The engine covers, wheel hubs, front fork bottom cases, etc. turn bright yellow ......, even though there is absolutely no evidence of corrosion. It is very common to see the so-called " yellowish discoloration". If you think of such yellowish discoloration as a badge of honor for your old motorcycle, you can leave it as it is. However, if you want to restore the original beauty of the motorcycle, you can try peeling off the clear layer with a "paint remover" after removing the parts individually. Oh, wonder! It makes it so much cleaner!
Old motorcycles that are in good condition have a lot of clear yellowish.
The early GS1000, Suzuki's flagship model introduced in 1978, was not in superb condition, but the engine was in good cosmetic condition as it had never been tipped over or left outdoors. Evidence of this was the clear paint on the engine cover, which had yellowed due to deterioration. Let's bring back the shine underneath the clear layer!
Excellent performance of paint remover
Place the part on the plastic work sheet, and while pouring the "paint remover", spread it thinly and widely with a brush. Then, the yellowed clear layer started to make a chipping sound while spreading the paint on. A small crack went in surreptitiously. It only took a few seconds, but as you can see! When you put it all together with a brush to clean the cracked clear layer with a sound, an incredible glow emerges from under the clear paint layer! It's nice to see the shine come back after all.
Peeling and yellowing paint film is thoroughly cleaned.
The backside of the sprocket cover was treated with a foam sponge as a measure to suppress the contact noise between the drive chain and the sprocket. The side of the cover was also yellowed, so I applied all the paint with a brush. When you use a paint remover to remove the paint film, it is very important to rinse the removed paint film with tap water. If the paint film dries out, it cannot be easily washed off, which is the worst pattern.
Remove white rust with non-woven wheels
The sprocket cover was designed to protrude overall, and the side close to the ground was partially corroded. So, I polished it lightly with a rotary + non-woven wheel's fine grit to remove the corrosion (white rust). It is important to make the whole surface look similar and not to make only the rusted part shine.
Amazing shine after breaking in the compound.
Apply a good amount of super fine compound to the exposed surface of the cover and polish it lightly with a Nell material rag that is soft and does not affect the surface of the parts. The sprocket cover is now completely free from yellowing. The owner is very happy with this situation.
Clear paint, though, to keep the shine.
Quite frankly, it's an incredible impression to see it finished so beautifully. This glow and aluminum ground is amazing. If you don't want too much shine, and want to keep the pure genuine style shine, I recommend repainting thinly with Guncoat Super Clear or Urethane Paint Clear which is resistant to gasoline and solvents.
- Point 1: Let's remove yellowed clear paint with "Paint remover" and then improve the condition.
- Point 2: If you can expose the manufacturer's original buffed surface, remove the corrosion without over-polishing the part!
- Point 3: To maintain the original factory shine, use modern high-performance clear paint!
Even on non-restored motorcycles that are in good total condition, many of the parts on the aluminum surface are crispy due to yellowing. If the parts are already crispy, it is possible to remove them with a plastic scraper, but if the area is large, it is quicker and more beautiful to remove the clear layer at once using a "paint remover" after first removing the parts individually.
I think this work practice is a very helpful report for the owners who want to continue to own and enjoy their old motorcycles beautifully. There is also a way to remove yellowed parts and make it shine thoroughly (so much so that you can see your face). The super shine depends on how hard you work, so in other words, it may be an easy job. However, there are some machine owners who dislike the over-quality of too much shine and want to return to the atmosphere of stock finish and stock parts. We would like to recommend the removal of the "yellowed clear layer" of the old motorcycle finish for such atmosphere.
Even if the clear layer of the engine parts has yellowed to the point that the shine of the aluminum surface is completely lost, it is possible to restore the shine of the engine parts to an amazing level once the clear layer of the surface is removed. Here we will be reporting on an actual example of this. When aiming for a normal finish on an old motorcycle, you want to make sure that the shine is in line with the overall condition of the motorcycle, but there is no harm in remembering that this method can also bring the shine back to the motorcycle.
This time, the work was finished with the aluminum ground surface exposed, so when the shine is pulled out, you can polish it with compound or aluminum polish to harmonize the overall shine, not too shiny or too bright. If such regular care is troublesome, wash the finished parts thoroughly with neutral detergent (you can use a dishwashing sponge), flush with hot water, and then dry. After that, you can paint thinly with Guncoat Super Clear or Urethane Clear, which is especially resistant to gasoline and solvents, to achieve a genuine finish. Genuine manufacturer's clear paint will turn yellow due to cost reduction, but modern high-performance paint = clear paint will definitely last longer.
