Midnight Special "Black Chrome"

[dewibp]

Just bought a 80 11 mns and will need some black chrome work done to make her look good again. I always heard from the mns boys that no one did the black chrome plating process anymore. "Looks like" several different companies on the west coast are doing this process including www.chromeservices.com Anybody had any experiences with black chrome plating? "Looks like" alot of people are doing the gold plating so this should not be a problem. thx dew

[dpotter58]

If you use them let us know how it looks and how bad the price is. Several of us have Midnights on here and I know I am interested in having some work done. I'm on the east coast and can't find anyone locally that does it.

[John]

Hey...

I just had a thought...and it hurts. If dewibp, or anyone else, can find a plater that does the black chrome, I'll bet a bunch of guys would be interested in having some pieces done, I would be. Can you imagine a set of spaghetti pipes in black chrome. That would look tastey. Maybe if dewibp would be willing, we could all send in our pieces at the same time, and possibly get a real good price.

[Pat Kelly]

I think the only part(s) that were originally black chrome was the exhaust. I thought it was said that you can't rechrome a used exhaust. Something about the carbon inside the pipes contaminating the chrome solution(s).
Caswell Plating has black chrome kits from touch-up to a full plating kit. They have the gold kits too .

[dewibp]

Well I brought them home tonight and it looks like (at least ) handlebars, tach/speedo covers, front and rear fenders and headlight housing are black chrome. I did not look at the engine side covers yet. Will do so in a.m. Pat, I was also looking at the Caswell kits and was worried that if it was that simple to do kinda like the old saying goes "if it sounds to good to be true it probley isn't" I would think they would put a cork in each end of exhaust. Just typing out loud. I will find out what the deal is. My local chrome guys does nickel plating and he wants me to send him a part. From what I am reading about this process it scratches real easy and maybe isn't as black as I would like to see.

[Bob Falter]

dewibp,

I wanted to get a midnight because I thought all the black stuff was just painted (easy to touch-up) like the old dirt bikes I used to race. Now I find out it’s black chrome and expensive.

If I was you, I’d have to have at least half those bikes hidden up in SD or the wife wouldn't kill me. By the way, there was an XS11 and a V-Max for sale in the CR paper this week. I thought both were too high priced but I can get you the telephone numbers if you want.

Bob

[rustybones49801]

Anyone know or have had done the gold chrome yet? I have a few parts I wouls like to get done but have pocketbook trouble with being a "guinnea pig"
Thanks

Also, has anyone found a good replica or OEM supply of mirrors? Mine are black, and dag nabit, I want to keep them that way!!!

81 XS1100LH

[Hobbit]

Interesting

This thread is especially interesting since I just picked up the newest addition to my XS stable. I friend called me the other day and asked me if I would like his Midnight Special for free! (I actually turned down the other 4 bikes he was giving away.)
It needs some carb work and a lot of attention, but it's complete and has a clean title.

Hopefully, it's the bike that will make the trip to Suches this year.

[dewibp]

Hey Rusty, in a month or two I will be able to tell you what it costs to have the seat grab bar done in gold chrome. It seems like every one I look at needs the grab bar redone. I am going to have my chromer Industrial Plating in Omaha Nebraska do it. If it turns out nice (I am picky) I will post what it costs as Industrial Plating will receive and ship parts for chrome work. Actualy there appears to be many places that will do the gold plating as I was looking for black chrome shops. Bob, the ONLY reason I am alive right now, with the amount of bikes I now have, is she is in Eastern Iowa and I am in South Dakota! I also sent out alot of email to different companies that do the black chrome process to see if "they do motor cycle parts", "they can reblack chrome existing parts" and if "they can reblack chrome existing brite chrome parts". Stay tuned everyone. Okay another question, looking at different pictures of 80's and 81's what is suppose to be black and what is suppose to be gold on the carbs? My carb set has gold diaghram covers only. No black and no gold bowls. I see in some pictures the carbs bodies are black, the diaghram covers and gold outside bowls. Also who could help with pictures of a really nice 80 mns "stock of course" as I start putting this one back together?

[Pat Kelly]

Mine is (was) bone-stock. The carb bodies and bowls are black. Only the diaphram covers are gold.
The gold pieces on mine are:
headlight ring
diaphram covers (all 4)
airbox
gas cap (worn, almost silver now)
swingarm pivot caps
grab bar.

The tank emblems wer chrome (I swapped with gold ones from my E). The "Midnight Special" sidecover emblems and the "1100" emblems on the airbox are chrome as is the emblem on the gauges. The fork tubes and rear shock springs are chrome/silver too.

Everything else is black.

What I want to know is the different blacks. The tank, side covers, fenders, along with all the tins (headlight ears, etc.) are painted gloss black. Is the frame semi-gloss? On the engine the covers are gloss black but the case, cylinders and head appear flat black. A PO painted the valve cover wrinkle black (yuck), it will go back to gloss.

I am hoping to restore the bike to original paint scheme. At one time I considered a "metalic" black to simulate a starfield for the Midnight Special theme but the standard gloss, semi, and flat are what I'm after.

I'm having a very tough time not modifying this bike but some "upgrading" is inevitable. I have swapped handlebars, added a cafe fairing (can always go back), K&N filter in airbox for the longevity of it. I want to go with SS brakelines (black), progressive forksprings and (black)shocks. I may remove the sidecover emblems and replace them with vinyl decals in the original script but in gold.

[TopCatGr58]

The MNS's are Pretty!!

From the Photos section:

[rustybones49801]

side cover emblems and tank are gold on mine. A company in australia makes replica badges and has the tank and side cover badges for the midnight special, cant remember where, have to do a google, about 45.00 for the tank badges. Looked real nice in the pictures. Maybe all of us MS peep need to group and buy for discount. Just a thought. Also, Let me know how the re-chrome-gold goes on the part you send out. I won an auction for a MS 81 headlight and REALLY want to make this bike shine. Thanks

Russell

[dewibp]

Pat, I can have a buddy of mine who does all my paint work take a look at the different parts your talking about (hope they are stock paints) and let you know what I have.

[dewibp]

A little update on my black chroming and gold plating. Talked to the outfit out in California today and the good news is they can reblack chrome all parts BUT exhaust systems. The guy was in a hurry but I think this is what he said. There is some propriatary issue (Yamaha) that would not allow him to reblack chrome the exhaust. Something to do with their process to make sure it did not color around the exhaust pipes at the 90 degree bends, he also went on to say that he couldn't if he was allowed to because the used mufflers would have to be completly disassembled including the baffles so the carbon did not foul his process. I am waiting to hear from another outfit tomorrow.
Gold plating went a little better. My chromer said to send him a sample piece of the plating (will send tomorrow) so he could verify that it is gold or whether it is just a brite yellow copper plating. I also took pictures of my grab bar, both air box covers (top and bottoms) and the gas cap to get prices for both processes. Stay tuned.

[rustybones49801]

For the exhaust, what about hi temp stove paint or engine enamel? would that work?