engine case restore

[budpat105]

I have been (slowly) working on my model 95 combat. Just wanting a good rider but keep seeing pics of everyone's nice bikes. How do you make the engine side case look new? You guys all do a great job, also thanks to Paul for keeping us in parts.

[hodakamax]

A very good question indeed. Paul has paint to restore side cases to original silver or black. It seems as though I've tried about everything except ball burnishing which really looks good. Kelly or one of the gang on the Forum will probably brief you on that method. For competition bikes that take a beating I've been using the "prototype" look with fine blasting of sorts. I've also tried polishing but the cases usually have casting marks that are hard to make perfect. The blasted cases show grease and prints badly and I spray them with WD-40 and wipe them down before and after a riding event. Blasting also covers up blems and is relatively easy to redo in that you don't have to strip paint. Here's a few pictures of things I've tried. I guess the bottom line is what you want it to look like and what you are using it for. Hope this helps to give you some ideas.

Max

PS--If you belong to the Hodaka Club (Which we all should) there is an article in the online newsletter The Resonator, about Ball Burnishing. Vol. 2 #14 Pg 17.

[thrownchain]

I used Alumablast paint from Eastwood on my covers, looks like bare aluminum.