My naked MAINE-WING build.

[BikeMaine]

Last year, while on a road trip, I noticed that my radiator was leaking, just barely. Not dripping, but just enough to keep a wet spot on the fins of the rad. So being a couple hundred miles from home, I put some Aluma-seal in the radiator and kept driving. It sealed up in about 10 miles. I removed the rad the other day, so I figured that while it is out of the bike, might as well get it fixed properly. The guy just called me and said he run the pressure up to 15 psi during the pressure-check and it didn't leak. I'm going to re-paint it and re-install it.

Might as well get a new cap while I'm at it.

[5speed]

When I worked in one of the local gas stations we had a guy that used to run a cab over to Newfoundland and back. He would stop in and pour 2 cans of Bars-Leak in the rad and told me that would get him to the ferry.
He had a crack in the block and drove it like that forever.

[desertrefugee]

can't wait for the after pics

After sanding for two hours with 5 different grits, I couldn't remove the corrosion craters.

1867F708-FFBA-4473-AEBD-FC127915DFC4.jpeg

Although I truly love the look of polished aluminum, I agree that yours were pretty far gone. However, I will say that you have really succeeded in bringing those things back to life. In fact, all your finishes are top notch. Sorry if I missed it when you mentioned it, but what is the color you used on the fan assembly and plumbing parts? Gun metal grey? Or something similar?

[BikeMaine]

can't wait for the after pics

After sanding for two hours with 5 different grits, I couldn't remove the corrosion craters.

1867F708-FFBA-4473-AEBD-FC127915DFC4.jpeg

Although I truly love the look of polished aluminum, I agree that yours were pretty far gone. However, I will say that you have really succeeded in bringing those things back to life. In fact, all your finishes are top notch. Sorry if I missed it when you mentioned it, but what is the color you used on the fan assembly and plumbing parts? Gun metal grey? Or something similar?

Thank you for saying so.

The fan and fan guard are painted with Rustoleum "hammered" 7214-gray.

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The belt covers were primed with Dupli-color self-etching primer and Dupli-color Engine enamel, the color is called Aluminum ironically.

[BikeMaine]

When I worked in one of the local gas stations we had a guy that used to run a cab over to Newfoundland and back. He would stop in and pour 2 cans of Bars-Leak in the rad and told me that would get him to the ferry.
He had a crack in the block and drove it like that forever.

Hahaaaa!, some people have all the luck.

I have a brother-in-law that drove a truck that had chocolate milk in the brake lines. When he bought the truck, it was a Sunday morning. No place was open back then to buy brake fluid on a Sunday morning. But the store that sold chocolate milk was open....

[BikeMaine]

My headers developed a leak, they cracked open at the factory seam. After cleaning with a wire wheel on the right angled grinder, (headers and pipe won't fit in my new blast cabinet.) I welded the seam closed with my TIG. I was surprised at how easy the seam flowed back together and I used no filler rod.

48443871-2736-47AB-BE42-2236C581BF28.jpeg (220.08 KiB) Viewed 259 times

[5speed]

When I worked in one of the local gas stations we had a guy that used to run a cab over to Newfoundland and back. He would stop in and pour 2 cans of Bars-Leak in the rad and told me that would get him to the ferry.
He had a crack in the block and drove it like that forever.

Hahaaaa!, some people have all the luck.

I have a brother-in-law that drove a truck that had chocolate milk in the brake lines. When he bought the truck, it was a Sunday morning. No place was open back then to buy brake fluid on a Sunday morning. But the store that sold chocolate milk was open....

caught a guy at that same garage topping up his master cylinder with ATF fluid once too. He almost cried when I told him what he had just done.
Chocolate milk. lol

[77Gowing]

Welcome sounds like you have all the requisite skills to do this. NGW tech gurus will come to your aid. They helped me with my build.

[toolbox]

Looking good man!

Thanks Bro, I appreciate it.
Your work on your thread helped to inspire me.

Thanks man...that's about the highest compliment I could receive . I think you've also convinced me to get a cabinet...then l just need to upgrade my compressor lol.

[BikeMaine]

Looking good man!

Thanks Bro, I appreciate it.
Your work on your thread helped to inspire me.

Thanks man...that's about the highest compliment I could receive . I think you've also convinced me to get a cabinet...then l just need to upgrade my compressor lol.

Well that's good, because I meant it to be a compliment.

[BikeMaine]

When the seam opened up on those headers, the exhaust gases cut right through the header wrap.
Several of you warned me about the wrap causing trouble, like rust. You were all correct, lots of rust under that wrap.
They got un-wrapped, cleaned up, welded, and painted with VHT ceramic based paintmi went with flat black.

3C28A200-746F-4666-B14A-2B1C48EA827E.jpeg (227.24 KiB) Viewed 207 times

[5speed]

never been a fan of exhaust wrap for that very reason.

[BikeMaine]

never been a fan of exhaust wrap for that very reason.

I really like the look of exhaust wrap, love it when done right. Reminds me of hot rods having it when I was a kid. But yeah, it's rusts bad holding that moisture against the steel.
I only wish there was a way to put the wrap on and then seal it somehow to keep the moisture out.

[5speed]

the only way I can think of would be to fab up some heat shields out of expanded metal and fasten them to posts welded to the header creating a space between the pipe and shield then wrap the shield.
A lot of work for a look though.

[Patriccio]

Nice isn't 'nuf. They're beautiful covers.