Detail tips/tricks

Thought I'd start a thread to see if anyone had any good, simple tricks for detailing, cleaning, painting, or basically just prettying up your bike.

Let's here them! What works for you?

 

Shining Exhaust Headers and Shocks:

I use Cotton Clothes Line to shine my Header Pipes and Shock Absorber Springs.

I use short sections of clothes line. 18-Inches or so. Soak the rope half-way in Chrome Cleaner then wrap the Clothes Line around the Pipe one loop.

Then, I just do a "Shoe-shine-rag" pulling on the Clothes Line ... letting it slip up and down on the Pipe to shine the Chrome.

Works like a dream!

Same technique cleans the Shock Tube and Springs!

 

Good one Rick!

I like to wash often and do jobs in stages. I'll wash the whole bike one day, giving it a general once over, then go back at it a day or two later, paying closer attention to areas I need to really get at. That way it's more fun and less work at a go..

 

NEV-R-DULL "magic wadding polish" for chrome, Solvol Autosol and/or Mothers for polished aluminum, NATURAL finish Armor-All for most of the black plastic bits, traditional Armor-All for tire SIDEWALLS only (applied with a sponge.) Traditional Armor-All for the black part of the wheels, also applied sparingly with a sponge. I discovered that Yamaha apparently didn't clear-coat the polished areas on the rim. Once I get the rim nice and shiny I WAX it (Turtle wax liquid) and it makes interim cleanup a breeze. A word on chrome cleaners: I too, use the "rope" method (although I just "spin" a long skinny scrap of old t-shirt) but you have to be careful not to end up leaving scratches in the chrome from too exuberant "shoe-shining." Since I rediscovered nev-r-dull ( I thought they had quit making it) it's my new best buddy.

 

Compressed air is your friend

 

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=11403.html

 

1. a battery operated tooth brush. works great for cleaning some nooks and crannies,

2. Maguires scratch remover polish in the black tube is great for small swirls.

3. A cordless drill and a power ball, The power ball comes n many sizes and does a great job of buffing the aluminum


4. a wire brush is good to brush the fins clean on the jugs.

NEVER USE:

Armour all on tire and seats or tire shine on the tires You won't live to regret it

 

I have an adjustable Shank that holds buffing wheels and sanding wheels.

I modified it with a pair of nylon washers and a pair of external star locking washers ... to hold shining discs I make from ScotchBrite Pads.
Using a Yogurt container as a template ... I trace circular patterns on the ScotchBrite (Gray) Pad and cut them out.

Next, I mount them on the Universal Drill Shank -- 4 or 5 ScotchBrite Discs.
The Nylon Washers Place pressure on the Star washers against the Pads to lock them and keep them locked to the spinning tool.
The Nylon Washers are also larger in diameter and act as shield preventing the star washers from making contact with the metal surface.

I use this tool for a wide variety of chores.
Cleaning Carb Bodys
Shining-up metal surfaces
Polishing aluminum surfaces; particularly wheel rims.
Block cooling fins
Etc.,

I extrapolated the idea and use it in miniature.
Cutting 19 mm Discs of ScotchBrite to mount on a Dremel Bit.
Once again you need washers compressing star washers to keep the ScotchBrite tight to the bit.

I use 7 - 19 mm Discs mounted to a Dremel Bit to remove aluma-oxidation from all aluminum surfaces.
With a bit of trimming down with shears to reduce the 19mm diameter some ...
I use the ScotchBrite Pad Dremel Bit to brighten-up the Diaphragm Piston Bores on Carbs I do for others.

The Dremel treatment removes years of oxidation in seconds.
Shines the Bore clean all the way down to the bottom.
Cleans-up special fasteners removing rust and grime in a jiffy.

When I get my camera going ... I post two pix of these tools.

 

flash: why no to armor all?

 

Putting ArmorAll on your seat is like greasing the seat.
You'll be sliding right off that thing when you goose it and lean into a tight turn.

It's like zillions of tiny ball-bearings just wanting to make you slide off the bike.

 

LOL, will have my ex-wife drive it first then

 

That's really a cool idea. I like that one! Not surprising given the source....

 

How much "touch up" painting can you get away with without removing things from the bike?

Like, could you feasibly paint the engine while it's still on the bike?

 

RickOmatic, You ever take pictures of your Scotch/dremel creation? I would am going to steal my dad's dremel tool tonight and see if I can't work on cleaning the motor from my Seca (getting it ready for paint!).

 

I post a pic when I have time.
Ease to make!

Use a grinding stone and grind the Inside Diameter of an old 19mm Socket to a real sharp edge. Grind the Outside edge too. You're making a 19mm "Cookie-cutter"

Using the fabricated "Cookie-cutter" ... Make some Discs from a sheet of ScotchBrite Pad. Medium (Gray)

Using the Bit that holds a sanding drum. Place (force) seven cut-out Discs on the Bit.
You also have to do something to keep the ScotchBrite Discs from not spinning ... so you add some hardware to the Bit.

You need the two flat washers that keep the sanding drum compressed.
Two small EXTERNAL Star washers.

Take-off the Rubber drum.
Leave the washer.
Add External Star Lock Washer.
Force on 7 ScotchBrite Discs. Compress them.
Add the next Star washer.
Add the Flat washer.

The new tool you just made will Buff and Polish Aluminum.

(I use it to remove the aluma-oxidation on the Diaphragm Piston Bores of Carbs)

You should see what it will do to a Brake Master Cylinder.