how to clean the metal?

[boathead]

just picked up a 1982 gs 650. the bike is in ok shape, with what appears to be all original parts. but there is a decided lack of luster on the metal parts, ie. engine parts. some sort of baked on film. not talking about the chrome.

any cleaning tips? products i can get? i briefly tried the aluminum foil on the chrome trick, and it seemed to work beautifully.

also, the bike needs new grips. are they easy to install? i have few skills. lol.

[jola]

What is the aluminum foil on chrome trick?

The engine covers are coated with clear coat or veneer or something that you have to strip or sand off and then you can polish the covers.

I just put new grips on mine. The previous owner had Grab-On grips that were falling apart and i just tore/pulled them off, wet the new ones on the inside with soapy (dish detergent) water and slid them on while turning and wriggling them. Simple and they have stayed on tight for the few weeks I've had them so far without any sort of glue.

[Nessism]

I use weather strip adhesive on my grips to hold them in place.

[doctorgonzo]

just picked up a 1982 gs 650. the bike is in ok shape, with what appears to be all original parts. but there is a decided lack of luster on the metal parts, ie. engine parts. some sort of baked on film. not talking about the chrome.

any cleaning tips? products i can get? i briefly tried the aluminum foil on the chrome trick, and it seemed to work beautifully.

also, the bike needs new grips. are they easy to install? i have few skills. lol.

Concentrated simple green works wonders. That "Baked on film" may be yellowed clear coat. The lower end on mine had it bad. The only solution I know for that is steel wool/sand paper, metal polish, and a lot of time.

[boathead]

thanks for the replies, folks.

the aluminum foil trick is simply to crumple up some aluminum foil, shiny side out, and rub the chrome. use a little water, and it will take out any rust. i read that some recommend using some coca cola with it.

[Tarbash 27]

I just tried the aluminum foil trick on some really rusty shocks, it made them look brand new!!
Thanks for the tip.

[J_C]

Boat, the baked on film is likely the factory clear coat. To get them shined up yu'll need to remove that paint using steel wool or aircraft stripper (love this stuff, but do it with the engine covers removed from the bike!). Then polish. Do a search on these forums for more on how to polish aluminum. Good luck!

[Cafe750]

Remove that stuff with spray gasket remover, you'd be surprized

[duaneage]

Use paint stripper, found in auto parts store in a spray can, takes the clear off in seconds. I also have a glass blasting cabinet, makes rusty parts look new in about 30 seconds.

[Florida Guy]

Replace grips by wetting inside with sudsy dish detergent/water.
They will slide right on and stay put without adhesive.

[Jethro]

For grips, the pros use a very high tech product- hair spray. To get grips off, pry a screwdriver under the grip in one spot and shoot some hair spary in there. It will disolve any glue that was in there before and lubricate the grip to slide right off. To put grips on, again use hair spray. Lubricates very well when wet and sticks like glue when it dries (becasue it is glue).

[Goose]

For grips, the pros use a very high tech product- hair spray. To get grips off, pry a screwdriver under the grip in one spot and shoot some hair spary in there. It will disolve any glue that was in there before and lubricate the grip to slide right off. To put grips on, again use hair spray. Lubricates very well when wet and sticks like glue when it dries (becasue it is glue).

Man... I gotta bookmark that tip somehow.

[Zook]

I always remove grips with compressed air.