Well after the whole incident of getting screwed over, recieving a chopped up subframe on my bike and missing parts, she's slowing but surely coming together. I had to reweld her back, paint her, and clean everything ... I mean everything. From polishing the frame to bolts. So far, here's my progress of where I'm at. It doesn't look like much, but it was a lot worse. The previous owner of the bike didn't pamper the bike, so everything was grimey and what not. Here's the pictures... More pictures when she gets complete. I'll keep you guys updated.

Here's her frame and swing arm. Polished faces, flat black everything else.



Her inside my house, lol excuse everything else. New oil and seals on forks. Regreased everything.




And the last picture, the ohlins shock that came with the bike cleaned up.


-Jasper

 

Looks like it's coming along nicely.

 

Wow and I thought my bike was taken apart for some work lol

[IMG]local://upfiles/20712/6809DC47B98144D99794C6AE0B7061BE.jpg[/IMG]

 

the polish work and welds look great. What prep did you do for the polish because I thought our bikes couldn't be polished due to the fact the frames are steel.

 

Yeah... If that's polished steelyou're pretty much going to have to polish it every day, or paint the sucker...

She'll be turning brown soon! :P

 

Steel can be polished. I did a long and overdone process of sanding. From 100 grit, then 140, then 400, an *** load of 800, then 1000, then 1500, then wetsanded with 2000. Then polished and buffed with mothers polisher and a 6" buffer (took me about 1 full week for just the frame). Its been polished for about 1 month already with no signs of fade. I doubt it'll turn brown. I highly doubt that.

-Jasper

 

I have found without full stripping using a chemical, the end result is a 'brushed' look. Looks good but will need to be fine finished for the layers to be added for protection. All steels will oxidize pretty quick so adding a etching fluid, to 'pit' the steel and a rust protector must be done before any oxidization sets in.

Let me know how it holds up when you take it outside, not in your living room

 

I wire-wheeled my gas cap, and it was grey again within a day. But after I used a bit of clear coat, it looks nice and shiny and hasn't changed color.

There's a reason they call stainless steel stainless, btw...

All polished metals have to eventually be re-polished (except stainless and chrome). Otherwise, Mothers and Meguairs would have gone out of business years ago.

 

I'm am highly aware that metal needs to be constantly polished. But that's the reason why I haven't clear coated it, because I rather reapply polish to my will as opposed to the clear coat peeling off. Metal etch only makes the surface stickier btw, and protects it by no means. Its purpose is a prep before paint. It prepares metal and cleans the metal of any left over rust or what not, but once again doesn't protect it. I used metal etcher to clean the surfaces before painting it, but I won't plan on using it. As for the oxidation... I don't ride my bike in wet/bad weather. So I don't think it'll get much oxidation.

-Jasper

 

Humidity.

I mentioned the etch as a surface preparation for a rust protector.