A while ago I bought a pair of XBR forks (just in case ever needed) which whilst they were in good order have a black coating on the sliders. Initially thought it was powder coating albeit "thick". They may have been dipped?
Having dismantled for replacing the seals I thought I would clean off the coating and polish them instead. The coating is, it seems, a form of plastic that is resistant to removal with my usual abrasive wheel that takes off powder coating with ease. It will slowly scrape off using the hot air stripper but not well. The coating was able to chipped off in flakes in places where I guess air/moisture had got underneath.
I passed them onto my local "blaster" who called me to say they've never come across anything like it - they'd managed to clean most of one leg but it was proving very difficult to get it all off around the brake calliper mounts and the other nooks & crannies (just seen it and it really is!). The "blasters" will get there in the end but are proceeding with care trying not to be too aggresive as its alloy.
Anyone got any idea what the coating might be?
