I am looking to replace my chrome front forks with black ones. I hate the amount of chrome on this bike and I am on a mission to eliminate as much as possible.
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I went through the same process on my 2017 Chieftain Limited, eliminating the chrome wherever possible either by finding DH parts or having them powder coated. Components of the motor will have to remain chrome because it involves pulling the motor, and that’s a pricey option. The front forks are next on the list. Only the outer portion can be powder coated. The inner tube can only be de-chromed by using Diamond-Like Coating, or similar process. Powder coating is too thick and affects the seals.
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Thanks for the feedback.
I've looked into powder coating and it was more expensive than replacing the parts.. except the forks. It's not something I can do myself for several reasons, so I've looked at several shops and it's just not going to work for me. I really don't want to pay $1800-2000 PER FORK.
Worst case, I will. But I was hoping someone might have a set they can part with.
I've looked into powder coating and it was more expensive than replacing the parts.. except the forks. It's not something I can do myself for several reasons, so I've looked at several shops and it's just not going to work for me. I really don't want to pay $1800-2000 PER FORK.
Worst case, I will. But I was hoping someone might have a set they can part with.
That must be a complete R&R of forks by the dealership. You can buy just the outer part from Indian, already finished in black matte for around $550. The inner tube can be transferred since it’s the same part. A DIY project on these is a bit of a challenge however. I removed mine for an oil change, and will probably do the same process when I’m ready to have the forks de-chromed. I’ll have the shop disassemble each fork and then put everything back together with new seals after the blackout coating is completed. Biggest part of the whole process is dealing with the fairing. I haven’t made a complete total of my powder coating, but a rough estimate so far is less than $1000. I’m guessing that the outer forks will be in the $200-300 range.
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I don't want a chrome inner fork tube. That's why I'm trying to buy a set of all black. Image for reference.
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Indian doesn’t make a non-chrome inner tube. All the DH versions have a fork cover…part #1023752-463. 463 references any part with black matte finish. The inner tube part number is,
2205163, and is used across several models and years.
2205163, and is used across several models and years.
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You sound like you know more than I, so perhaps can educate me.
Don't I need both of the following parts, for both sides, to black out the forks?:
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I build these for 90% of the rehabs we do in our shop. You will want either just the tube plus the fork cover and convert yours - (additional internal parts will be needed for a proper service). Very labor intensive and a bit technically difficult for anyone lacking the tooling and skills.
Or, replace the entire fork leg at the higher price plus add the fork covers. Just a front-end r&r in this case.
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The fork tube inners are hidden behind the blacked-out covers... The inners will always be hard chromed for wear.
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Good insight. I am not planning to do this work myself. I plan to have a dealer do the labor. I'm just trying to get the parts pinned down to understand what I'm dealing with.
Sounds like I need to weigh the cost of extra labor to convert/rebuild vs the entire fork leg + cover.
Thanks for the guidance. I really wish I'd waited until the all black was stick but I had no clue.
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Check your messages. A good shop with the proper tooling and parts and a conscientious master tech is what you need. I do not have much faith in our Polaris dealership options. They are not the only way to get expert level service.
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