polished tappet cover

One of the tappet covers that Pete lent me was scuffed from a minor fall
Before I post the parts he lent me back I thought I'd sand out the scuff marks and since the paint was gone from that area polish it
to see how it came up.

Well I think I'm going to take my covers off and polish them.
Although polished aluminium takes a little bit of elbow grease to keep looking good
It looks better to me than the painted finish.

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Wow! Polishes right up. I like both finishes. I prefer more stealthy than shiny though

When I go ahead with polishing my covers I'll post pictures.
Coming from the stone age riding bikes, polished alloy was part of how a bike looked.
The fact that I prefer that look is probably nostalgia as much as anything.
Of course if I don't like the polished effect I can always repaint.
Only one way to find out, try it and see.

Nice work there.  I like the look.  

Presume that some serious sealant, clearcoat, whatever is needed to keep those looking that way?  

I'll see if I can interest Perfect Pillion & Polish Princess Kathi into doing that.  

Right.  

Anyway, Evan, would you please or post your email addy you use for PayPal?  I tried two or three times to compensate you for that 3D printer work and got bounces. That obligation then fell below my scroll line into the "one of these days" box.  Just recalled it.  Apologies.  Don't send a Maori SWAT for my head.  

Bill

I agree with Bill about the looks - may be because i am pre-historic too
It is lovely if it can be kept clean

Those old bikes used to secrete anti corrosion liquid

I'm hoping solvol autosol once a week will keep them looking good.

If not then I'll polish and then seal with Nylac

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I don’t believe they will require weekly cleaning. I think it will depend on the environment the polished covers live in. Lower humidity would be ideal but probably not realistic for most of us. Once you get them done, I don’t think it will require a lot of effort to keep them that way. Maybe a once a month touch up at best. It the bike lives outside, that would be bad……

JohnA wrote:

I don’t believe they will require weekly cleaning. I think it will depend on the environment the polished covers live in. Lower humidity would be ideal but probably not realistic for most of us. Once you get them done, I don’t think it will require a lot of effort to keep them that way. Maybe a once a month touch up at best. It the bike lives outside, that would be bad……

Lower humidity, John, is certainly not in your Savannah cards!

Hey, Evan, remember to PM or post your email addy so I can stop feeling like a deadbeat.

Bill

Just polished the left hand cover, it took an hour or so sanding with a DA sander down to 1000 grit
then polishing with a mop on a bench grinder, the channels I cleaned and sanded with a dremel.

Old school look that I think suits the GRiSO.

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Painted

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Evansnows

Having just taken a 3rd low speed dismount due to fine gravel, I’m very interested in your CF rocker cover protection.

What stage are you at with this idea ? I’m muling over learning how to lay up cf.

Cheers

The devil is in the detail with those. I've sent a pair of samples to Pete to assess.
To get the detail on the outer surface I'm going to have to modify the moulds so that I can vacuum form
the carbon on to the male moulds. This is only an issue as I'm not using the plastics.

To do your own using the plastics as the inner surface is easy. It's what I did on mine.
Stick a layer of teflon release film on the metal of the tappet cover, layup 6 - 8 mm of black pigmented fibreglass
over the teflon and outer edge of the plastic cover. Remove and shape it.
Then a final skin of carbon twill. The teflon is so you can remove it and shape it as you go. build up with layers of clearcoat until you've filled the weave of the carbon. I bolted on a strip of stainless steel bar sawn in half as added protection.

I did a more detailed description when I did it which is on the ghetto.

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Got to say i also like your plug covers i have replaced 2 of the little Guzzi medallions at £25 each

lcjohnny wrote:

Got to say i also like your plug covers i have replaced 2 of the little Guzzi medallions at £25 each

I found the very early ones just vanished! The first time I washed mine in 2008 even a gentle spray made them evaporate! I haven't found the later ones to be so 'Escapey', in fact I haven't lost one for years.

If you are worried glueing them on with a bit of silastic type gorilla snot will work. It can also be plucked out with tweezers at the next service and another blob installed. I did that for a few years but have since stopped simply because the *Newer* badges seem to have more?? 'Grip?'

Nobleswood wrote:

Evansnows

Having just taken a 3rd low speed dismount due to fine gravel, I’m very interested in your CF rocker cover protection.

What stage are you at with this idea ? I’m muling over learning how to lay up cf.

Cheers

Sorry.

BTDT, but I don't want to practice it anymore lest I get as good as beetle is at it.

Bill

^

Nobleswood wrote:

Evansnows

Having just taken a 3rd low speed dismount due to fine gravel, I’m very interested in your CF rocker cover protection.

What stage are you at with this idea ? I’m muling over learning how to lay up cf.

Cheers

You can have these f*ckers for postage if you want them?

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evansnows wrote:

One of the tappet covers that Pete lent me was scuffed from a minor fall
Before I post the parts he lent me back I thought I'd sand out the scuff marks and since the paint was gone from that area polish it
to see how it came up.

Well I think I'm going to take my covers off and polish them.
Although polished aluminium takes a little bit of elbow grease to keep looking good
It looks better to me than the painted finish.

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Me likey very muchy not that would impliment it, tried polishing the words "Quatro Valvo" as seen on some bikes somewhere but couldnt really see it against the silver.
A heavy leaded laquer if such a thing still exists (made in the USA) will keep the alloy look gorgeous for ever.
Once did a GS1000 streetfighter in the stuff engine cases everywhere, 22 years later even after being left outdoors for many years bike looked amazing.

Maybe you could change things up some in this fashion.
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lcjohnny wrote:

Got to say i also like your plug covers i have replaced 2 of the little Guzzi medallions at £25 each

Stein-Dinse have these in aftermarket for about half the price:

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Comparing directly, they're not quite identical to the originals, but close enough.

Leone wrote:

lcjohnny wrote:

Got to say i also like your plug covers i have replaced 2 of the little Guzzi medallions at £25 each

Stein-Dinse have these in aftermarket for about half the price:

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Comparing directly, they're not quite identical to the originals, but close enough.

Thanks