
February 16, 2016

Anyone else had issues with these? Just about finished restoration of bike but I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked closely at the new gaiters!
Bought them new in May from a well known supplier of British bike bits and they looked absolutely new when I fitted them. They now look to have 'perished' over the last few months. The bike has just been sat in my garage as it's been rebuilt. The gaiters haven't been subjected to any heat or cold or any chemicals or other agents nor have they been stretched or compressed in any way. I can only put it down to poor quality of the material which has degraded unless anyone has any other ideas!?
Annoyingly it's not just the prospect of having to buy more but the hassle of fitting them. Removing the fork legs to change the original split gaiters was a steep learning curve for me! I guess these new ones might last a while before they split through but I'm very happy at the prospect of having to do it again so soon! Grrrrrr!

May 14, 2014


July 1, 2018

Try putting some silicone on them.Tyre shine or something. Wont get rid of the cracking but should soften them up a bit and stop them getting worse.Worked miracles on an old mx5 I used to have.Used to need wellies when it rained after cleaning all the door seals up and spraying them came up like new.Just dont get it on the paint as I believe if you want to respray it the paint wont stick.Just what someone with more knowledge than me said 👍🏼
What's 7/16 in mm again?

May 14, 2014

The lower leg gaiters on my D5 are like this and they aren’t very old, perhaps 3 or 4 years. Perhaps they were in storage for a long time even before I bought them, I don’t know why really. They still do the job though, and it’s only if you look really closely that you can see it.
Current bikes......1958 D5, and a 76 Honda C90 in the workshop.

April 26, 2014

cpimm said
Thanks. Is it just that I've bought 'bad' ones or has anyone else had this problem?
I've had this problem too, only mine were much much worse than yours. Mine totally fell to pieces with huge splits everywhere. This was after 3 months of sitting in a warm dry shed with zero use.
I wish I could remember where I bought my next pair as they have been great for 4 years now. Same price as the «censored» ones.
I fitted the new ones from the bottom by putting a little grease on the mudguard stay mounting points and sliding them up, just as swalsh58 did. Just take your time feeding them up, a little bit on the back and a little bit on the front.
Sorry I cannot advise where to buy from next time.
Gary.
BSA Bantam B175 1971 and BSA C15 1966

April 26, 2014

Just remember my friend also had this exact same problem. He has a pair on now that are at least 9 months old and he will probably know where he got them as he keeps receipts. I will be seeing him (and his Bantam) at the weekend so I will try and find out more for you.
Also, are they the correct gaiters for the B175. I believe they are different from the D14 and D10 ones, but don't quote me on that.
Gary.
BSA Bantam B175 1971 and BSA C15 1966

February 16, 2016

Thanks everyone.
I contacted the supplier and they assure me the gaiters are the correct ones for the B175 and that there was no alternative. They also said that as they weren't expensive, the rubber quality would suffer! To be fair they did offer to send me out a new pair or give a refund but after all the palaver of fitting them I'm not terribly keen on pulling them off and starting again at this point. Also doesn't seem much point in taking a replacement pair as I guess I'd be going out of the frying pan ...........! Guess I'm going to keep them until they come apart and I can't stand it anymore and then trying to track down a good pair.
What about the guy I've heard about called Bantam John? He used to advertise in the Banter but I haven't seen any mention of him for a while. Does he keep good quality stuff? He doesn't seem to have a web site from what I can see.
To be honest I'm a bit fed up with the quality of some replacement parts which are labelled with the original part numbers giving the impression somehow they are of the same specification and quality. As well as the gaiters I bought a brake light switch which was nothing like the original and also some gaskets which were about the thickness of paper! As a result I now have a primary cover oil leak where I didn't have one before!

