October 28, 200619 yr Hi guy's i thought i'd start a thread on hot tip's for restoration! as i know a lot of you out there are doing up pre-65 and twinshocks! This would be to everyones benefit helping along a restoration , so heres the first tip, when youve got that old trials bike back home and its looks like its been dragged through a hedge backwards a few times, get a handfull of wire wool and squirt baby oil (yes dont laugh) all over the grimy stuff and rub it well in , you'll find that this will clean up the bike a treat and wiped down with a rag with the same stuff will protect it! ive just done this to a pair (wire wool) akronts and they've come up a treat! everything else i tried was usless. NICK
October 28, 200619 yr A previous thread talked about which bubble bath, now baby oil. I hope that it dosnt get mixed up and people start wire wooling their own bits in the bubble bath,....... thanks for the tip, I will try lee
October 28, 200619 yr maybe it's just the bikes I've worked on, but some things I've found useful + impact driver (and heat) especially useful on cross head screws on Honda TL125 engines. It seems everyone else must be stronger than me. Replace all the Honda screws with hex-headed bolts + a good strap wrench, usually used for undoing oil filters, but something I've used to hold flywheels when untightening / tightening + digital camera; take pictures as you strip the bike down (stator plate, cable layout, gear cluster, selectors etc)
October 28, 200619 yr Before you strip the bike down to clean , prep and paint/coat make sure everything is straight , as it should be and works with everything else. The last thing you want to to disturb that new paint , welding a blob on a kickstart , straightening footrests , levers etc
October 28, 200619 yr dont fix it if it aint broke dont change more than one thing at a time no bike is ever 95% complete buy stuff as complete as finished as possible never buy bits a piece at a time to build something it costs a fortune and rarely gets finished diesel is a wonderful cleaner, so is the soap powder your granny washes her knickers in.. Edited October 28, 200619 yr by totalshell
October 29, 200619 yr Author Heres another good tip! if your going to fit new tank/sidepanel decals to your bike ALWAYS fit the decals to tank and sidel panels when on the bike!!! never to the parts off the machine! they'll never look right! also ive found the best way to appy vinly decals (this really depends on the quality of the adesive ) is to froth up a bar of soap so its really bubbly then apply the froth straight to the surface, then slide decals on pressing from the centre outwards excluding any air bubbles! any bubbles that seem impossible to get rid of, can be erased by pricking with a needle then squeese the eccess air out.
October 30, 200619 yr make sure you have plenty of money - it always costs way more than you think it will !!!
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