Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
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- Steve81GL1100
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Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
While waiting for my caliper and master cylinder rebuild kits to arrive, I decided the forks need attention. Using a combination of manual elbow grease and the marvels of modern machinery, here's before-and-after pics:
And close-ups:
The left side took probably a total of an hour. The method I used was to start with a red ScotchLok pad in the 1/4" die grinder at moderate speed to grind through the old remains of clear-coat and corrosion. Follow that with manual rubbing around the circumference with a red ScotchBrite pad, followed by wet-sanding with 400, 600, and 1,000 wet-or-dry. After a good rinse, I chucked up the buffing pad from a 3M headlight restoration kit (the pad has a waffle surface), smeared a generous coating of Mother's Mag Polish on the fork, and went at it. After a few minutes I buffed off the remains with a microfiber towel and here's where it sits. It's not "show-chrome" perfect, but then neither is any of the rest of the bike. I'm pretty happy with the hand-rubbed nature of the shine.
Now on to the other side...
Steve
And close-ups:
The left side took probably a total of an hour. The method I used was to start with a red ScotchLok pad in the 1/4" die grinder at moderate speed to grind through the old remains of clear-coat and corrosion. Follow that with manual rubbing around the circumference with a red ScotchBrite pad, followed by wet-sanding with 400, 600, and 1,000 wet-or-dry. After a good rinse, I chucked up the buffing pad from a 3M headlight restoration kit (the pad has a waffle surface), smeared a generous coating of Mother's Mag Polish on the fork, and went at it. After a few minutes I buffed off the remains with a microfiber towel and here's where it sits. It's not "show-chrome" perfect, but then neither is any of the rest of the bike. I'm pretty happy with the hand-rubbed nature of the shine.
Now on to the other side...
Steve
Steve
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
- salukispeed
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Very nice looking. I have a whole bike that need the same thing.
Honda 72 CL100 sold
74 CB750 K4 nice driver
1966 CA77/305 Dream nostalgic driver
84 GL1200I work in progress
1970 CT 70
1982 GL500 Interstate
74 CB750 K4 nice driver
1966 CA77/305 Dream nostalgic driver
84 GL1200I work in progress
1970 CT 70
1982 GL500 Interstate
- ehadams
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Looks good. That is the same process I used on my wife's GL.
Eric
75 GL1000 w/ California SideCar Friendship 1 (mine)
79 GL1000 w/ Sweet SideCar (Heather's)
75 GL1000 destined to be customized
89 GL1500 (still undecided)
79 GL1000 was Scott's (what to do with this one?)
GRN75
75 GL1000 w/ California SideCar Friendship 1 (mine)
79 GL1000 w/ Sweet SideCar (Heather's)
75 GL1000 destined to be customized
89 GL1500 (still undecided)
79 GL1000 was Scott's (what to do with this one?)
GRN75
- Steve81GL1100
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- Location: West Chicago, IL
Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Steve
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
- Recycled Roadkill
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Great results. I likely spent the same amount of time media blasting mine on the '77 and painting. Yours look much better.
Bob Gill
Four wheels move the body but two wheels move the soul.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood!
I've considered joining Insomniacs Anonymous, but I decided I'd sleep on it.
'96 Honda GL 1500A Rolling Couch (Not Naked)
'78 Honda GL 1000 Gentle Glide
'77 Honda GL 1000 Black Mamba (Sold)
Four wheels move the body but two wheels move the soul.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood!
I've considered joining Insomniacs Anonymous, but I decided I'd sleep on it.
'96 Honda GL 1500A Rolling Couch (Not Naked)
'78 Honda GL 1000 Gentle Glide
'77 Honda GL 1000 Black Mamba (Sold)
- Casper
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Nice Work, the trouble with polishing is all the rest of the aluminum bits now look bad so you have to do the belt covers, which leads to the valve covers, which leads to the intake runners, etc etc etc.... Then by the time your all done, the forks need to be polished again.
