KLR You Experienced? I am now...

Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

advCo said:
You gonna make it Jimbo? :eek:

Oh I'll be fine. Hallucinating a little, but the sordid collection of little sparkly winged objects will rue the fucking day as soon as they stop flying around in my field of vision long enough for me to swat them.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

So the bung was a complete and utter fail, as was the large majority of the MEK episode. I'd like to think I learnt something from the woeful experience but pretty sure if the stuff ever darkens my door again things will go just as sideways.

Moving on. Next step in the tank cleanup means getting the rust out. Reeled out a few yards of chain into the tank to knock off as much of the large stuff as possible. Then it was time for the big guns. Frank from American Pickers, take a bow -

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Armed with his cheery good temperament I dumped two jugs of his finest into the tank, but not before addressing the bung situation. Petcock has two bolt holes and one long pill-shaped hole in the tank. So I chopped up some steel, beaded out some gasket sealer and voila -

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Sealed. Metal Rescue doing its thing in the tank, and I'm having a beer.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

Tank cleaned up great. That Metal Rescue has one job to do and it does it with aplomb. Gave the thing a rinse out, got the wife's blow drier in there and once the inside was hot and dry as Gandhi's flip flop I swilled some WD 40 around. Job's a good'un.

Now the fun part. Goodbye purple...

b6kOZ7A.jpg


and hello brushed steel -

a5RpUVY.jpg


Trying to work with the lines of the fairing so it's slow going on the sanding, but liking how it's starting out.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

The Jimbonaut said:
Tank cleaned up great. That Metal Rescue has one job to do and it does it with aplomb. Gave the thing a rinse out, got the wife's blow drier in there and once the inside was hot and dry as Gandhi's flip flop I swilled some WD 40 around. Job's a good'un.

Now the fun part. Goodbye purple...

b6kOZ7A.jpg


and hello brushed steel -

a5RpUVY.jpg


Trying to work with the lines of the fairing so it's slow going on the sanding, but liking how it's starting out.
Keep it bare metal to match your 7fifdy;)

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

That's the plan mate - I'll hit this with gloss 2K instead of satin this time. Also going to be making some stainless steel panels for the side fairings and fenders, and going to attempt restoring all the plastics too. It's an inhuman ball-ache so I'm told - a lot of time and a lot of sanding - but this green is too good to pass up.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

I like the silver tank - either painted or brushed/clear coated.

But I'd skip the stainless steel panels on the plastic. First, I like them plain green without decals. You can always get vinyl cut if you want to add accents to them.

The thought of stainless steel razor-thin sheets of stainless steel in my way as I get dumped off the bike isn't appealing.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

You're not wrong Tim, that's a frightening thought. I've got a few ideas on how I can try to flush the panels with the fairings but I've never tried metal-shaping before. The panels would need to be contoured perfectly - then I'd run a bead of silicon around the edges and bolt them down. Idea being the silicon would form something of a buffer all around the edges of the panels. Kinda hard to explain but it works in my head. Mind you, so does quantum theory - but I'm blagging that as well.

The vinyl is a good idea - I've looked for some "brushed steel" vinyl and 3M make a decent wrap. Think I can get die cut vinyl panels made? Something to look into.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

The Jimbonaut said:
You're not wrong Tim, that's a frightening thought. I've got a few ideas on how I can try to flush the panels with the fairings but I've never tried metal-shaping before. The panels would need to be contoured perfectly - then I'd run a bead of silicon around the edges and bolt them down. Idea being the silicon would form something of a buffer all around the edges of the panels. Kinda hard to explain but it works in my head. Mind you, so does quantum theory - but I'm blagging that as well.

The vinyl is a good idea - I've looked for some "brushed steel" vinyl and 3M make a decent wrap. Think I can get die cut vinyl panels made? Something to look into.
Heat up the ss bits with a torch and press them onto the panels, they'll hotglue themselves solid on there!
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

datadavid said:
Heat up the ss bits with a torch and press them onto the panels, they'll hotglue themselves solid on there!

Good plan, until they fly off and turn into 140kmph ninja stars on the highway...shudder... :eek:
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

The Jimbonaut said:
Good plan, until they fly off and turn into 140kmph ninja stars on the highway...shudder... :eek:
Sounds great!
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

The Jimbonaut said:
You're not wrong Tim, that's a frightening thought. I've got a few ideas on how I can try to flush the panels with the fairings but I've never tried metal-shaping before. The panels would need to be contoured perfectly - then I'd run a bead of silicon around the edges and bolt them down. Idea being the silicon would form something of a buffer all around the edges of the panels. Kinda hard to explain but it works in my head. Mind you, so does quantum theory - but I'm blagging that as well.

The vinyl is a good idea - I've looked for some "brushed steel" vinyl and 3M make a decent wrap. Think I can get die cut vinyl panels made? Something to look into.

IMHO faux brushed steel panels are akin to "bullet hole" stickers, you aint fooling nobody, and it just looks tacky. If you want the brushed metal on the plastic make them out of metal, but don't fake it.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

From an Avery swatch book I have in the office. Pretty cool stuff.

Hit me up if you need decals I can make it happen
 

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Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

Thanks man, those look pretty slick. I ordered some samples from 3M of their brushed steel and brushed aluminium just to get an idea of what they look like. I don't have much experience with vinyl wrap (I wrapped a gas tank - or tried to - which didn't end so well) but it could be a good option if the stainless panels I'm hoping to make don't work out.

That's very cool that you can help with the decals mate - I may well take you up on that. Once I've played around with some ideas maybe I'll send some your way and you can give me a quote? Muchas gracias =)
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

Yessir. I was looking for 3M swatches but I don’t have a book for their specialty vinyls for some reason. Avery is kinda shite IMO but just an example


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Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

Cool cool - I'll see what the 3M samples look like and I'll give you the heads up mate. Just got back from checking out my powdercoat sample - too grey with no metallic but no drama. It was only a sample so they're gonna match up the paint and hit it again. Also stopped in to say hi to a guy down that way who restores old Japanese bikes, man he's got it going on. Four '70's KZ900's in perfect shape as soon as I walked in the door, and a CBX upstairs that was just breathtaking. And an RV125 up on the table, looking superfine.

I asked him about an air pump for yours and he thinks he has an original one knocking about somewhere. I told him if he could find it to let me know what he wants for it - I'll let you know what he says.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

The Jimbonaut said:
I asked him about an air pump for yours and he thinks he has an original one knocking about somewhere. I told him if he could find it to let me know what he wants for it - I'll let you know what he says.

That would be boss mate, good looking out. If you talk to him again, I also need the sprocket cover that bolts on the engine - its proving elusive.
 
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.

Consider it done - I'll be down there again in a few days so I'll ask him, no worries 8)
 
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