Cosmetic surgery or graceful ageing

[Guest Nogbad]

Noggers:

 

I work on a lot of old bikes that have endured years of Seattle weather (9 months of rain) and have horribly rusted fasteners. Sometimes, these guys'll have me tear it completely down to powdercoat the frame but balk at the reltively small extra cost of having linkages and rods and fasteners replated in zinc. I should give 'em what they deserve, which is a crappy looking bike with a pretty frame, but that goes against my grain.

 

With head bowed in shame, I hereby admit what I do to "restore" these cad- or zinc-plated rusty parts:

 

1) Clean them of all grease and dirt

 

2) Scale off any loose rust with steel wool

 

3) Heat them with a torch until you start to see just a hint of smoke. You want them very warm but not even approaching red hot.

 

4) While the part is still hot, I brush on silver anti-sieze

 

The anti-sieze'll melt and get sucked into any remaining rust and all the irregularities in the surface metal. I'm not talking about burning the stuff in, so don't get it too hot. After the part cools, I lightly brush off the big chunks of anti-sieze, leaveing a very thin coat that gives the part a satiny silver finish. Yes, the finish can rub off and can silver your hands, but it generally keeps the part looking good for at least a year or so and is easily re-touched.

 

Perhaps this would work on your V11?

 

The fasteners on the V11 are a sight better than those on the Buell.........

[Frenchbob]

Nog,

 

parts you don't see unless the bike is upside-down and which don't get hot: Rocol preservative [agricultural suppliers] - indeed you can spray this over most of the bike in the winter, but it is a pain to get off again although when you have done so, the finish underneath will be as good as it was when sprayed;

 

Parts that were plated and have gone rusty, and don't get hot: gun blue [once every two years or so];

 

parts that were plated and have gone rusty and do get hot: occasional applications of stove-blacking [as you would with your wood-burning stove, or brush on vegetable oil - works particularly well with rusty exhaust pipes;

 

parts that are painted, good plating, polished alloy and anything else that looks dull/dirty but is good underneath: use a damp leather on the fly shit then an oily rag and very occasionally [every two years] clean the crud off and solvol or wax polish, depending on original finish;

 

 

I have followed this regime for any of my bikes in reglar use for several years, now, since I have an aversion to washing them, and the results exceed expectations [although it has to be said that my expectations are usually modest].

 

If all else fails: Brillo pads!

 

Allegedly.

[luhbo]

I opted for 2, with a strong tendency to 1.

 

Reason 1: I found that washing is not good for wheel bearings, rubber parts and things in common ( don't use the bike in winter on salty roads). Two or three times a year should do.

 

Reason 2: I once decided to strip my 750S and give it a full spray and repair and what else job. It really looked very well used at this time. Well, the result was R.I.P (rest in pieces). But there's still hope. I probably won't move the next 15 years, and then I hope they will let me retire. I'll need a project then.

 

Hubert