April 26, 2014

Go to "product service reviews" before dealing with Bantam John. I'm not saying his stuff isn't any good, but many people on here have had difficult transactions with him.
Replacement parts are generally poor quality. This is mostly down to everyone wanting everything on the cheap for the last 50 years.......me included unfortunately. It is very difficult to find quality parts, and frankly I have given up looking. I just know that every time I order anything that there is a high chance that it will not fit, doesn't work, leaks or needs modifying to work. The spares issue is the same with all British bikes.
On a positive note, I bought a petrol tap plunger with cork recently and it worked immediately and looks and feels well made👍
Personally I would have accepted the offer of replacement gaitors and kept them in a dark place until needed. Not because I'm a tight git or a grabber, but because you were originally sold rubbish gaitors. I am still trying to find out where my friend got his latest pair. When I find out I'll let you know as they seem to be ok so far. Fitting new ones is not too bad if you follow the advice on here and put them on from the bottom.
Gary.
BSA Bantam B175 1971 and BSA C15 1966

July 1, 2018

Have you tried a bit of silicone?As I say it wont fix the cracks but it will certainly soften the rubber up and make them last longer.
This kind of stuff.Not necessarily turtle wax but just so you have an idea what I'm talking about.
Dont plaster it on just put some on a cloth and rub it in.
What's 7/16 in mm again?

April 26, 2014

SpacedMarine said
Have you tried a bit of silicone?As I say it wont fix the cracks but it will certainly soften the rubber up and make them last longer.
A friend of mine uses ArmorAll. I think that is silicone based as well.
He used it on my seat once. Big mistake. First time on the brakes and I slid up onto the fuel tank. An unpleasant experience.
So my lesson from that was to never use anything slippery like silicon on seats or controls.
BSA Bantam B175 1971 and BSA C15 1966

July 1, 2018

Bee175 said
A friend of mine uses ArmorAll. I think that is silicone based as well.
He used it on my seat once. Big mistake. First time on the brakes and I slid up onto the fuel tank. An unpleasant experience.
So my lesson from that was to never use anything slippery like silicon on seats or controls.
Hahaha 🤣 nut buster!Should be ok on the gaiters though not like you're holding onto them 👍🏼
What's 7/16 in mm again?

February 24, 2015

Mine have been on my bike at least 4 years in my ownership....and prob 6 years in the last owners...no help I know as I dont know were they came from...all I know is the PO fitted them.
Dont count Bantam John out...believe he has some good stuff...just dont expect to be charmed by him if you contact him.
Dont think he is a patient guy....but would not do if we were all the same.
My Bantam video https://www.you.....jpOFmzRZRI

February 16, 2016

Never got round to replacing these gaiters but I’m going to have to finally bite the bullet and get and fit some new ones. What’s happened is bizarre - when I first posted, the gaiters were starting to crack but now they’ve literally fallen to pieces! Still the bike hasn’t been on the road apart from the odd ‘tootle’ round the block! I don’t want the same problem again so wonder if someone who has replaced their gaiters with ones which have lasted well could recommend a source?

April 10, 2020

cpimm
I have just bought a set of these: ** Please log in to view ** they are from Lancashire Classic Bikes. Advertised as made in the UK.
Can't really help on how long they are going to last but on the face of it they appear to be good quality. Be interested to know where you got yours from?
Cheers
Alan
1939 Ariel VH, 1942 Ariel WNG, 1951 Triumph 6T Thunderbird, 1970 BSA Bantam B175, 1980 Honda CB250N, 1986 Yamaha SRX600

April 26, 2014

Alan has jogged my memory. I believe I bought mine from Lancashire Classic Bikes (LCB) about 4 years back and they are still good.
Coincidentally I was prodding them earlier today to see if they have started to degrade yet, but they haven't.
I have never treated them with anything. I believe if you are lucky enough to get good quality items, that they will last anyway.
Gary.
BSA Bantam B175 1971 and BSA C15 1966

April 10, 2020

Just looked on Draganfly site...the ones they list for the B175 are slightly dearer (£20 plus postage) but they look the same as the LCB ones which have a dull 'rubber' look to them not a shiny plasticy look like the 'made in india' parts do.
1939 Ariel VH, 1942 Ariel WNG, 1951 Triumph 6T Thunderbird, 1970 BSA Bantam B175, 1980 Honda CB250N, 1986 Yamaha SRX600

February 16, 2016

Thanks guys. I’m not sure I should say where I got my ‘rubbish’ gaiters from as the company were really apologetic and gave me a refund. Suffice it to say they were cheap, half the price of the ones recommended above, and I really should have known better! I’ll order some (hopefully) better quality ones and then have a go at fitting them from the bottom without removing the forks.
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