I'm restoring a 2009 Thruxton that looks like it's been in someone's garage for a while. The engine is FILTHY! Most useful video, nearly three years later.
Thanks for your walk-through. My Harley Sportster required a bit more cutting, but I finished with 1000 grit. I'm pleased with the end result. Much appreciation.
Now, once again, another great video. Was looking at the fins on the bike as it was being put away for the winter and pondering if using a block of wood and some emery cloth would do the trick to freshen up the look. Well you Sir have confirmed the path. Thanks again.
It took me 45 minutes to clean the fins on a 12 year old Thruxton. If anything, the engine looks too clean for the rest of the bike, but I'll get round to that. Thank you for posting this video, the approach works very well.
Hey Stuart, another great video sharing some well needed tips & skills. You are absolutely right - My T120 fins (even after the punishment of commuting through winter) have stood up well due to the Double T / GT85 regime. Hope you feel better soon sir and thanks again.
Hi Stuart, having just yesterday bought an 11 plate T100 ( in black ) enthusiasm has led me to scouring the web for reviews and info, so what a joy to find your videos ! In watchability you're somewhere in between the next series of Killing Eve and the old Peaky Blinders... and this video does address one of my first concerns, how to keep the bike looking fresh. Reading one review of the model warned how polished casings leave the factory unprotected and are prone to damage from salt and grime. Thank you so much for your sensible , no nonsense approach; I'm hooked! One upgrade that might well be made soon is to upgrade the shocks, but other than that everything looks very well put together. she does have the slightly louder peashooters, and a very loud pair came with the package, but those will probably not be fitted. Am currently going thro your back catalogue of videos, and look forward to future releases. Ah, bliss and bless....
Thank you Stu. This is priceless advice. My brother's 2012 400 mile 'Steve McQueen' T100 lives in my heated conservatory, undercover and thanks to the previous owner having this bike as a 'Living room queen', the engine cooling fins are still in great condition. Your 'Double TT' maintenance recommendation will ensure it remains this way, until next summer when he starts riding this beautiful machine 😎
I’ve recently bought a mag wheel Bonneville that’s very clean, but does have slight oxidation on the cooling fins. I was wondering how to tackle the problem and was going to try using scotch bright pads, but now I’ve seen your method I’ll be going straight to the wet & dry. Thanks for saving me some time 👍
Thanks for this Stu. I've just bought a new T100 and have seen these fins on many bikes (some relatively new) neglected and allowed to go off. I've also seen the worse examples of these where the corrosion has eaten into the upper and lower surfaces causing the coating to flake off. Fortunately Triumph have machined these with a plain finish. On some of the Victory models they finish them with a fairly deep cross hatch finish. These look great but it negates entirely the method you employ. I intend to look after mine and keep on top of it but it's good to know all isn't lost if they get away from me a little bit. Drying properly after washing with an air blower is a good idea followed by a maintenance spray as you suggest. Thanks for the vid 👍
JJJ i think its more likely they have become oxidised at some stage and someone has had a go at sorting them out. They can be re polished not a big job bit can be messy
I agree. I’ve done this and it works. I would suggest starting with the finest grade paper(1200). starting with a finer grade paper will allow you take off just enough metal without going to far. I would stop at 400. If the damage is to the cooling fins requires a more aggressive grade paper than 400 it mite be time to replace the head. Good luck
Exceptional video Stuart. Always a pleasure . This is the exact method I used when I rebuilt my BMW (check my Facebook album), but I also found scotchbright pads and water for clean up and touch up after worked well too. Cheers mate.
I have had a look sir, very good. i find it best to use wet or dry on the finer/thin fins as scotchbrite has a slightly spongy texture and can press over the edges on to the painted parts. no such problems on those thicker BMW ribs though i see!
Looks good. I've done this on large Harley engine covers and you pretty soon realise that you can sand aluminium like you're sanding wood. It just takes longer. I took the rough-cast, textured finish down to smooth aluminium, then over many hours brought them up to a nice shine (not chrome-like - didn't want that). Unfortunately, the fins on modern Harley cylinders have a factory-cut texture to them so if you try to sand-out any pitting / marks you lose the texture too.
Hi Stuart Very nice job on the fins , never had to do a job like this on a bike .never had polished fins before . My Bonneville t 100 has polished cooling fins ,looks like I will be using gt 85 on them . Get well soon Stuart Regards Paul
living on the coast, the salt air will accelerate this oxidation on aluminum surfaces. I have to clean the cylinder fins on my Harley a couple times a year, after using the fine wet sandpaper paper, I finish it off with an old Tee shirt and some aluminum polish to bring the shine back to the metal
Hey Stuart. Thanks for the good advice as always. Question: My EFI fake carbs on the T100 look a bit dull too. What would you recommend for cleaning those? or would you just use GT85 and a scouring pad?
