Archived Posts

[Admin]

I used Flitz on my KZ650's mirrors today. This is the first time I've used this stuff and I'm quite impressed. As we all know 70's and 80's so-called "chrome" on Japanese bikes is NOT of the highest quality. The Water Buffalo King gave me a pill-bottle full of this stuff and after 30 minutes of elbow grease and Flitz, my mirror is now beautiful. Note that the one on the left is the "Before" sample and the one on the right is the "After" sample. Note how the fluorescent light fixture is much sharper and clearer in the right mirror than it is on the left.
Highly recommended stuff, IMO.

[Admin]

My brother in law is picking up a little 200 cc yamardog that I picked up a bit ago. I'm just going to clean it up for him and ride it a bit to get the kinks out.

Its only real aesthetic defect is the fuel petcock was left dripping a long time and the paint is peeled off the left hand side of the engine case.

I know I could pull the engine, strip it, tape it off, and paint it.....

but I'm curious if there's a half ways job to make it look alright without pulling the engine out (the paints off the actual case, not just the sidecover)

I don't think I can paint it in the frame with a rattle can.... as I'm not a good painter....

Just curious, if I have to pull the engine, I'll probly just leave it the way it is.

[Admin]

The gas cap on my bike is the mid sixties to end of late sixties rubber plug type. They were used on the smaller bikes and also the X6 Hustler. I just finished re plating the chrome on the cap, the rubber plug was taken off for the plating, it's only epoxied into the bottom of the cap. When I picked up this bike last Sept, the plug was nice and tight, now it seems to have shrunk over the winter and won't stay put. These gas caps are fairly rare and when they do come up on Ebay, they usually go for $100.00 +. Is there any way to revitalize the rubber? Is there any silicon/ rubber type compound that can be used on the original plug to increase the diameter?

Thanks...Fred

[Admin]

What am I missing here?

Go to your hardware store or bicycle shop and buy enough new 1/4 inch balls to replace the lot. Don't just buy one, but replace the whole set so they are identical.

As long as the cups are not grooved, just replace the balls.

BTW a 2003 GSXR uses 5/16 inch balls in plastic cages.

Taper rollers are nice but not strictly necessary.

[Admin]

I'd leave it as-is, but if you really want to paint it in situ, just mask off the frame and other bits with newspaper and masking tape, and use a rattle can.

try to make sure the cases are clean witout any grease on them else that paint will stick to the grease and will fall straight off.

And fix that fuel leak. At best it will dissolve your rattle can paint and at worst it will light up you ride in all the wrong ways.

[Admin]

I don't know what these look like. Could you buy a chunk of rubber and make you a new one?

[Admin]

This is what the insert for the gas cap looks like, would be very hard to duplicate, the metal insert on top allows it to vent.

[Admin]

I have never taken a 30 year old bike apart that did NOT have the cups grooved out. I am sure there are lots of them out there, but not in my experience. Also, everyone who has gone to the tapered bearings has reported that the front end felt more solid. My Buffalo was groved out so badly the steering was notchy enough that I could feel it.
If the loose balls are cleaned and lubricated properly they are probably fine, but except for the instances when a bike is getting restored, almost no one every even adjusts the steering head bearings, much less takes them apart to clean and re-grease them.

Wayne

[Admin]

Rubber type stopper out of Neoprene, etc??? Doesn't look that complicated for an entrepreneur with injection molding skills and minimum investment to shoot those out --- especially @ $100 a pop.

[Admin]

Is there any silicon/ rubber type compound that can be used on the original plug to increase the diameter?

No. RTV silicone isn't resistant to gasoline.

Geez

[Admin]

Retsoo:
If you dip the lower portion (that actually plugs the hole) in gas and then set it out to dry it should come back to size. You might have to do this 3 or 4 times to get it to swell back up to the correct size. Try it in the hole after each gas dip/dry cycle until you get it just right.
I hesitate to tell you to soak the whole thing in gas because today's gas has a lot of different things in it compared to the gas that was made in the 60's. If you were to completely immerse and soak the whole piece for any length of time, modern gas might do weird things to the rubber.

[Admin]

I also posted this elsewhere and I had numerous replies saying to soak it in brake fluid or gasoline for a couple of days. Since the plug was still good last fall when it was on the tank with old gas in it, it somehow has shrunk after removing it from the tank and letting it sit by itself. Maybe the old gas fumes were good enough to keep it supple. It's now soaking in the brake fluid, will see what happens by tomorrow.

Fred

[Admin]

Leave at as it is, warn your brother in law of the leak, tell him to post here and we will give advice on the painting.

Gotta break folks in right. :^)

Kevin

[Admin]

Hi Mike,

Sorry about the delay. I finally was able to get some pictures of the cables for you. My e-mail is tecdiver70@yahoo.com. Feel free to write I will get them off to you right away. Again not sure if they are correct but the seam to like where I have put them. Tom W.

[Admin]

If you decide to paint it; Dupli-color low-gloss black engine enamel looks great!


Lane