Cleaning, polishing, restoration questions

[joshuam]

Hello everyone,
My preface to this question is that I have searched for months to find answers. The question I have seems to be something that is left out of almost every build log. There are tidbits of information here and there, but I have yet to find a good source of information that covers the basics... even dansmc doesn't cover this in detail.


I'm obviously a newbie and sincerely apologize if this is covered somewhere else. I have searched other forums, threads, FAQs, and wikis to no avail. I've seen other newbies dive right in with no problems, while I'm left wondering how the hell they knew what to do? The question is, how do you clean / restore a motorcycle? I know that is very open-ended. I've started a list of the things I wonder about. Some of the items in the list are obvious, but when added to the other's with multiple uses, it gets a little overwhelming.


I hope someone understands my confusion, as I'm having a hard time putting it into words. Hence my list of things off the top of my head. I'm getting an idea of what I want to do with my bike, but beyond taking everything apart... I'm not sure how to move forward.



restoration
cleaning
sanding
polishing
maintenance


in-frame
disassembled


how do you treat different materials?
how do you identify different materials?
aluminum
chrome
alloy
steel
pot-metal
gas tanks
painted
plastic
leather
vinyl
rubber
bearings


How to get different results?
Benefits of each result?
mirror shine
matte
brushed
painted
clear coat
enamel
rattle-can


tools, when they should be used, and their purpose
solvents
paint stripper
grease (different types)
oil (fork, engine, winter, summer)
brushes
scotch-brite pads
steel wool
factory 'yellowed' polyeurethane
wax
vaseline
soap
rouge
buffing wheels
wire wheels
sandpaper
sponge
chamois
rags
compressed air
power washers
wetvac
media blasting


rust
scratches
oxidation
dirt
forge marks
sun fading

 

[Sonreir]

That's an awfully long list to deal with all at once and many of the items on your list are intertwined.

Is there a specific issue you'd like to address first? Give us an application or a problem which you are trying to solve and you'll get more helpful answers.

 

[CarolinaBoy]

Agreed. Ask something specific, one task at a time. It would take pages and pages to address all that.
Everyone is happy to give their two cents. Just one step at a time.

 

[DreadRock]

What bike are you building? im on my first build too.altho i have been around bike for awhile. i started with READING ALOT of books on restoring a good one to give you a idea what fun is in store for you is" How To Restore Your Motorcycle 2nd edition".then buy a shop manual for the bike your working on. something i read that really help was keep everything marked .zip lock bagges work great for keep small thing together and marking on the bag whats in it. then pick one project and work on that read how to do it and go for it . just take your time and have fun !

 

[joshuam]

I appreciate the comments. I have the shop manual. I'm saving money for a move to SD, but I guess buying that book would be a good idea. I've seen it mentioned many times.

My problem is that I want to know what my options are before I move forward on the bike. It is a long list. I'm surprised there isn't a source of information for all of this. I don't have a specific task I want to do. I want to understand all of this so I can choose what I want to do.

I'm not trying to be difficult It takes a lot of effort to read through tons of build logs to find that you can use scotch-brite pads to create a brushed aluminum effect on your drum brakes... or the differences between using paint stripper and a wire wheel on your frame when you are ready to have it powder-coated/rattle-canned... or that JB Weld won't fix pot-metal...

Granted everybody has a different opinion on what grit levels of sandpaper are best for wet polishing aluminum to a mirror-finish, but you'd think there'd be a proven and documented way to remove corrosion on your forks somewhere... or how to remove rust from chrome with steel wool...

meh... I knew this post was poorly-worded. This is sounding more and more like I want a Cafe 101 Wiki that tells everyone how to build a generic cafe...

No worries Thanks for the tips everyone.

 

[dewjantim]

