DML refugee here with my 1st post in the new sanctuary.
Here are some shots of the swingarm from my S2R. It is one of several winter projects that ended up taking much longer than expected. At first I polished only the non-cast sections, but decided to tackle the rough cast aluminum section as well - and that's what made the project take much longer than I wanted.
The cast section has been polished to a mirror finish, but the rest has a brushed aluminum look. I actually have more plans for the swingarm. The cast section is a little too bling for my taste. I will give the entire piece a brushed finish and off to the anodizer! I will add more pictures to share the final result. I can't wait to get back on the road!
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/rafael04/DSC01182.jpg)
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/rafael04/DSC01184.jpg)
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/rafael04/DSC01185.jpg)
Damn! Talk about BLING!
8)
That's a lot of work...
nice job. [thumbsup]
W :o W !!! Nice work. Can't wait to see the rest of your bike!
MY GOD I WANT THAT ON MY BIKE AS IS! What did you use to do that? Sandpaper + time? bead blasting? how long did it take
Quote from: Duck-Stew on May 25, 2008, 06:14:01 PM
W :o W !!! Nice work. Can't wait to see the rest of your bike!
No kidding. I'd kill to have something like that. Well...maybe not kill...
Nice work indeed!
BYOO-tee-FULL!!! [thumbsup] Very nice....
The swingarm appearance is very underestimated....I feel like you see a alot of modded-out bikes with stock-appearance swingarms, so it's cool when people do something with them (pompetta, post pics if you read this!! ;) )
-He has a powder-coated red one IIRC, it looks KILLER....
i plan on powder coating mine in the winter ;D but let me ask you this, how hard is it to take that swing arm off? did you have to press out bearings and such? i am scared to do that big of a mod in the summer but i want to take it on during the off season. 8)
the ron [evil]
Thats pretty bad man. [beer]
Very nice [thumbsup]
Quote from: the ron on May 25, 2008, 08:33:57 PM
i plan on powder coating mine in the winter ;D but let me ask you this, how hard is it to take that swing arm off? did you have to press out bearings and such? i am scared to do that big of a mod in the summer but i want to take it on during the off season. 8)
the ron [evil]
Its real easy, few things - The motorcycle will have to be suspended with all load removed from the rear. The swing arm pivot pinch 'bolt' on the left hand side is actualy a cotter, remove the nut from the bottom and drive the pin up and out. - When you withdraw the pivot shaft, catch the shims as they fall out, identify and mark which goes where - and imeadiately stuff some clean rag into the crankcase pivot shaft bearings. You will need a pair of large circlip pliers to remove the circlip that holds the hub into the arm. Grease the hub and brake plate well on reassembly, this is more for corroision protection than lubrication.
In the first year of the Ducati Monster Challenge, the Southeast winner was a turbocharged blue S4R -- it had brushed aluminum finish on the swingarm and wheels -- looked good.
I could see doing the swingarm, wheels, triple clamps, clutch cover, etc -- and doing a similiar treatment to the headlight ring also. It would take a bit of labor, but it would be pretty cool looking when finished.
Thanks for posting this. Good to know it can get that smooth. Next winter I want to get my swingarm powder coated on my bike but wasn't sure how smooth you could get it.
What color are you having them anodize it? There are some people on the board that have had stuff anodized black. Only to have it go to a purple tint because of UV exposer.
Quote from: Heath on May 26, 2008, 12:07:01 PM
What color are you having them anodize it?
and the color of the bike?
btw, I've had a ton of aluminum black anodized and never had a problem with the purple issue. I believe the problems some others have encountered have to do with the quality of the anodize. Here's what I've read in an anodizer's forum regarding the shift to purple tint:
"If nothing has changed elsewhere (and you are dyeing to saturation), the dyeing problem could be due to: weak solution, improper pH, impurities clogging pores (e.g., high sulfates), high temperature causing premature sealing, or imbalance in a multi-component dye. Send a sample to your dye supplier for analysis; I know of a case where a gold dye addition was recommended to cancel a blue-ish tinge in a black dye (and it worked!).
This is a very common problem."
"When the anodizing thickness is low the blue components of the black dye are absorbed preferentially. So just increase your thickness.
"Also common, is the fact that people who use so-called computerized controls do not understand that you must have the correct surface area for the computer to apply enough amperage.
"If you are doing a 2000 series alloy, you MUST have 21 volts (plus 1 more if titanium racks) to get 12 amps per square foot. So override the computer and raise the voltage to 22, then all the components of the black dye will absorb.
"One thing I would add other than the causes mentioned is the pH of the seal after the anodize and dye process. A lot of proprietary sealers have specific pH ranges. If the seal is not maintained within these parameters, I have seen it cause the condition you describe. Typically, manufacturers of the sealants recommend checking and adjusting pH on a daily basis as a means of control."
I just jizzed my keyboard. Thats hot [thumbsup]
I love the looks of that - wish mine were like it. How many hours of polishing did it take?
FWIW my black Speedymoto clutch cover turned the purple or maroon color that was mentioned. Looks OK to me though.
LA
No sun glasses needed man, that thing needs to be seen with the naked eye..!! nice job, congratulations.