Removed some rust now what?

[Anonymous]

I just finished cleaning a second set of exhaust pipes and my handlebars with naval jelly and they look fabulous. What should I do now to protect the chrome from getting all rusty again? I have read about painting the pipes and I may do that, but what about the handlebars? Is there something I can use to protect them?

Thanks!

[Dark Jedi]

Check local elecroplating companies. You may be able to get them re-chromed pretty cheap. I got a bunch of parts dipped for $50 not too long ago. Just shop around.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will call arround and check the prices. If I can find a good deal then maybe, but I kinda rather spend my money on things like tires. :-) This bike needs alot of TLC right now but unfortunetly beauty is a little low on the budget priority list.

Any other ideas? Can I coat them in any sort of wax to protect them from re-rusting quickly? Or is that something that I'd have to do every other week for it to work?

Suggetions welcome! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

because of the heat you would have to continually wax them to keep them from rusting and even then you would have a hard time keeping up. is your bike stored in or out?

[Anonymous]

It's stored outside. It hasn't recieved much love in the last 2 years, but with gas prices rising I decided to break her out of retirement and see what I could do. I am thinking about painting them, well at least the header portion, black. I first thought I was just going to get her running and not put any time or effort into it....funny how these things bite you and you can't stop thinking about what you want to fix or clean next.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

yeah i know what you mean i sold my last bike 3 years ago and have missed it so i bought another this spring just in time for gas to go up. funny thing is i think i burn more gas just riding around Bikes tend to get in the blood! If you have quite a bit of chrome left on your pipes you will need to scuff them so the paint will adhere.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the scuffing tip....I would of missed that and would have been left with a nice peeling paint job.

[Anonymous]

a friend of mine had pipes that were rusty on an old water buffalo and he used that High Heat Krinkle paint they looked really great and that stuff was pretty tuff.

[Detman101]

Rattlecan hi-temp clearcoat.
Or flat-black BBQ grill Paint works great!
Used that on my bike this winter and it came out wonderful, hasn't chipped or scratched off yet.


Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

How much prep work is required to paint a exhaust?

[Anonymous]

make sure to use a degreaser on them and then scuff them. Is the Megaphone part of the exhaust in good shape or the same as the rest?? I have seen a couple older bike lately that have left that part chrome and painted the rest. It looke pretty good 8)

[Anonymous]

The tail ends of the exhaust are not that bad. I was thinking about just painting the header portion black. There used to be heat shields under where your feet are, but they are long gone and the crome is rather rusty there.

Since we all like pictures, here is a pic of the exhaust half clean.


And that's the good set. The set that is actually on the bike is the set I would probably paint. It's a bit more rusted.