my bike as i am sure many of yours has the stock lower legs. when i traded my other bike in i noticed how terrible the lower legs looked from so much riding through bugs, rain, etc...i was told 2 different things on how to keep them looking new on my new bike. one person said to use wd-40 and that would keep them from pitting and scarring, and the other person said to just keep a coat of wax on the lower legs to prvent the damage. does anyone have a sure fire suggestion on what will work (other than replacing the lowers with chrome ones)

 

Washing?

 

I was told by my dealer to spray and wipe with silicone, so I do, and they look pretty good.

 

WD-40 just attracts dirt and dust, but it does make a decent solvent. I keep my fork lowers polished with wax, I treat them just like a painted surface waxing and buffing them out and they look great.

 

Do your own experiment and find the answer.

Do one side wax, the other WD-40.

 

With enough miles, the lower forks are the first things to look like crap.

Sand and rocks nick the clear coat.
Once the clear coat is nicked, it allows the bare aluminum to oxidize.
That is why they look like crap.

You can postpone and slow the damage by washing and waxing the lowers after each ride. It is tedious, but will work. You have to seal the nicks in the clear coat to maintain the aluminum.

Other than that, buy chrome lowers or plasti-coat the ones you have.

 

Switch them to chrome lower. They really make the bike!

 

If I did not already have chrome lowers I would have them painted to match my bike. I guess plasti-coat would be cheaper though.As bike is being painted now I'm sorry they are chrome as I have way too much.

 

WD40 will just attract dirt, etc. and make it look worse, IMO. Clean them well and give 'em a good heavy coat of wax.

 

Clean the bugs off with a rag and pro shine before she goes to bed every night. Lowers won't pit. Other option is chrome lowers. I have a 98 and an 03 that the lowers look new on still. Almost seventy thousand miles on one bike and forty thousand on the other. I just clean the acidic bug juice off before they go to bed everytime.