1976 LTD, Being Returned to Stock
Standard 1976 GL1000 Being Morphed into the Alberta Super Clipper
Standard 1976 GL1000 Being Morphed into the Alberta Super Clipper
- Steve81GL1100
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Casper,
The forks were the last pieces that were untouched. I did the valve covers, cam belt covers, intake runners, etc while I had the heads and carb rack off for their respective rebuilds. You're right, though, they look like they could use a touch-up...
The forks were the last pieces that were untouched. I did the valve covers, cam belt covers, intake runners, etc while I had the heads and carb rack off for their respective rebuilds. You're right, though, they look like they could use a touch-up...
Steve
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
- duke182
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Looks good.
God bless those who protect our freedom, at every level
Knees in the breeze makes miles of smiles
"Strive for progress, not perfection"-a wise man
1984 1200 standard
click pic to see my gallery
vote in my poll
Knees in the breeze makes miles of smiles
"Strive for progress, not perfection"-a wise man
1984 1200 standard
click pic to see my gallery
vote in my poll
- gregforesi
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
I was peering through the posts to see if SunnBobb had commented. Guess not.
It's more expensive, but way less labor intensive, to pick up a decent polishing station. 1/2 HP with proper extended shafts works quite well. It doesn't matter how you do it though, polishing aluminum is filthy work. The end result is always worth it no matter what method you use.
It's more expensive, but way less labor intensive, to pick up a decent polishing station. 1/2 HP with proper extended shafts works quite well. It doesn't matter how you do it though, polishing aluminum is filthy work. The end result is always worth it no matter what method you use.
2006 GL1800 (Brutus Maximus)
1978 GL1000 (White Trash - 2012 BOTY
(If you want to discuss the Trashmobile, Webers, Rearsets, Clubmans, or other stuff then send me a PM.)
"Getting old ain't for sissies" - Phyllis Diller
"So how much you gonna spend to win that $5 trophy?" - Cyborg
1978 GL1000 (White Trash - 2012 BOTY
(If you want to discuss the Trashmobile, Webers, Rearsets, Clubmans, or other stuff then send me a PM.)
"Getting old ain't for sissies" - Phyllis Diller
"So how much you gonna spend to win that $5 trophy?" - Cyborg
- El_Taco
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
I know how polishing aluminum can snowball, and I started out doing all of it by hand. I did the legs, then the caliper hangers, then the calipers themselves. A polished wheel really sets it off.
It's amazing how many bugs find all that stuff.
It's amazing how many bugs find all that stuff.
-
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Great job!
- mcgovern61
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Nice work!
Gerry
Current ride: 82' GL1100
1st ride: 81' Suzuki GN400
Current ride: 82' GL1100
1st ride: 81' Suzuki GN400
- ericheath
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Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Agree, looks great. Problem is, it needs it again in a year. I maybe need to keep a coat of wax on mine after buffing. I am really disappointed after so much work to get them shiny.
Whatever I suggest here should be given ample time for a moderator to delicately correct. I apologize in advance.
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
"Continuing education is important even if the subject matter is fairly useless (as in this case)."---Greg Foresi
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
"Continuing education is important even if the subject matter is fairly useless (as in this case)."---Greg Foresi
- Steve81GL1100
- Silver Member
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- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:01 am
- Location: West Chicago, IL
Re: Shiny fork, or Fun With Mother's...
Agreed. It's pretty much like painting a picket fence -- it looks all pretty but you're buying into perpetual maintenance. I've tried that Wizard's polish and protectant which is supposed to prevent tarnishing for "up to a year"... Operative phrase being "UP TO", since it didn't protect anything for more than a few weeks.....ericheath wrote:Agree, looks great. Problem is, it needs it again in a year. I maybe need to keep a coat of wax on mine after buffing. I am really disappointed after so much work to get them shiny.
Oh, well........ I guess it's all part of the Zen of maintaining these things
Steve
Steve
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
1981 GL 1100 Standard, 81 Interstate bags, 84 GL1200 pegs, sometime National Cycle PlexiStar windshield
1996 BMW R1100R
2007 Piaggio X9 Evo500, wife's ride so she can keep up with the GL
1980 Vespa P200 (also wife's), restored, with custom paint, custom trim
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