Anyone seeing corrosion on wheel spokes on '23 model?

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

I have a '23 model I purchased new about 5 months ago with almost 4,000 miles on it. I was washing it the other day and noticed some corrosion developing on the wheel spokes....front wheel looks worse than the rear (see attached picture). The bike is garage kept, cleaned every few weeks, and hasn't seen any serious off-roading yet. This is my first motorcycle with spoked wheels but I wouldn't expect to see corrosion developing so soon. Is anyone else with a new S10 seeing this too? Maybe I'm looking at a warranty claim with Yamaha? Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Tenforeplay · Apr 30, 2024

I have a '23 with half the miles yours does. My spokes still look like new and I might have wetted her down once. Didn't know they were a wear item

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Superraid · Apr 30, 2024

Mine totally greyed out with surface corrosion in the first year (2018 model) loads of arguments with the stealer (dealer) but it got no worse, some have changed over to stainless but like I said mine just went dull, probably down to to the zinc finish, my gripe was the stone chip effect that happened on the rear rim while only riding tarmac could never get my head around that !

Sierra1 · Apr 30, 2024

Well, Florida and the UK have more salt and humidity than most. I haven't looked at my spokes much, but my rims don't have a scratch on them; 27k miles.

Jlq1969 · Apr 30, 2024

ncpkwyrider747 said:
I have a '23 model I purchased new about 5 months ago with almost 4,000 miles on it. I was washing it the other day and noticed some corrosion developing on the wheel spokes....front wheel looks worse than the rear (see attached picture). The bike is garage kept, cleaned every few weeks, and hasn't seen any serious off-roading yet. This is my first motorcycle with spoked wheels but I wouldn't expect to see corrosion developing so soon. Is anyone else with a new S10 seeing this too? Maybe I'm looking at a warranty claim with Yamaha? Any and all feedback is appreciated.View attachment 111413

I don't know if I saw correctly, but I think I see corrosion only on one side of the spokes?...it's strange….

whisperquiet · Apr 30, 2024

Jlq1969 said:
I don't know if I saw correctly, but I think I see corrosion only on one side of the spokes?...it's strange….

Must be a southern hemisphere thing……one side of the spokes.

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

Tenforeplay said:
I have a '23 with half the miles yours does. My spokes still look like new and I might have wetted her down once. Didn't know they were a wear item.

I didn't know either. Glad to hear yours look like new.

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

Jlq1969 said:
I don't know if I saw correctly, but I think I see corrosion only on one side of the spokes?...it's strange….

It's on both sides unfortunately.

EricV · Apr 30, 2024

What are you washing the bike with? Hard water, softened water? Soaps? It does seem a little early for that.

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

EricV said:
What are you washing the bike with? Hard water, softened water? Soaps? It does seem a little early for that.

I have a water softener since FL has very hard water so it has only been washed with soft water. As far as soap, I use liquid soap made for cars and motorcycles.

EricV · Apr 30, 2024

ncpkwyrider747 said:
I have a water softener since FL has very hard water so it has only been washed with soft water. As far as soap, I use liquid soap made for cars and motorcycles.

Ok, soap sounds normal. However, most water softeners use salt to soften the water. I had that kind of system when I worked in UT. Salty, (soft), water tends to cause corrosion just like salt air.

gprogers · Apr 30, 2024

Hard to see at 60 mph

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

Superraid said:
Mine totally greyed out with surface corrosion in the first year (2018 model) loads of arguments with the stealer (dealer) but it got no worse, some have changed over to stainless but like I said mine just went dull, probably down to to the zinc finish, my gripe was the stone chip effect that happened on the rear rim while only riding tarmac could never get my head around that !

That stone chip effect is crazy! I've never seen anything like that.
Hard to tell from your photo but do your spokes look like mine? So you just let them dull over time and didn't worry about it? Is the surface corrosion just a cosmetic problem or is it something we have to worry about because it affects the strength of the metal?

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

EricV said:
Ok, soap sounds normal. However, most water softeners use salt to soften the water. I had that kind of system when I worked in UT. Salty, (soft), water tends to cause corrosion just like salt air.

Mine uses salt and I agree with you but I would think the softened water would be less of a threat to the bike than the non-softened hard water that had a hardness of about 25 gpg. But, I'm no water expert.

EricV · Apr 30, 2024

ncpkwyrider747 said:
Mine uses salt and I agree with you but I would think the softened water would be less of a threat to the bike than the non-softened hard water that had a hardness of about 25 gpg. But, I'm no water expert.

It's kind of a crap shoot, isn't it? The salt concentration is low enough that you don't taste it, but its a chemical reaction, so there you go. What I chose to do is not wash the bike very often. I cleaned the bike with various products, but didn't water wash it more than once a year unless I really need to hose off mud/muck. Since most of my riding was pavement and sandy soil, that worked for me. The UK riders swear by liberal amounts of ACF-50 between washes.

Sierra1 · Apr 30, 2024

Our water is naturally soft out of the ground. So, there has to be salt in it. I don't have the corrosion or chips.

Cycledude · Apr 30, 2024

My water softener is hooked up so the water used outside to wash motorcycles and other things doesn’t go through the water softener . No use over working your water softener when not needed.

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

Cycledude said:
My water softener is hooked up so the water used outside to wash motorcycles and other things doesn’t go through the water softener . No use over working your water softener when not needed.

The water here in northern FL that doesn't go through the water softener is extremely hard water (25 gpg). I've learned that using softened water to wash vehicles is the lesser of the two evils.

ncpkwyrider747 · Apr 30, 2024

I'm hoping someone can answer the following question for me. Is the corrosion I'm seeing on my spokes strictly a cosmetic problem or is it something I have to worry about because it affects the strength of the metal and possibly the safety/performance of the bike? If it's just a cosmetic problem I'll try my best to ignore it and move on. If on the other hand it's a more serious problem, I'll be visiting my local Yamaha dealer to discuss options.

Tenforeplay · Apr 30, 2024

I’d say the cause would be something you’re picking up off the road since it appears to be on either the leading or trailing edge. If it was in the water it would affect the circumference. Something abrasive like sand. Or maybe it’s in the water you encounter while riding. Also, you know there is a use for water blasting or etching or even water jet cutting, maybe you ought to step back from the power washer for a bit.
Looks superficial at the moment but only 4k miles.

Anyone seeing corrosion on wheel spokes on '23 model?

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