrosion around the dust seal. If the oil seal is similar, it could be well jammed in.

Even if you don't, as well as new seals, you'll probably land up needing new bushes as well and you're approaching the cost of a good, second hand set of forks.

Oddball bike though but I bet forks off something else would fit. 41mm diameter which is common with....

Honda CBR 600 (F) CBR 600 (F) XL 600 (Transalp) XL 600 (Transalp) CB 600 (Hornet) CB 600 (Hornet) CB 600 (Hornet Faired) CB 600 (Hornet Faired) NTV 600 (Revere) NTV 600 (Revere) CBF 600 (Naked) CBF 600 (Naked) CBF 600 (Faired) CBF 600 (Faired) CBF 600 (Faired ABS) CBF 600 (Faired ABS) CBF 600 (Naked ABS) CBF 600 (Naked ABS) XL 650 (Transalp) XL 650 (Transalp) FX 650 (Vigor) FX 650 (Vigor) NT 650 (Deauville) NT 650 (Deauville) NX 650 (Dominator) NX 650 (Dominator) NTV 650 (Revere) NTV 650 (Revere) VT 750 (Shadow) VT 750 (Shadow) CB 750 (Retro) CB 750 (Retro) VT 750 (Black Widow) VT 750 (Black Widow) VF 750 C VF 750 C VFR 750 VFR 750 VFR 800 VFR 800 PC 800 (Pacific Coast) PC 800 (Pacific Coast) CBR 1000 (F) CBR 1000 (F) VTR 1000 (Firestorm) VTR 1000 (Firestorm) ST 1100 (Pan Euro) ST 1100 (Pan Euro) ST 1100 (Pan Euro ABS) ST 1100 (Pan Euro ABS) VTX 1300 (S) VTX 1300 (S) GL 1500 (Goldwing) GL 1500 (Goldwing)

They all have the same diameter stanchions so they'd fit in the yokes, not necessarily compatible at the other end though and differing lengths.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Just looked on the ABE web site. They list the VRX400 on their 'price list' (which doesn't seem to have prices on it). However think they charge something like £160 for a pair of conventional forks

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[BravoCharlie]

Thanks for the help guys, i'm currently looking through stinkwheels list to try and find something similar.

a quick question regarding the 'travel' on a forks.

according to the link below, the VRX has a front end travel of 104mm. am i basically looking for a set of 41mm with 104mm travel? or is it not as simple as that? i seriously underestimated finding forks when buying this bike, and i'd hate to give up as it's a bike i've been wanting to buy for well over a year!

https://www.motorbikespecs.net/index.dyn?flag=2&model_id=3643443&make=honda
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Looking for more than that, although depends on whether you want to fit the forks or the whole front end.

If you want to fit the whole front when then you need to make sure the steering stem is similar, or you can possibly press the stem out of the current yokes and into the replacement ones. You then possibly land up with issues mounting the clocks, etc.

If you are swapping the whole forks you will need to make sure the travel isn't excessive (ie, don't want the front wheel hitting the engine) but that is probably not a major issue. Also want the spring rate and damping to be about right for the weight of the bike, etc. But bigger issues putting other forks into the existing yokes would be the side the brake caliper mounts on, the diameter of the brake disk that mount is set up for, the mounting hole spacing for the caliper, speedo drive compatibility, wheel spindle diameter, size of spacers between the wheel and the fork lowers, etc.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[BravoCharlie]

christ - this seems impossible at this point


thanks again guys, i really am grateful, albeit stumped!
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[stinkwheel]

Reason I put up that list is that quite a lot of Hondas are interchangeable.

For example, you can fit VTR firestorm forks into a VFR750 and retain the original yokes and front wheel but you do need to swap the callipers, spindle and mudguard.

Trouble is, you just need to know what fits what
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Kickstart]

Hi

If you have access to machining equipment and the skills to use it then it is likely that sorting spacers and brackets out is easy enough.

But for under £200 for a new pair of forks stanchions I wouldn't consider looking for other forks

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[BravoCharlie]

the only reason i'm worried about the fork stanchions from ABE is i've had a PM warning me of some bad experiences from them.

[P.]

Can you get some photos of your caliper bracket and a rough photo of the bike... I have some forks that might well work, they are from one of the bikes listed by Stinkwheel.

[BravoCharlie]

[BravoCharlie]

went out to blow the tyre up and find my cover, as the wind had blew it away

so grabbed some photo's for you:

https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zps53ce6f00.jpg

https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zpsad08303e.jpg

https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zps3432b361.jpg

https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zps0c29c1cb.jpg

https://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii639/bravocharlie1/null_zpse59ac714.jpg

hopefully these help you Paddy, and hopefully you have what i need
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[P.]

I shall have a look for you!