Getting the Cooley ready for another season

[trevor]

The Cooley has been getting some needed maintenance in the last month..valve adjustment, new plugs, carbs dissembled and cleaned, stainless steel brake lines, rear pads, took the windscreen off the fairing and wet sanded and polished it...came out great!
Also ordered new hardware for it...
Also finally I had the exhaust ceramic coated...no more taking it off and painting it every year. Turned out great!
Riding it to California again this May...

Of course a big shout out to Rob and Mark for their help...they work cheap...beer and coca cola... lol

 

[steve murdoch]

Trevor, curious as to the cost of the ceramic coating.
I am assuming you had both headers and muffler done?
Also, which finish is that? Semi-gloss?

 

[trevor]

Trevor, curious as to the cost of the ceramic coating.
I am assuming you had both headers and muffler done?
Also, which finish is that? Semi-gloss?

It's a matte finish...it just looks glossy in the photo because it's wet....had the whole thing done.
My buddy works for a company that does ceramic coating...they do lots of waffle irons..lol...he gave me a deal but said it would have been around $400...I was prepared to pay that and would have been happy to...It is worth it...I was using VHT header paint before...it always looks good but over time and getting caught in the rain it would start to spot and not look good.
Plus taking it off all the time is not good as we all know how removing and installing metal bolts into an aluminum engine is like Russian Roulette ...lol

 

[red1100]

Lookin good,what?s going on in California in May? Bike event?

 

[trevor]

Lookin good,what?s going on in California in May? Bike event?

I went to the Quail a couple of years ago...it's the first weekend in May....not going to it though.
This is my 5th year in a row going to California in May...three time on my BMW and this will be my second on the Cooley.
10 of us this year...quite a motley crew this year
1980 GS1000S Trevor
1983 GS1100ES Rob
1984 GS1150ES Kent
1979 Honda CB750K Gary
1980 GS750E ( Terry my bike a buddy from Ontario riding it)
2012 BMW K1300R (My cousin from Ontario riding it)
2015 GS1200 BMW Greg
2015 Vulcan
Can Am Spyder (yikes)
2004 Concours

Day 1 Ellensburgh
Day 2 Klamath Falls
Day 3 Bridgeport CA
Day 4 Kernille Ca
Day 5 Ojia Ca
Day 6 & 7 Monterey Ca
Day 8 Fort Bragg
Day 9 Grants Pass
Etc...not sure lol

Should be a blast!

 

[nvr2old]

That's such a nice S model. It's good to see one so loved and taken care of. Love the Street Stroker shocks. Period perfect, as is the Kerker exhaust.

 

[trevor]

That's such a nice S model. It's good to see one so loved and taken care of. Love the Street Stroker shocks. Period perfect, as is the Kerker exhaust.

That's a big compliment coming form you...love your bike!

 

[Mr.humbucker]

Did you simply order the brake lines from Apex online? If so, what was the cost for the set?

 

[trevor]

Did you simply order the brake lines from Apex online? If so, what was the cost for the set?

Yes...I have purchased them before from Raymond...great service, price and product. I don't know what the breakdown was but I paid $150 cdn to my door. Amazing value and I love the difference they make!

 

[Baatfam]

Ceramic coating is the way to go. Had the drag bike done years ago, in cerachrome, and it held up until I sold it.
Had the 1100E's Supertrapp done in satin black, by the same guy, but new place. After 6 years they are are starting to show a little surface rust, but still way better than painting.

Drag bike:



The 1100E:

 

[steve murdoch]

Bob, i only see the term cerachrome used in conjunction with Rolex watches.
I am assuming it is just another name/term for ceramic coating?
Seeing "powder coating" in your first sentence i did not want a newbie thinking powder-coating would work on an exhaust.

 

[Baatfam]

Bob, i only see the term cerachrome used in conjunction with Rolex watches.
I am assuming it is just another name/term for ceramic coating?
Seeing "powder coating" in your first sentence i did not want a newbie thinking powder-coating would work on an exhaust.

Correct Steve. "Cerachrome" is just what it sounds like, a chrome colored ceramic coating.
On the drag bike we did the inside also, for heat control and flow.

