chrome

[mack]

Whats the general opinion on having some of the exterior covers chromed. Is there really a problem with heat retention. If this is the case which parts should absolutely not be chromed?

[oseaghdha]

I don't think it's a problem. They're gonna get hot and the wind will cool them down like always.

[xs11bobber]

If it's that big of a worry, you could just get them fake chrome high-temp ceramic coated. Prices are close, around here anyway

[CatatonicBug]

Or, just polish the aluminum. I've seen a few of the bikes on this site look REALLY shiny after a nice polishing job!

[dragxs11]

Chroming is not a problem, however it takes a chrome shop who knows how to chrome aluminum and make it last. This bike has run about 30K over 5 years and no significant problems. A few bubbles on the valve cover due to heat, but thats it.
[IMG][/IMG]

[crazy steve]

Been there, done that. No issues (other than cost! Chrome sure isn't as cheap as it used to be!) except if you send in any parts that have steel bushings/parts in them. If the plater has any problem with a part, he may need to strip it more than once. The solution they use to take plating off of aluminum eats steel. Most steel parts can stand 1-2 trips though but more than that and you can have problems.

I did all the polished stuff on my XS650 back in the early 70s, and the guy had problems with the right side primary cover. Aluminum castings are notorious for having 'internal' flaws in the metal that can make plating hard. The guy did this cover 4-5 times before he was happy with the results. Looked great when I got it back. But when I went to install it, the kickstarter shaft bushing was gone! The solution had ate it! As this wasn't available as a separate part (only came with the cover), I ended up having to have one made out of bronze. By the way, bronze parts aren't affected and are safe to dip.

So I'd recommend pulling any steel bits off if possible, and it not, taking some careful measurements prior to plating in case you need to have one made.

'78E original owner

[webbcraft2150]

Strip the clear coat off and try the polishing trick first, you might very well like what you see. I stripped the clear coat off of every cover I could get to and did the fork tubes also. A mini-power ball and some small cotton wheels on a drill with some Simichrome make quick work of the task. Upkeep isn't hard at all, but then again I like to polish up my bike.

[fredintoon]

Whats the general opinion on having some of the exterior covers chromed. - - -

Hi mack and welcome,
if you want the facts, they have been posted.
But you asked for an opinion.
My opinion is there's a hundred better things to spend money on for an XS11 than chroming the aluminum parts.
Betcha buying a can of Mother's aluminum polish, a box of rags, two new tires and a set
of stainless brake hoses would cost less than getting your aluminum parts chromed over.

[Ivan]

My XS had the covers chromed and it wasn't done well. The chrome would peel and bubble and corrosion would start under that. IIRC aluminum needs to be copper plated before chrome should be applied.

[Mr.Bill]

My XS had the covers chromed and it wasn't done well. The chrome would peel and bubble and corrosion would start under that. IIRC aluminum needs to be copper plated before chrome should be applied.

Yep, the aluminum has to be zincated prior to copper also. Aluminum cleaned and etched, then zincated, then hard copper flash, then bright copper for the shine and then bright nickel and finally chromium. Lots of prep work hence the rising costs.

[red bandit]

I have the 4 side covers chrome. Alt, timing, clutch and shifter. I bought them second hand. Polished alum. is nice but it doesn't have the luster that chrome has.

[mack]

Thanx

Well my thoughts are, since I've got this big dude torn down anyway and plan on replacing everything that is suspect, I'm going to have a few $$ in it anyway. I'm at the age now that I would rather be spending 50 minutes riding the bike and 10 min polishing than 50 minutes polishing for every ten minutes of riding. I can't count the number of tubes of autosol, rags and bengay I've gone through over the years that I rode this thing. Until you see the engine sitting alone in the frame you really have no appreciation of how muscular this thing is. Stainless brake lines? Got any pictures? Don't worry about the rubber it will all be new and not just what hits the road, (so I don't).

[CatatonicBug]

Stainless brake lines? Got any pictures?

The picture that dragxs11 posted has a rear SS line on it. They can be had in different colors too, if you want. I know when I get around to replacing my old OEM lines, I'll go with the black ones for my MNS. If you're going to spend $$ on your bike, the SS lines are a LOT more important than chrome. They are reported to greatly improve braking power, to the point that you have to re-learn how to stop after installing them.

[mro]

To Chrome or Polish ??
Chrome be nice....




But when financial challenged ... Polished be nice too





If I had a choice, I'd prefer chrome. From a few feet away most will not notice much difference. Maintaining chrome is fast and easy. OTOH if you have a bench grinder and a palm sander it only cost about $20.00 plus your time to polish...

One good thing about polished aluminum is that you can “re-do” it over and over (Well sort of a good thing ) and it will look like new agin and agin. Once a chrome piece gets bad it's bad. I talked to Bob at Merriam Cycles who restored the top 79 SF shortly after I got it, but he could not tell me when it had been done. I’m just guessing that the chrome must be around 10+ years old and still looks good. The other SF I just finished polishing weeks ago which originally started out as a carb cleaning then became an XSive adventure in paint and polish.

mro

[crazy steve]

[SIZE="4"]If I had a choice, I'd prefer chrome. From a few feet away most will not notice much difference. Maintaining chrome is fast and easy.
One good thing about polished aluminum is that you can “re-do” it over and over (Well sort of a good thing ) and it will look like new again and again. Once a chrome piece gets bad it's bad.
mro

I'll agree with mro that chrome is MUCH easier to clean and was the reason I did that 650. Plus chromed aluminum has an even brighter shine than plated steel. But Ivan is dead right about one thing here; it has to be done right or it won't hold up. Failed plating on aluminum looks worse than any 'needs polishing' item. Aluminum is tough to plate and any flaw will contribute to finish failure, so be very picky about what you'll accept from whoever does it. For longevity, ask for 'show chrome' as that will get you the best finish (and cost the most $$$).

One other thing; any chromed aluminum will last pretty much in direct proportion to how well you keep it clean and dry. Chrome plating is porous, so any moisture you get on it can get to the underlying metal. Heavy waxing of plated surfaces helps. 99% of failures is because moisture got to the aluminum and it corrodes, lifting the plating. Ride in the rain, store the bike in a humid climate, and/or fail to keep it clean and it will go bad, sooner or later. NEVER put the bike away wet, as the cooling metal will draw any moisture right through the plating. The two examples shown here are both from dry climates, so YMMV.

One plater told me this.... 'Chromed aluminum is like a pretty teenaged callgirl; looks fabulous in the beginning, but the more you abuse her, the faster she ages...'.

'78E original owner