My advise is to strip the bike down as far as you are comfortable, taking off the tank, seat, and sidecovers at least. Clean, polish, or paint every bolt and washer which is removed. Clean the entire bike (except bodywork) using diesel fuel and a stiff brush. Pay particular attention to removal of all grease and accumulated crud. When finished, hose the bike with water. Next, coat the entire bike in a cleaner (Suzuki cleaner or SS 100 cleaner are best I have found) and hose it off. Now get a soft brush and clean bike using cleaner and water. After all this washing dry the bike. I like using a bike dryer or leaf blower for this part. Be sure and get all the water off the engine and out of nooks and crannies. Clean the rust from rims using a metal polish such as "Mothers". If it is stubborn rust use "00" steel wool with the metal polish..... then wipe to a shine with a clean cloth. Engine covers and all other exposed bare metal parts can be cleaned the same way. On some bikes (especially Honda's) the polished aluminum has a tough clear coat on it. This will have to be removed with a drill w/brush attachment (my choice), sandpaper, or some sort of chemical paint remover....... which is difficult to keep off other surfaces. After all bare metal is cleaned and polished to your desire finish it off with the cleaner called "Never Dull" or the same product made by "Eagle One". It is cotton wadding treated with some sort of oily chemical which not only really polishes the metal but leaves an oily coating on it for protection. You must really rub this stuff into the metal to make it work. It is working when black residue can be found on the cotton wadding. Wipe it off with a clean rag...... be sure to rub hard and briskly to really shine the metal. Touch up the frame with a paint marker which can be found at Walmart or hobby stores. With your bodywork removed........ spray the entire bike down with SS100 engine restorer or any silicone based shiner (the SS100 works the best even though it is expensive) and let it dry. Wipe any polished metal down with a clean cloth. Wheels....... clean spokes with sandpaper, drill w/brush attachment, or a scrubber pad. After cleaning and wiping down with paint thinner, then letting the paint thinner dry for at least 15 minutes. Spray the spokes with your favorite color of silver spray bomb (Rustoleum is best) and wipe down the overspray on wheels, tires, etc with a paint thinner soaked rag. And now for the bodywork (painted parts): Clean with your cleaner and dry (doing this with bodywork off the bike is best because you can get to the back and bottom of your parts). Next wax the parts with your favorite wax. Put the parts back on the bike then finish with a detailer (Lucas is the best I have found). Put Armor All on the tires and cables.... being careful not to get it on bodywork. Now take a clean rag and wipe down all the shiny parts for the last time. Now.... there ya' go. All you need to know about detailing your bike. If anything is unclear just ask and I will clear it up. Who am I and how do I know this....... I have been cleaning bikes since I was a teen and now am 56. I make anywhere between $200-500 to clean a motorcycle. Once the bike is clean it will be easier and faster to keep it that way.......

 

[joshuam]

that's a pretty awesome post dewjantim... thanks

 

[DreadRock]

just wondering what bike your building and in what shape its in will also help with what you need to do and what you dont need to do.having a bike thats running and just needs a good going over is a great start for building the first time. or go crazy with a complete rebuild.what i did was pull the whole bike apart taking pics of everything and anything .once you get it apart and clean like Dewjantim said and cleaned . figure out what needs done and make a list. me i wanted a rolling frame to work off of . so i marked everything that i wanted to cut off the frame to smooth it out . try not to cut to close to where you want to finish then grind or sand till its nice and smooth takes time but just work slow.once i got it to where i liked it i took the frame and swing arm to a sand blaster to clean it all up(just blasted not powdercoated) yet.so then i went to work on the forks and shocks . mine where shoot so i found a guy on DTT that was selling just what i needed (thanks jimmer). ok so what i used so far is : a cut off wheel,a grinder with diff sanding wheels,and cleaner.just head to your local hardward or auto shop and tell them what your looking for and what your going to do with it should help.

 

[dewjantim]

The main thing is to not be in a hurry when making mods which can't be easily reversed. Measure two or three times before cutting anything....... I do and still screw up sometimes. Same with paint or polishing...... just take as long as it takes and don't rush. The outcome is much neater and you do not get tired of your project that way. Before you know it......... your bike is done and you can sit back and enjoy your creation. After all........ we are all artists in our own fashion.......

 

[Kong]

If you do not know how you might want the bike to be anything other than stock then there is no reason at all to try to make it anything other than stock.


Start by cleaning it. Then the next step is to get it running as good as it can be got to run. Follow that up by inspecting and insuring the major running components, which are the steering, brakes, and drive chain/sprockets, are all working properly. Then inspect the electrical system for any burned wires or obvious faults. The Owner's Manual, and possibly the Shop Manual will be required to show you how to make sure these parts are in proper working order. After all that go ride the bike. See what its like and see if you can see anything that could be done to make it better suit your needs.


If you do those things I think you will find they will lead you to specific issues that must be addressed. For instance, when you check brakes you may find that they are sticking. That will be the time to consider performance improvements or learning the tricks of the trade for rebuilding to stock.


As for total tear down, at this point of the game for you about all that would lead to is a basket case for the next owner find on Craig's List.

 

[DreadRock]

kong has a very good point ! guess it all comes down to what YOU want to do. there is no quick way to build a bike !

 

[bluemitch]

Looking at the comments, I have to agree, that once you get your bike, and it is up and running, that is when you will figure out what direction you will take on it.

I am new myself, and thought that Dewajantim's advice was invaluable, and I will use it on my bike.

I just looked around for a few months til I found a bike I liked the look of, and now am just cleaning it up, and replacing the bits that are broken, and in the next few weeks taking it to a mechanic to get it road worthy'd and registered.
Ride it for a while before the serious mods start