I'm on to the foot peg assemblies for Projects 29 & 30. The 2d-gen brackets are cast polished aluminum with no factory clear coat applied. As such, they're prone to weathering, which results in corrosion, discoloring and general dulling.
I begin with a complete disassembly, followed by cleaning. Then the rusty bits are soaked for a few days in rust remover while I attack the rest. That starts with either a wet-sanding with whatever grit paper is appropriate, from 320 to 800, or, if the corrosion isn't too bad, I have success with a fine painter's scuff pad (gray) used with a scuffing compound. Then a single pass with aluminum polish to give a sheen without trying to look like chrome.
Here's a look at a right-side set fresh off the project bike (left photos) and a finished example (right).
(click on an image to enlarge)
I begin with a complete disassembly, followed by cleaning. Then the rusty bits are soaked for a few days in rust remover while I attack the rest. That starts with either a wet-sanding with whatever grit paper is appropriate, from 320 to 800, or, if the corrosion isn't too bad, I have success with a fine painter's scuff pad (gray) used with a scuffing compound. Then a single pass with aluminum polish to give a sheen without trying to look like chrome.
Here's a look at a right-side set fresh off the project bike (left photos) and a finished example (right).
(click on an image to enlarge)
The left side is less complex.
Next I'll deal with the brake/shift levers. These I either paint, using Dupli-Color engine paint, or polish, after grinding/smoothing the casting marks. The left photo shows two sets of painted levers (and a rear brake torque rod), the center photo shows before & after of a polished brake lever. Ideally, the levers would be powder coated for durability, as shown in the third photo on Project 24.
There are two additional components integral to the right foot peg bracket assembly; the rear brake light switch and master cylinder. If necessary, both assemblies and their components are still available from Honda — with Project 29 I'm rebuilding the master cylinder. The metal cylinder housing is some sort of metal, and this one was severely corroded (below). After disassembly and cleaning, I use a small brass wire brush mounted on a hand drill to remove most of the corrosion, followed by a bit of hand sanding. I then tape off the openings and spray a Dupli-Color black caliper paint. Honda's rebuild kit is no more expensive than aftermarket, so I'll go with that, along with a fresh OEM o-ring at the reservoir hose connection. Job done!
As an alternative to painting the master cylinder, it can be left bare metal (as they were on the later VFRs) and rubbed with a metal treatment, like Corrosion X, as seen here on Project 14. Also shown is a polished brake lever.
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