IslandRoad wrote on 11/02/18 at 16:13:58:


I had the cases off the bike, and it allowed me to first use Aircraft Stripper to remove the clear coat from the aluminum.  I believe I started with #320 on any rough spots, then #400, then #600, then on to #1,000.  I then used a buffing wheel.

If your bike sits outside or your ride in a lot of wet weather.....or even worse you ride in the winter when they put deicer on the road - you will need to clear coat the aluminum.

After all that work I'd be talking to an automotive painter.
Pants rub and wear it above the pegs.
There is a clear adhesive available to protect fenders from rock chips.
The orbital with green scrubbing pads and a shot of water Seriously cuts work down

Dave wrote on 11/03/18 at 03:10:22:





Thanks for the advice Dave. I intend to take the covers off to polish them, and I was thinking along the same lines - it's nice to have it confirmed.

I polished the forward control kit with a similar approach - up to 600 grit, and then used Autosol paste to buff them up. I was very happy with the results, and was very surprised with how well they held up without clear coat.

The main reason I want to do it is because the clear coat on all the existing parts is developing an ugly white 'crazy-vein' that's developing into a horrible white cloudy mess.

I intend to (over time) polish the crank-case covers, the fork clamps, and the top and bottom housings on the forks. I reckon I'll just leave them un-coated and accept they'll need a little maintenance now and then.

I recently dealt with some rust on the front wheel, with some 'Purple' metal polish. Crikey, what a difference. It does knock just a little off the finish but for all intents and purposes it's as good as new!

Once your clear coat is completely removed with the condition your covers are in you should be able to polish out without any sanding.  I use cotton or wool buffing pads and a couple of different compound.  Emery or gray compound will remove scratches from 600 to 800 sandpaper if you need to sand anything.  Follow with tripoli.  The I usually buff out by hand using Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish.  It evens everything out and leaves a coating of some kind that help prolong the polished look.  I did that process to this bell in roughly June of 2017 and it's been sitting outside ever since and other than a little dirt it still looks the same, no white oxide crust at all.

You can find the emery and tripoli at McMaster.com

Dave wrote on 11/06/18 at 04:38:53:


It's 20 pound CO2 cylinder.  It was taken out of service for some reason.  They would normally remove the valve assembly and hack up the threads to prevent future use.  My local gas supplier sold it to me for a little more than scrap price.  Without the hole and slot it made it made a piercingly high tone, the hole and slot that runs up to it brought the pitch way down.