Is this rust salvagable? And how to usher it away?

[jimster]

I am making another probably futile attempt to restore the nice but old Diversion 900 that has been sitting outside unprotected and gathering a bit more rust than I'd like for a couple of years.

Before I start fiddling with the carbs and getting covered in grease again etc....is it already doomed due to the ever-advancing corrosion? For instance, I see some significantly bubbling paint and rust on the driveshaft.

And if not too late, what's the best way of tackling it? I assume some combination of toxic flesh dissolving spray and elbow grease via steel wool / dremel / wheel wire & drill? Or even the angle grinder that I fondled in Lidls today but dared not buy due to my love of my limbs?

Photos:

https://i.postimg.cc/QKJCLsDk/DSC06017.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/9zhykQt9/DSC06018.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/qtKCmPNQ/DSC06019.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/8smLggt0/DSC06020.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/9rxTzt3P/DSC06021.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/34H0ztph/DSC06022.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Whpg2Yyb/DSC06023.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/68gvfWpy/DSC06024.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/18fFFnPk/DSC06025.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/MXqjDrqb/DSC06026.jpg
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Current: Yamaha Diversion XJ900
Previous: Yamaha Diversion 600cc, Piaggio Zip 50cc, Honda CG125-W, Siamoto Caddy 50cc moped

[WD Forte]

None of that looks that bad to me,but it will all take a fair bit of time
as the bike looks pretty neglected
It really needs to be dismantled and each part treated individually.
then reassembled.
Plus, there's always 1001 other small bits and bobs need doing in these
resto jobs in my experience, so double your back of fag packet estimate of time needed and factor in associated costs too.
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bikers smell of wee

[Bhud]

I think it's pretty bad and in need of restoration. Probably sooner rather than later, before the exhaust gets holed. It will probably be quite difficult to remove some of those fasteners. I wouldn't hit it with an angle grinder as it's thin. I like Jenolite Rust Converter (turns rust black and slows its progress) as that's a cheap treatment. However, it won't remove the rust.
That is a project bike now.

[Polarbear]

I think thats doable if you have a nice warm garage/kitchen/livingroom to work in for the next six months. If you know it was good before it was left to stand you won't have too many horrible surprises in store.

I wouldn't put it back to standard but do something looney with it, at least cosmetically. It's not like it will ever be worth much as a standard divvy.

Perhaps you could buck the trend and make a hipster bike too good for the 'Ebays finest' thread.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Pete.]

Tap it lightly on a non-rusty part and listen to the noise it makes - dink, dink ,dink. Go around the rusty areas and if the sound changes from dink to donk (or crunch), or if the small item you're using for tapping stops bouncing off the surface, the steel has lost it's strength.

Being a swingarm it'll be rusting from the inside as well as the outside so son't go by visual clues alone.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Easy-X]

Mostly that looks like surface rust. Remove part from bike, strip paint, knock off surface rust (minimum Scotch-Brite, ideal media blasting) treat any remaining rust (I'm a fan of Bilt Hamber products) and finally paint.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[MCN]

As mentioned, expand your time and effort estimates.

You will need shelving and containers to store the bits as you discombooberate the beast down to individual frame sections.
And photolog each step as you progress.

Rust is usually fixable using physical or chemical means.
Powder coating the metal parts will remove the rust too.
Normally metal parts are shot blasted and fettled by hand before painting.
If it is deep surface corrosion, filers are used then alternative paints. I don't know of there are filler designed to be used when powder coating. I'm not a powder coater but nothing is impossible.

Engine, gearbox, and electrical are the biggest part of restoration.

Is a Divvy a machine worthy of the time effort and expense?
For me, I'd think not but other folk may have happy memories of times hooning on a Diversion.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[slowasyoulike]

[doggone]

The swinging arm area is the only part shown which is a bit concerning you may find some perforations underneath where it won't have been cleaned much, repairable no doubt with minor welding if it has.

[stinkwheel]

The hardest bit will be removing the exhaust and I'd say the collets look pretty shot, Probably need replacing.

Harpic X10 will deal with the exhaust rust (effectively muriatic/hydrochloric acid gel).

If you can get the shock apart, the spring could most likely be repainted or replaced.

Amazing what white vinegar will do for removing rust. Or a good soak in something like deox-c. If it was me, I'd get the swingarm off, knock the loose shit off with a wire weel then give it 3 days to a week in white vinegar and see where you're at.

The electrolysis method is also pretty effective.

With small fittings like nuts and bolts, I'll often soak them in vinegar to get rid of the rust then black them by heating them up and wiping over with an oily rag.
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“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.

[jaffa90]

Go and get married and have 3 kids for an easier life.

[Robby]

It depends what you want out of this.

The rust doesn't look like the is going to fall apart - although I would be tapping the swingarm rust with a small hammer or a big screwdriver to see if it's terminal.

If the intention is to ride the bike into the ground, ignore the rust and ride it.

If you want to get it back into good condition, you have a lot of work ahead of you. If the rust looks like that, any bearing in the chassis is likely to be fucked too. This is probably more work than a shagged divvy 900 is worth.

Unless it has great sentimental value, I'd be getting an MOT booked, fixing what it failed on, and sticking it on ebay as a runner with an MOT.

[jeremyr62]

I wouldn't bother. It looks way too far gone to me. There isn't much that wouldn't need something doing to it. If parts are cheap and plentiful on Ebay then maybe, but you will be buying a lots of bits for it. If you are in it for the journey rather than the destination then OK, but if you want something rideable and presentable, it is going to cost a lot of money and and a great deal of time to resurrect that. If it was a classic bike then I could understand it but a resurrecting a Divvy is like polishing a turd in my eyes.

If you were in the market for such a bike ask yourself how much would you pay for your example and how much would you budget to fix it up. Then go and find one for the same amount and buy that instead.

[WD Forte]

I quite liked them divvys (cos shafty I spose)
so looked on Ebay sold items to see what sort of price they're getting .
Not a lot I'm afraid
This 2002 14,000 mile one 'excellent condition/ long MOT' one
went for a mere £1250

Before commitiing to work/spending on it I'd suggest you need to be clear what you want from it and what you'd be happy to spend on it in terms of time and money
Unless it's got high sentimental value, I doubt you want to spend 2 grand building a 1 grand bike.

The fact you're asking suggests you've never enjoyed the pain and suffering of getting a shabby, crusty old bike back on the road.
As I said above,in my experience it always takes longer and costs more than I initially hoped.

On the plus side it can be satisfying if you intend to keep and ride it
without resale profit being an issue.
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bikers smell of wee

[Bhud]

If you regularly need to do a lot of motorway miles it might not be a bad idea to have a well maintained Diversion. Wear items such as tyres will be cheaper than on more modern bikes, and the engines are reliable.
Apart from the swingarm and exhaust, I don't like the look of the rear shock. If it was my bike and I intended to ride it, I'd replace the shock. The brakes most likely need servicing too. All sorts of rubber items will need examining.
It needs pulling apart anyway. As mentioned by others, it will cost money and time to put it all right. If you really like the bike, then do it. Otherwise, just leave it alone and sell it on as a project.

[megaross]

That's great, that's what we call a great opportunity to learn how to deal with rust.

None of that looks too bad at a glance, and if worse comes to worse there's options for replacement with good used parts (which are cheap) or resectioning.

Get the cardboard off that dildomatic 5000 box and start making a list of jobs. Once you've got a list, make a coffee and begin prioritising and ordering.

Now list parts and consumables you need to order - that is job 0.

You now have a plan of attack, report back for advice when stuck.
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'07 Tiger 1050