Engine Detailing

[GhostGS40X]

If you are going to polish items on your bike they should at least flow with some sort of theme. Something along the lines of trevor's 750 pictured above. Those polished pieces fit in with the overall look of the bike. it's very clean. I don't see polishing one item and leaving the rest completely stock as much of a theme.... That's just my opinion though......

[trevor]

If you are going to polish items on your bike they should at least flow with some sort of theme. Something along the lines of trevor's 750 pictured above. Those polished pieces fit in with the overall look of the bike. it's very clean. I don't see polishing one item and leaving the rest completely stock as much of a theme.... That's just my opinion though......

Thanks Ghost, I had them polished instead of chromed for that very reason. I was warned (here) that polishing would require a lot of maintenance in keeping them that way. I also did the forks. I was told to clear coat them. I'm glad I didn't. It has not been any more work at all. I try to keep my bikes nice and clean and that is all that is needed. Clear coat is why the parts started to look bad in the first place.

[GhostGS40X]

Thanks Ghost, I had them polished instead of chromed for that very reason. I was warned (here) that polishing would require a lot of maintenance in keeping them that way. I also did the forks. I was told to clear coat them. I'm glad I didn't. It has not been any more work at all. I try to keep my bikes nice and clean and that is all that is needed. Clear coat is why the parts started to look bad in the first place.

Oh wow.... I have never clear coated polished aluminum. I have even stripped the clear coating off my factory coated aluminum rims and other components. I'd rather clean them every now and then than to have that yellow, foggy pealing look coating gives them...

Once aluminum has been polished all it requires for up keep is to keep it clean and the odd cleaning/conditioning with an aluminum cleaner/wax.

[GateKeeper]

nothing wrong with a little bling, if you keep the theme going from start to finish...

[Seaking]

you can spend your time polishing the shiny aluminum / chrome parts or be out riding.. I started polishing up the aluminum on my project bike one bad weather day (bored) to see how they would come up (badly corroded and blah looking) and then looked over to my customized VStar with all it's shiny bling.. and remembered how often I have to clean it to keep it looking good..

After 6 hours of polishing, I put the scotch bright to the parts for that brushed aluminum look.. I'd rather be riding than shining parts.. One bike is enough

[trevor]

you can spend your time polishing the shiny aluminum / chrome parts or be out riding.. I started polishing up the aluminum on my project bike one bad weather day (bored) to see how they would come up (badly corroded and blah looking) and then looked over to my customized VStar with all it's shiny bling.. and remembered how often I have to clean it to keep it looking good..

After 6 hours of polishing, I put the scotch bright to the parts for that brushed aluminum look.. I'd rather be riding than shining parts.. One bike is enough

Hehe...oh I ride!

[GhostGS40X]

ah...yeah we are in the midst of a 30-40cm snow storm..... not much riding going on around here for a few more months.... So I have all the time in the world to polish and wrench on the bike before I get riding!

[Seaking]

ah...yeah we are in the midst of a 30-40cm snow storm..... not much riding going on around here for a few more months.... So I have all the time in the world to polish and wrench on the bike before I get riding!

True, we got the snow, then the ice, then the rain.. once again shoveling blowing deep snow in a rain storm.. sigh..

Granted, when a bike is done up shiny and in line with the rest of the bike, it's a beauty to behold.. But like John Travolta said "I just wanna ride, man!"

[trevor]

True, we got the snow, then the ice, then the rain.. once again shoveling blowing deep snow in a rain storm.. sigh..

Granted, when a bike is done up shiny and in line with the rest of the bike, it's a beauty to behold.. But like John Travolta said "I just wanna ride, man!"

I here you, I guess I'm spoiled because I can ride all year that a few hours cleaning is no big deal. And besides I enjoy cleaning almost as much as riding.

[Seaking]

cold wet and green with envy.. 'sigh' lol though I do get my bike out at least once each month of the year for the past 4 years.. just 'because'...

[Gorminrider]

The thing is, it's really more fun to ride a really shiny bike. I never thought I'd say that, but I never had a shiny thing before.