Hi Stewart I have Been watching your channel for a while now and learned a lot from you so thank you. I Also brought The T120 in black as you also have and your vids have really helped. Keep up the great work. Just a question, do you have any tips on cleaning microfibre Towel burns off chrome exhausts.? Thank you.
Hi Stuart, Great instructional video and looking forward to cleaning up my cylinder fins with your method. Question: I have T-9 spray on my shelf I use to coat boat electrical wires, is this similar to Double TT? Safe to use on cylinders? Had any experience? It seems like a very similar if not the same as Double TT. Appreciate your experience and thoughts.
Great video, I struggled years ago with my Harley Davidson. Now have a t100. What protective spray would you recommend in a dusty environment please? Cheers
I tried 1000 grit and it worked great. Still left some small scratches even with light pressure but not noticeable unless you’re up close to the engine.
I have some oil deposits between the fins on my T140. I’ve tried steam and degreasers but never sandpaper. The casting is rough and also somewhat narrow for sandpaper to get in there. Any recommendations?
Many thanks for the excellent tips. Do you also have a recommendation for my corroded Motor housing? Since it’s not a flat surface I guess the trick with the wooden block will not work. Use just my hands with the sand paper? I treated my T120 with ACF50 at the beginning of the winter and only rode it a few times. I didn’t clean it up after each ride which was the big mistake I guess. So, after washing it now to get of all the mud I had to notice that ACF50 alone did not do its job very well. Many of the screws are completely corroded, as well as some parts of the brushed aluminum parts of the engine. I tried also a rotating machine with some polishing paste but it only worked to a certain extent. The brushed aluminum surface is polished now instead of brushed :-/ So it tried to slightly use 1200 sand paper even before I saw your video. But I used it in a dry condition and maybe not firm enough. So, the result is not quite satisfying. And there are still many spots of corroded aluminum ....... replacing all of the damaged parts might cost some money..... So, may i ask for your advice? Also regarding the ACF50, should I have retreated my bike after every ride? Or wash it and than retreat it? How do you do it with Double TT? Just once before the winter? Would you recommend it over ACF50? And if yes, do you have a suggestion where to buy it online from Germany? Bavarian salt seems to be the most aggressive stuff in the world :-(
best thingto bring the engine casings back is to use a coarse scotch brite pad and just rub in one direction. takes a bit of prctice but quite easy. doesnt matter that you have polished it up. the scotch brite will some scratch it back up!
Great tipps thank you 👍🏻 i just bought myself a triumph bobber and i would like to keep it in tip top shape so your cleaning tips are on point for me 😁 one question: do you know if wd40 is the same as what you use, the gt85? Keep it coming 👍🏻
Hi Stuart, I enjoy your videos very much, have a 2002 Bonneville 100 it has about 7,000 miles on it at the moment, I like the bike but the alloy cases on mine are very badly finished they seem to have been polished with a wire brush from new are yours the same, John.
im not familiar with what might be available in India sir. the muc off products MO94 and bike spray are very good, other than that any oil based maintenance will do just re apply weekly or after riding in the rain
Thanks Stuart - great video. I have a new T100 bought late last year. Rust has already started to appear in the holes in the brake disc which I did not spray with rust protectant for safety reasons. Do you have any tips for getting rid of this and preventing a recurrence or should I just leave it.
Hi Stuart, just bought a year old 2018 Speedmaster, which was previously a Triumph press bike. That being the case, some of the chrome on the wire spokes are showing some slight signs of rust. How would you recommend I go about restoring it? Many thanks!
Hi mark just rub it with a wad of standard aluminium baking foil lubricated with water. It will remove the rust without scratching the chrome. Then give them a coat or two of a non abrasive wax polish, or an oil based maintenance spray, but keep it off your brakes!
Thanks Stuart - You’re the man! As I prepare the Speedmaster for Winter using your invaluable guide, I’ll come back to you with my idea for how you can build your email list :)
The problem with cleaning my fins is that they all have a black coating on them :( and they have a bit of corrosion up close :( do you have any suggestions on how to clean them up, please? Or you could of course come and show me what to do lol. I live in Jersey CI :) I always get upset when I look at my pretty bike and see this! I said pretty because I think it is haha. Although I was told only mental people ride these Stuart! Benelli TNT 11.30cc. Thanks for posting
Hi Maleka, im afraid if the fins are painted, short of having them refinished theres not a lot you can do. and theres nothing wrong with Benelli I have many fond memories of them in my youth!
You painted a piece of rusted metal using a red colored primer and a uv lmap.. Tried to find the video, buit could not remember its name. Can you please point me in th eright direction. Thank you
