Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration! She Is Still Winning Awards!

Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Joe what sort of media are you blasting with?

I was thinking of getting my Cucciolo wet blasted like I did with my 450 head and barrels but I think it will look too "new" that way. I'm now thinking of just cleaning, but maybe some form of blasting like that would be more appropriate? Maybe soda blasting or crushed walnut shells or something...
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

peteGS said:
Joe what sort of media are you blasting with?

I was thinking of getting my Cucciolo wet blasted like I did with my 450 head and barrels but I think it will look too "new" that way. I'm now thinking of just cleaning, but maybe some form of blasting like that would be more appropriate? Maybe soda blasting or crushed walnut shells or something...
Click to expand...

Brother I use a lot of different materials for blasting and it really just depends on the part that I am working with or the finish that I would like when deciding on what would work the best, if you would like to just clean your parts without removing material I would recommend the walnut with low air pressure as it gently cleans very nicely without giving the parts a blasted look and leaves a very nice authentic looking patina.

This photo shows the bottom of the Bridgestones engine case which I blasted with walnut shells and low air pressure, as I mentioned it very gently cleans and leaves a very nice patina without removing material however it does not remove stains or give an even color like glass, sand, etc. does so it really depends on the look that you would like.

I think that your Ducati engine would look absolutely beautiful if you very lightly blasted it with the walnut and left a really nice antique look on the parts!

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Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Thanks Joe! That finish looks like it would suit really well actually, so that might be the way to go.


I found a place here in Aus that sells 20kg bags of shells for $24 (finely crushed) which should do the trick I'd imagine as it's only a small engine. I'll have to get a gun for the compressor but cheapies are available for about $30 locally which should do the job.


I can make a little cabinet easily enough too.


Thanks again mate, much appreciated :)
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

You are very welcome Brother and thank you for sharing your Ducati build with us, I use a basic gun for blasting and it works great so I think you will be happy with one as well.
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

I was able to spend some time working on the Bridgestone this afternoon and got some good work done on a couple pieces for her, the new o-ring for the generator came in so it was one of the parts I worked on today. I cleaned the generator and installed the new o-ring, the casing on the wiring was brittle so I also removed it and installed new heat shrink over the wires to protect them. I still need to seal around the wiring where it goes through the housing however this is how the generator looks this evening.

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Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Very nice Joe! It's a good feeling to get those little details taken care of doesn't it? Makes the whole thing come together in the end...


I need to do some more research on the walnut shells (eg. fine vs. coarse etc.) but I have some ideas on a little blasting cabinet and I think that's the way to go. I need to spend some time on Google ;)
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Nice work Joe,

That so far was one of the hardest parts to get considering there are so many variations and almost all of them were not repairable. I love how freshthe metal looks!
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

I use chopped glass to clean my parts since, like Joe stated, it cleans very well but does not leave a patina look. I have used walnut shells in my vibrating bowl polisher and it works great. If you need just a small amount of walnut shells, any pet store supply will have them in the reptile section.(It is used as bedding for reptiles.) If you need a lot, Harbor Freight carries 22 lb bags in both fine and coarse for about $23.00 per bag.
I also use Black Beauty when I need to remove a lot of rust, but this is very aggressive and removes a lot of base material. 8)
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Habanero52 said:
I use chopped glass to clean my parts since, like Joe stated, it cleans very well but does not leave a patina look. I have used walnut shells in my vibrating bowl polisher and it works great. If you need just a small amount of walnut shells, any pet store supply will have them in the reptile section.(It is used as bedding for reptiles.) If you need a lot, Harbor Freight carries 22 lb bags in both fine and coarse for about $23.00 per bag.
I also use Black Beauty when I need to remove a lot of rust, but this is very aggressive and removes a lot of base material. 8)
Click to expand...


Thanks mate, no Harbor Freight over here in the land down under I'm afraid but there is a place that sells 20kg for about $24 so it depends on postage costs if it's economical or not. I haven't found anywhere locally just yet.


I'm going to try to make up a blasting cabinet as I'll only need to do small stuff for the moment...
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Just picked up on this thread and will be following it very closely.

I just stumbled on a gold 1970 SS a month ago. I hadn't seen another gold one until I found your threda. Mine has a similar barn-find story. It's 100% complete and in really good shape. Restoration probably won't start until the fall as I have other projects to work on...but thought I would share a picture of it.

Good job...and great thread.
 

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Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

That bike looks sweet and in great shape!!!!!!! Looking forward to reading about your build!
8)
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

@jenkinsm - WHAT A GREAT FIND! I bet they are sisters! hahahaha! She looks to be in great shape compared to how I found mine. Was the motor free or seized up? Yours has the traditional badges which are really cool looking. For some reason they had a dealer installed option called the "checkered" which had some checkered flag logos on the tank and a few other places which my bike had installed.

I cant wait to see her running again! If you need along the way let me know!
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

didn't want to post because she is in such rough shape, but here is my Bridgestone

bridgestone3.jpg


i pulled her from a shed that colapsed...it is pearl white with the "checkered" option. Everything is there, just really rough...
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

beatnic said:
didn't want to post because she is in such rough shape, but here is my Bridgestone


i pulled her from a shed that colapsed...it is pearl white with the "checkered" option. Everything is there, just really rough...
Click to expand...

That turn signal for signaling ufo's?
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Wow they're popping up all over the place!

Joe's work should set the standard with Casi's though I reckon ;)
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

This is awesome, I never knew you guys had Bridgestone motorcycles! Thank you for sharing the photos and I would love to see more if anyone else has one!

We spent some time Sunday afternoon cleaning the inside of the fuel tank to remove light rust and old fuel residue, I let the tank dry real good overnight and sealed the inside of it yesterday afternoon with Caswell tank sealer. Now that I have completed sealing the tank the tins and new decals are on the way to my Brother Jason for new paint, he does absolutely beautiful paint work so I can not wait to see them when he is done!

It is hard to get a good photo of the new sealer in the tank however you can see some of it in this photo.

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Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

@beatnic - I love it! get her running who cares how she looks... she just wants to breath some fresh air! This is the first owner I have seen who has the "checkered" like me! Keep the pictures coming and as you all see Joe does some AMAZING Work and more importantly is a great builder to work with. I have dealt with numerous builders/fabricators/painters in my day and no one even falls on the same map as Joe. His honesty, knowledge and caring is TOP NOTCH!
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Brothers you give me too much credit, I just love to turn wrenches like everyone else here however all of your kind words are my inspiration and truly warm my heart so thank you all for that! Brother casi you are a true friend and being provided the great opportunity to work with you on this project has been an honor and a blessing, thank you for putting your trust in me my friend!
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

Joey, did you see the frame I got for my big-twin project...? The bridgestone looks great as always man.
 
Re: Bridgestone M2/SS 200cc Motorcycle Restoration

No man, the last time we talked you were just getting ready to order it! Do you have it posted here Brother?!
 
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