(Please, contribute to my "Shiny Things For Dull People Fund" and do your bit to cure Ratty Bike Syndrome)

[Seaking]

The thing is, it's really more fun to ride a really shiny bike. I never thought I'd say that, but I never had a shiny thing before. (Please, contribute to my "Shiny Things For Dull People Fund" and do your bit to cure Ratty Bike Syndrome)

I fully appreciate what you're saying but while owning a pretty shiny bike that needs to be cleaned and shined after each ride, and a daily rider that gets washed when it gets grungy, you'll appreciate why only one shiny bike is all you will ever want.. now "need" is a totally different thing I likes the shiny bikes too.. but not the polishing, cleaning, detailing to make it really look nice.. I spent too much time and effort into my VStar to allow it to go bad, so once a month in the winter time it gets a little polish to keep it fresh and clean.. and happy.. Bikes have feelings too, ya know.

[wedoo2]

Nbing, after looking at your pics, I have a couple of questions. First, what bike is it? Not in your signature so no way to tell what it was like stock. You seem to be leaning on making the motor black and the covers shiny. Am I reading you right? Photos are tricky, but it looks like you have a lot of cleanup work to do before you can paint it.

As far as powder coating I would think that you would have to do quite a tear down before that happens. Is that the plan anyway? If so, then you can use whatever media you choose to clean the parts, soda, water, etc. after you have things apart.

There are so many good paints now that are cheap and will give you good results if you prep the motor right without going to the expense of powder coating. You have already went to that expense with a lot of other parts so I think that getting those covers shiny will be worth the effort, and tie in with the overall effort. Individual tastes rule. Myself, just use my grinder wheel then a high grit sandpaper to get the look I like. Or go ahead and send your covers out like Trevor suggested; they are magnificent.

[GhostGS40X]

GhostGS40X, those things look nice, What type of jewelers rogue did you use?

Sorry I missed this.....

Thanks, I used my buffing wheel with Brown, then White and finished it off with Blue rouge and a coat of Mothers Aluminum Polish to seal it up.

[Crankthat]

Why I do not shine.

The thing is, it's really more fun to ride a really shiny bike. I never thought I'd say that, but I never had a shiny thing before.

(Please, contribute to my "Shiny Things For Dull People Fund" and do your bit to cure Ratty Bike Syndrome)

I find such a chuckle for all the people with the polished clean 4x4s around me. (scared to find mud and mountain trails with branches sticking out)
I take my cages be they 4x4 or not anywhere I think they will go and a few I am not so sure of until I have come to a complete stop. (good things my friends don't mind getting their trucks dirty)
I do not mind my rides being old abused and looking like it.
People either love me or hate me and my ride has nothing to do with that.
A few years back my sister who is local to me ran for a local political position and was shocked on how many people knew me as she toured the county knocking on peoples doors, she told me there was not much inbetween to their sentiments about me but just what I typed above.
I enjoy cleaning up the bike and rubbing a bit of wd-40 on the bug prone areas to make it easier to rub them off next time.(allows me to inspect it often)
If I was to put a dent on my cage or pick up some asphalt on my bike I will not stress over it.
As that shiny Harley part comes bouncing down the road from the gaggle of Harley's I am waiting to pass and I cannot avoid it , I don't stress about it. (true story)
I have owned a few shiny things and the truth is my only real concern is that all my vehicles are dependable.
My vehicles find abuse and I have more important things to do with them then spend time on a shine.
I do not mind a bit of paint here and there and I put a nice shine on my shocks when I had them un-sprung last fall but if I start getting too detailed I will not want to keep up.
I am not necessarily lazy, just to much life to enjoy to keep up on such things when they will matter to others more then to myself.
I like going to a bike show and seeing a amazingly clean or polished vintage bike and will compliment the owner as to such.
When I go to my favorite watering hole to grab a sandwich and beverage I will more likely talk to the guys with the bikes that you can tell have many miles on them just because we will have the most in common.