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Out of context: Reply #69944
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Some of you thought I may have spent too much time cleaning my car a few weeks ago. This weekend has been an exercise in near restoration of my motorcycle. I'm at least 20 hours into this over the last 4 days.
Having taken the front end apart last week to clean, add new turn signals (the fourth pair, my favorite), repaint a few brackets as well as touch up some rock chips on the frame from the last 11 years, I decided to dismantle the bike further to deep clean it.
I removed the tank, belly pan, and rear fairing / tail light as well as the frame covers. After cleaning those separately, I set them aside, turning my attention to the frame, wiring, and hoses.
I washed all of that by hand with small paint brushes and detail brushes in every nook and cranny, unplugging and cleaning the connections with CRC QD before reconnecting them. Then using Meguiars Ultimate Black to restore all of the faded hoses, wiring harness covers, and wires themselves. I continued to cover up rock chips on the frame / radiator with a paint pen along the way.
I washed everything that wasn't paint with Optimum No Rinse before applying the Ultimate Black or Mother's Carnauba wax depending on the surface. Everything came back to a rich black. Surfaces were badly oxidized as the plastic is still drinking the Ultimate Black in and the wax buffs quickly with little residue.
The wheels alone took about an hour each just to clean, and that is with a drill and power scrubber attachment, on just 3 forged aluminum spokes. Sadly brake dust has burrowed into the aluminum in several places. I have ordered some polishing wheels and compound sticks, we'll see what happens later this week. Hopes are not high.
As my wheels are orange and the bike is now gray / black, I may just buy new wheels to have a spare set as used wheels are just a couple hundred more than having mine painted, and I end up having tire / sprocket variation to play with.
I need a new chain.