My first statement was an error. Meant ceramic - Fixed now, thanks!

 

[Mr.humbucker]

Yes...I have purchased them before from Raymond...great service, price and product. I don't know what the breakdown was but I paid $150 cdn to my door. Amazing value and I love the difference they make!

$150 CND is a very fair price for custom made lines. And is Raymond the name of the fellow you dealt with there? I will email them and measure up my existing lines for them to replicate. I have ordered brakeines in the past from a place in T-O (Canadian short for for Toronto for our American readers) and messed up the measurements and so I am inclined to send Apex my old lines and get them to copy them thereby leaving little room for mistakes.

 

[trevor]

$150 CND is a very fair price for custom made lines. And is Raymond the name of the fellow you dealt with there? I will email them and measure up my existing lines for them to replicate. I have ordered brakeines in the past from a place in T-O (Canadian short for for Toronto for our American readers) and messed up the measurements and so I am inclined to send Apex my old lines and get them to copy them thereby leaving little room for mistakes.

Third set for me...he has been right on the money....Raymond 416-900-2594 raymond@apexbrakes.com

 

[2BRacing]

The Cooley has been getting some needed maintenance in the last month..valve adjustment, new plugs, carbs dissembled and cleaned, stainless steel brake lines, rear pads, took the windscreen off the fairing and wet sanded and polished it...came out great!
Also ordered new hardware for it...
Also finally I had the exhaust ceramic coated...no more taking it off and painting it every year. Turned out great!
Riding it to California again this May...

Of course a big shout out to Rob and Mark for their help...they work cheap...beer and coca cola... lol


Trevor, I am seriously envious of your beautiful Cooley! Would you mind describing the process you followed to wet sand and polish the windscreen (grit of papers used; etc) because it looks like new!

Enjoy your upcoming trip!

 

[trevor]

The Cooley has been getting some needed maintenance in the last month..valve adjustment, new plugs, carbs dissembled and cleaned, stainless steel brake lines, rear pads, took the windscreen off the fairing and wet sanded and polished it...came out great!
Also ordered new hardware for it...
Also finally I had the exhaust ceramic coated...no more taking it off and painting it every year. Turned out great!
Riding it to California again this May...

Of course a big shout out to Rob and Mark for their help...they work cheap...beer and coca cola... lol


Trevor, I am seriously envious of your beautiful Cooley! Would you mind describing the process you followed to wet sand and polish the windscreen (grit of papers used; etc) because it looks like new!

Enjoy your upcoming trip!

Thanks!

I start off with 2000 Wet sand pads...3-M pads are the best. Keep a little dish of warm water with a dab of dish soap in it.
I start off going over the rough scratches first...using a 1000 pad is good for that.
I then go to 3000 and then 5000 pads.
Then I use a polish and an electric buffer...be careful not to stay in one spot as it's easy to heat up the plastic...don't want that.
I get the name of my polish shortly...it escapes me for the moment.
Cheers

 

[dorkburger]

Trevor, the S looks great!
Cool on the braided lines as well. I do like that you've kept the old school performance shocks and exhaust.

 

[trevor]

Trevor, the S looks great!
Cool on the braided lines as well. I do like that you've kept the old school performance shocks and exhaust.

Thanks Glenn...I have thought about upgrading the rear shocks to a more modern, better shock like Icon's...but I just can't bring myself to getting rid of the S&W Street Strokers....they just look sooo good! I usually would go function over form...but I just can't do it...lol

 

[Guest]

Looks great, Trevor!

 

[nvr2old]

Thanks Glenn...I have thought about upgrading the rear shocks to a more modern, better shock like Icon's...but I just can't bring myself to getting rid of the S&W Street Strokers....they just look sooo good! I usually would go function over form...but I just can't do it...lol

Street Strokers were the sh-t when they came out. I lusted after them but never sprung for them because at the time were spendy. They look so right on your bike. That's why I went with Honda 1100F shocks on mine, too..period (sort of) correct, and they actually work better then people would think. I can see upgrading if it were to be on a race track, but for street riding, they're still the..well, you know..