Customizing front forks.

[big poppa pump]

Question for anyone who had their front forks customized. I want to get the front forks on my other Valkyrie done in black. What is the best way to go about doing this? Chroming, Anodizing or Powder-coating?

Thanks.

[signart]

Ceramic

[big poppa pump]

Ceramic

Hmmmm...I thought ceramic coating was only for the exhausts.

[Tx Bohemian]

On my bike the PO had chromed the forks (along with a whole slew of other things) and when I bought it and they looked pitiful because the chrome was peeling off real bad!! (along with most of the other things too)
I bought another pair off ebay that were also chromed and looked good when I got them, but in about 3 years they peeled too.

I have no idea why they peeled.  Bad chrome job, bad prep before chroming, cheap chrome, tougher bugs down here in Texas, ... who knows. From now on I stay away from chroming. 

I talked to a guy that powder coats and he would not do my forks because they are inverted. When things get powder coated it adds a bit of thickness and he said they would not go through the triple trees after coating. I'm not sure as I don't know that much about powder coating.

I bought a set of forks from a member here who was parting out his bike, and these are regular aluminum from the factory. They look good and I'm well pleased with them.

All this may be TMI for you but this is my "fork chrome/powder coat" story.

[Black Dog]

I did mine back in 2010, when I installed the XF6 Triple Tree.

Sanded the forks lightly, and used a special primer, made for almunimum...



Then I used Mercury Marine Black (same as they use on their engines) spray paint -



How they looked after painting - (notice how I masked off the area where they meet the Triple Trees...)



And how they look on the bike...  I like 'em  



Once or twice a year, I spritz some of the original Mercury paint on one of those 'foam' paint brushes, and a dab here n there, to fix any of the small chips that come with the road debris...

Good luck!

Black Dog

[big poppa pump]

On my bike the PO had chromed the forks (along with a whole slew of other things) and when I bought it and they looked pitiful because the chrome was peeling off real bad!! (along with most of the other things too)
I bought another pair off ebay that were also chromed and looked good when I got them, but in about 3 years they peeled too.

I have no idea why they peeled.  Bad chrome job, bad prep before chroming, cheap chrome, tougher bugs down here in Texas, ... who knows. From now on I stay away from chroming. 

I talked to a guy that powder coats and he would not do my forks because they are inverted. When things get powder coated it adds a bit of thickness and he said they would not go through the triple trees after coating. I'm not sure as I don't know that much about powder coating.

I bought a set of forks from a member here who was parting out his bike, and these are regular aluminum from the factory. They look good and I'm well pleased with them.

All this may be TMI for you but this is my "fork chrome/powder coat" story.

I've heard similar stories about chroming and read the same about powdercoating. However I've seen quite a few members over here who have black forks (except inner tubes) and wondering how they did it.

[Gavin_Sons]

Anodizing them would be awesome. 

[flsix]

I agree that anodizing would be great. No issue with heavy coating in the clamps. Bugs generally won't bother it. But if you get a hard stone ding it might be difficult to touch up.
Seems any large city has an anodizing shop.

[Jack B]

Or you could do this.

[big poppa pump]

Or you could do this.

Already done, see the bike in my signature. This is for my 2nd bike which is going to be blacked out.

[Oss]

Was a time when Lady Draco made really cool leather for the forks

Do not know if she will still do a set

But first class work indeed

Who has a set can post a pic??

[big poppa pump]

I did mine back in 2010, when I installed the XF6 Triple Tree.

Sanded the forks lightly, and used a special primer, made for almunimum...



Then I used Mercury Marine Black (same as they use on their engines) spray paint -



How they looked after painting - (notice how I masked off the area where they meet the Triple Trees...)



And how they look on the bike...  I like 'em 



Once or twice a year, I spritz some of the original Mercury paint on one of those 'foam' paint brushes, and a dab here n there, to fix any of the small chips that come with the road debris...

Good luck!

Black Dog

That looks good. Did you use self etching aluminum primer? What brand? Thanks.

[Joevalk]

My powder coated ones turned out great. Durable and easy to clean

[big poppa pump]

My powder coated ones turned out great. Durable and easy to clean

Joe, sent you a PM!

[Highbinder]

Was a time when Lady Draco made really cool leather for the forks

Do not know if she will still do a set

But first class work indeed

Who has a set can post a pic??

She still makes them on special orders...this is not a good picture of them but I'm sure she can find some better ones.....these are black with fringe, along with a diamond insert in Yellow, stainless steel snaps make for easy on and off, inside is line so not to scratch the forks...

[big poppa pump]

That looks good, but not the kind of look I'm going for on this bike.

[Black Dog]

That looks good. Did you use self etching aluminum primer? What brand?

The primer was part of a two part process with the Mercury Marine Black (both primer & paint were sold together, and both distributed by Mercury Marine)...  I do believe it was the 'self etching' type.  Never the less, it was made to work with the paint, and is pretty sturdy, once all set.

Black Dog

[da prez]

  The upper clamp in the tripple tree can be opened up a little to slide the forks in.  Clamping would be no problem.  I do not mean reaming , I mean to expand the clamp.

                                     da prez

                                     

[G-Man]

The only thing you can't add thickness to is the fork tube.  The housings, clamps, and everything else on the outside of the the assemblies can be powder coated.

The fork tubes have to slide in out of the housings (has nothing to do with being inverted or not) and there's no clearance Clarence.

[big poppa pump]

Is there anyone who has powder coated the lower half of the fork assembly (the part that attaches to the fender)?

[G-Man]

Fender, bottom of fork assembly, and wheel, all powder coated.

[Tundra]

Was a time when Lady Draco made really cool leather for the forks

Do not know if she will still do a set

But first class work indeed

Who has a set can post a pic??

She still makes them. Quality leather, quality work.

[big poppa pump]

Fender, bottom of fork assembly, and wheel, all powder coated.

Those don't look like the oem valkyrie forks to me.

[Disco]

Thanks for the tip, Black Dog.  I wasn't looking forward to taking the sliders out of the lowers.  Man, your bike is gorgeous. 

To those who have powder coated the lowers, how big a chore is removing the sliders??? 

Thanks!

[Joevalk]

Thanks for the tip, Black Dog.  I wasn't looking forward to taking the sliders out of the lowers.  Man, your bike is gorgeous. 

To those who have powder coated the lowers, how big a chore is removing the sliders??? 

Thanks!

I acquired a set of lower forks that the slider were already removed. They got sent to the coaters today. I will attempt to remove mine soon. They are threaded, has a washer in the bottom, and there is an o-ring at the bottom also.

[Disco]

Thanks for the post, Joe. I look forward to hearing how everything goes.