fork gaitors that don't rot

[mikeb]

i replaced the super rocket front fork gaitors 4 year ago and they are completely split and perished already. not happy.
are they all cr*p? any tips on anyone selling decent ones that actually last?

thanks

[Butch (cb)]

I have the same problem. I suspect that there is just one box of old gaiters somewhere and every time you order a replacement set you get a pair from there.

[KiwiGF]

i replaced the super rocket front fork gaitors 4 year ago and they are completely split and perished already. not happy.
are they all cr*p? any tips on anyone selling decent ones that actually last?

thanks

Hi mike i cant answer yr question but brett frontin rollitt of the bsa club has a gold star with original gaiters that he reckons have been kept supple by applying “armor all” protectant 

They soak it up apparently.

In 4 years you will be able confirm/deny that armor all works 

[Jules]

Hmmm, I'm very surprised Kiwi, Armour All used to be all the rage years ago for car interior plastics until people realized that it wasn't actually "protecting" it was deteriorating the plastics by sucking all the plasticizer out ie drying them out! maybe it works differently on rubber ??
Thinking out loud now, maybe it does help by providing some UV and ozone protection for the rubber, by coating it if applied regularly because rubber deteriorates quite quickly if those protection additives are not included in the moulding raw material (which does happen with cheap or old rubber products, they seem to "perish")…..

[Topdad]

Well read this first this morning and then later having to move some more crap out of the garage ( see prev post/rant )  Ithought check the fork gaitors , one perfect the other rotted to pieces ,arr well that must be the 3 rd pair in 2 yrs so I think they are now defo made of SH1t . 

[Rex]

Certainly seems like it, along with splitting handlebar grips and footpeg rubbers they don't seem to last long at all.
Read somewhere that the reason is a change in the rubber compound used by Far Eastern etc moulders.

[Greybeard]

The flexible air filter connection I bought for my bike is made from something more durable than rubber. I think it may be poly-something. I wonder if anyone is able to make grips and fork gaiters out of the same stuff.

[Swarfcut]

    It's down to the market size, price, expected  volumes and consequently the choice of  poor material. Steering rack bellows and CV joint boots last for years, so a similar material mix should do the job. Alas the only folks in this small volume market are not so particular with their choice of raw material, and as they say, you get what you pay for.

 GB.. That would be a good choice. As another alternative silicone products last for years, but the cost (if radiator hoses are typical) is almost prohibitive.

 Swarfy.

[Kickaha]

Pro grip do good quality, I run them on my trail bikes, they wont do one specifically for the BSA but normally do at least two different sizes in the different colours that they do

[Butch (cb)]

I've always bought gaiters advertised as specific to the bike, and they've never lasted more than a few years. Conversely on my Guzzi V50 it is only on its second set of gaiters since 1980. Maybe it is just a case of finding another supply for something else which will do the job?

As I said somewhere up-thread, it feels like all of the A10 gaiters come out of the same lame box somewhere.

[mikeb]

well, at least i'm not alone on this. good idea re some non 'bsa' ones Kickaha, tho so far i can't find any pro grip or other brand that will fit. i think for 42-5320 specs I've seen are 16 ribs and:
Length: 183mm, ID Bottom: 58mm, ID Top: 50mm.
other: Length: 7+1/2" (19cm); ID: 2+1/4" (57mm) and 2" (51mm)
mine measure 180mm-ish, 2.25" ID top, 2" ID bottom.
... anyone found another make to this spec?

or these claim to be 'great quality':
https://www.classicmotorcyclespares.com/index.php/default/fork-gaitors-bsa-a10-a65-a75-b31-m20-42-5320-fg241-uk-made-great-quality.html#Default_Category
... anyone tried those?

thanks again

[Greybeard]

...these claim to be 'great quality':
https://www.classicmotorcyclespares.com/index.php/default/fork-gaitors-bsa-a10-a65-a75-b31-m20-42-5320-fg241-uk-made-great-quality.html#Default_Category
... anyone tried those?

thanks again

In the blurb, the sellers appear to be addressing concerns over poor quality versions.

[Black Sheep]

Shame they can't spell gaiter though.

[Tomcat]

The flexible air filter connection I bought for my bike is made from something more durable than rubber. I think it may be poly-something. I wonder if anyone is able to make grips and fork gaiters out of the same stuff.

I bought a filter rubber hose (YA7) from Jeff & Alan Hunter, anyone know if they do a better quality fork gaiter?

[Jules]

don't know those guys Tomcat, can you add a link?