Stop Wasting Money: The Hate City Cycles "Chrome Check" Guide

We hate having this conversation. You bring your vintage bike in because the front forks are weeping oil onto your brake calipers. We quote you for a rebuild. Then, we get the bike on the lift, wipe down the tubes, and realize we have to call you with bad news.

Here is the hard truth: A fork seal is just a thin ring of soft rubber. Your fork tube is hardened steel coated in chrome. If that chrome has rust pits, rock chips, or deep scratches, it acts exactly like a cheese grater. It will shred a brand-new seal in less than 50 miles.

At Hate City Cycles, we cannot warranty fork seals installed on damaged chrome. Physics wins every time.

Before you book a fork service, you need to know what you are working with. Please use this guide to grade your own forks before bringing them to the shop.

🔍 The "Fingernail Test" (How to Check)

You don't need micrometers or fancy gauges to check your forks. You just need your thumbnail and good lighting.

1. Clean the zone: Wipe off the road grime and fork oil. You need to see the metal bare.

2. Find the "Travel Zone": Look for the shiny area on the tube where the lower slider actually moves up and down. This is where the seal lives. Damage outside this zone is ugly, but damage inside this zone is fatal.

3. The Scratch Test: Run the edge of your fingernail lightly up and down the front, back, and sides of the tube.

   • Does it glide smoothly?

   • Or does it click, catch, or snag on bumps?

✅ 1. THE GREEN LIGHT (Good to Go)

Verdict: Bring it in. These are perfect candidates for a rebuild.

Visual Check: The chrome has a mirror-like finish. There are no dark spots, no orange surface rust, and zero vertical scratch lines.

The Fingernail Test: Smooth as glass. Your nail glides over the surface without clicking or catching on anything.

The Result: New seals will seal perfectly and should last for years.

⚠️ 2. THE YELLOW LIGHT (Salvageable with Sweat)

Verdict: We can usually save these, but it requires extra labor.

Visual Check: You see small "pepper flakes" of surface rust or tiny rock dings. These are usually near the very top of the travel area or up by the triple trees where moisture collects.

The Fingernail Test: You can feel small bumps or roughness, but your fingernail doesn't get physically "stuck" in a hole.

The Fix: We can usually polish this out using extra-fine 0000 steel wool and oil, or 1000-grit emery cloth on a lathe during the service.

The Result: The seals should hold, but the life expectancy is reduced compared to a new tube.

🛑 3. THE RED LIGHT (The Seal Eaters)

Verdict: DO NOT BOOK A SERVICE. These tubes are trash.

Visual Check:

• Pitting: Deep dark holes, blisters, or craters in the chrome where rust has eaten through to the steel beneath.

• Flaking: The shiny chrome plating is literally peeling off like old paint.

• Scoring: Deep vertical scratches running up and down the tube that you can easily see from five feet away.

The Fingernail Test: Your nail clicks loudly over the imperfections or gets physically stuck in the pits.

The Reality: If we put new seals on this tube, they will leak almost immediately. It is a waste of your money and our time. You must replace the tubes before we can do the work.

🛠 My Forks are a "Red Light." Now What?

Don't panic. This is standard operating procedure for 40-year-old motorcycles. You have options:

1. Buy Aftermarket Tubes (Best Bet): For popular bikes (CB750s, KZ1000s, etc.), you can buy brand-new reproduction tubes for around $150–$300 a pair. Check eBay or specialty suppliers like "Forking by Frank."

2. Source Used Forks: Roll the dice on eBay for a cleaner used set. Make sure the seller guarantees the chrome condition.

3. Re-Chroming (The Nuclear Option): We can send them out for industrial hard-chroming and grinding. This is better than factory new, but it is expensive ($500+) and slow. This is usually only for rare restoration bikes where replacement parts don't exist.