Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 19,353
Likes: 5,471
From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Are the gauges spaced 120* apart? Might be from a 3 jaw lathe chuck if the crown race seat was turned down.
Is the chrome plate intact in the gauges' bases? If so than the "damage" was at the factory most likely. If the chrome is damage/missing in the gauges they likely happened after the factory.
The very first thing I though of was a ball had dropped down and become wedged between the head tube and the steerer. But the gauges from this tend to not be ragged as the ball has no sharp edges.
I tend to agree with maddog34. The only thing I'll add is that I would want to observe the steerer condition every so often, meaning pulling the fork out enough to place eyes on the gauges. That the steerer is essentially hidden from view will mean for some riders it will also be hidden from thinking about it. Andy
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AndrewRStewart