Refininishing front forks and ally swingarms and wheel rims ???

[kevwrx]

Guys
How do I achieve the stock standard finish on the front forks, wheel rims and rear swingarm for my 1980 RM250T.
I'm want to restore the bike back to original, how do i do it

[LWC82PE]

we have discussed parts of this before so look back through resto tips

http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=317.0 here you can see some PE legs ive done to get the same as original

the fork outer legs are polished but not to mirror finish and then clear coated
wheel rims are annodized silver
swingarms are annodized silver

for the annodising you need to strip the parts before polishing and sanding out the scratches. i dont know of way to strip them so i send them to the annodisers and they strip them, send them back to me for polishing then i send them back to get re-annodised

[LWC82PE]

by the way the triple clamps are painted champagne gold metallic. ive just successfully done 2 sets of mine. they look very good and the same as original. the original suzuki bike paint (08C) is unavailable but i found a suzuki car colour called champagne gold in Spies Hecker brand that is exactly the same. i think i was supplied it in Dupoint brand though. sing out if you want the colour code

[mx250]

Guys
How do I achieve the stock standard finish on the front forks, wheel rims and rear swingarm for my 1980 RM250T.
I'm want to restore the bike back to original, how do i do it

The finish is different on each. The forks are machine polished and lacquered - with effort, not too hard to duplicate or approximate.

I think you'll find the swingarm and rims a anodised silver. Go to an anodiser and ask but I think they can de-anodise and then re-anodise in silver. But any faults will show up unless removed by linishing and/or polishing - time consuming and expensive which is why new or nos is a cheaper, better choice. 

Or you could de-anodise and polish, for that bling factor  .

[LWC82PE]

annodising is the cheap part. its the polishing/sanding that costs a lot of money if you pay someone to do it, so if possible do it yourself.

[kevwrx]

Thanks for your help Guys..
Now I need to find someone to anodise the parts....

[MX?]

for the annodising you need to strip the parts before polishing and sanding out the scratches. i dont know of way to strip them so i send them to the annodisers and they strip them, send them back to me for polishing then i send them back to get re-annodised

Just doing some searching again. Took my rear rim in today and was priced $70-110 to anodize, maybe $70 if I polish myself...so I think yep, I can do that, but reading this, perhaps I can't
From what you're saying here I gather that I can't cut/sand off the old anodizing? thought at worst I may be able to sand it off....?

[paul]

theres a post here some were /how to remove anodizeing

[LWC82PE]

here it is
http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?PHPSESSID=6dc3dbfa91992b3f009e980853a8f3d9&topic=2109.30

[MX?]

Excellent,
Fizz,fizz....
This after around 1.5 minutes! How easy.


Though I think the hard part is just beginning Filed out some of the big rim edge marks but the fine pitting is proving to be a major PITA.
I've even had a scrub at a section with a 120 grit dry paper and this is going to take an awful lot of time me thinks. Is this where those 3M type convoluted wheels come in? Seems as though it's gonna be a HUGE job by hand and I haven't got to all those rounds where the nipples are. (Ooh, getting a touch excited there) 
Actually toying with the idea of simply polishing it up and not coating it at all? The cases on the Z are only polished 'cos I didn't really have any faith in clear coats (They certainly never worked from original) I usually give 'em a rub with AutoSol or Mothers every couple of months or so and they're as shiny as ever. What do you think?

[MX?]

Hmmm, this is not gonna be easy.
What do you make of this? Can't decide whether this is in the metal or just corrosion/damage from the last 34 years. Seems it may take more than just sanding (spent about 3.5 hours so far) to get these out even tried some rather too heavy paper which has left some marks that are equally hard to get off. Then there's the issue of how much material you can take off the rim. Maybe I should just paint it, or continue to keep it shined up as above.....getting very close to saying fark it and buying a new one. Don't want to lace up the finished hub and SS spokes to a crap rim.

[LWC82PE]

get them  re annodized silver agian. if you leave them bare they will corrode again pretty quick and eat away at the rims like cancer. if your bike is just gonna sit in a lounge room, never get ridden through mud, dirt, puddles etc or get washed after a days riding, then yes you could leave them bare. once the mositure and corrosion works it way past the spoke nipples and works it way under the rim tape its hard to stop

[firko]

I hate to disagree Leith but I have four bikes with un anodized bare alloy rims and as long as you keep 'em clean and regularly polish them with Simichrome and that wooly stuff, they'll stay nice. The original Akronts off my Maico are still as shiny and nice as when they left the factory in 1969. MX?s pitted rim needs to be professionally polished to get the pitmarks out. I'll have to be done before anodizing anyway.

[YSS]

You are right Firko , polishing  does the job if you want to keep the cost down. And if you realy want the bling , buy a new one , they are not dear ( and they are straight with no cracks  . I just watched on friday a container with rims,  beeing unloaded at Link  in Brisbane . I was thinking of you Boys at the time when looking at all thos piles of rims . 

[mx250]

I just watched on friday a container with rims,  beeing unloaded at Link 

Do Link carry Mudcatcher rims Walter?