We are now on our 3rd set of handlebars. And I think this set might be workable. As always, the first step is the "out with the old", in that the handlebar controls needed to be removed from the flat drag bars, prior to the superbike bars being mounted.
We got a nice set in black. A shallow rise that should make for a more comfortable ride as well, with the rider not stretched out a mile over the front axle. However we STILL have the handlebar controls fouling on the edge of the tank, but by a minimal amount. The plan might be to extend the bar lock stops on the frame, to stop things hitting the tank. That will be a more involved process with the welder further down the line.
Next step was to remove and service the front forks. Both were leaking from the seals, and while the sliders were in good shape, the lowers had seen better days. When we removed the internals, the oil inside was just rank... perhaps original to the bike, it was long overdue for a change.
For now, we were waiting on new seals, and we needed to attack the fork bottoms. They had seen better days, and while our last project saw them polished, we were going to employ some elbow grease and "scotch-brite" them.
Step one was wet sanding with 320 grit paper. There is quite the process to achieve the desired results, and more work needs to be done. But after about 30 minutes...
This was the result. A uniform, "dulled" finish. Next step is the coarser of the two scotch-brite pads. We may need another session with the 320 grit, however. That will wait until next week, with a pair (as in 4) new "fresh" arms!
The "after" pic of step one. Better, but we noticed that it was easier to "stain"... perhaps some polish is in order, and in fact that is the last stage of this process. We also need to really clean out the interior cavities of the forks, both the sliders and the bottoms. Varsol will be needed to cut through the soupy old oil that is still clinging to the inside of the fork surfaces, damping rods, springs, etc...
No comments:
Post a Comment