Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: mickwinf on November 18, 2023, 03:46:36 PM
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My chainguard off Lazarus was a bit battered so sanded it down to a reasonable smoothness but has left the plastic quite dull even when polished with plastic dressing. I don't really want to paint it so has anyone got any tips?
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There’s a few things you could try, the motocross guys often use a heat gun to "refresh" dull plastics. There’s lots of YouTube info on reviving car bumper trim that might help too.
I just had to do a repair on an ABS plastic ski box. I used acetone on a cotton rag to clean the substrate. It slightly melts the top layer and really made the plastic look new. Beware it does melt/dissolve the ABS so not a soaking wet rag, and not an aggressive wipe down!
Your mileage will vary!
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Use a hot air gun to heat it up and it will make the oils come to the surface. Keep the airgun moving along the length of the chain guard.
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Have a look on ytube for vapour finishing abs or whatever plastic it is. Usually its on the mold mark.
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It's none invasive - I used a gell revivor.- looks okay Auto Glyn .
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Plus one on the heat gun method.
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Will try the heat gun method, already tried autoglym Ted
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I don't know how bad yours is, but parts like these (tooltray, airfilterelementcase) can be restored to new by just cleaning it with peanut oil (arachide oil).
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Last weeks Bangers and Cash restoration team showed getting the shine back on an argo with a heat gun
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Last weeks Bangers and Cash restoration team showed getting the shine back on an argo with a heat gun
Whats an argo?
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6 wheel amphibious tub thingy. Only know that now because I watched it too. The one they did was bought by a group supporting Ukraine where it now lives!
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Last weeks Bangers and Cash restoration team showed getting the shine back on an argo with a heat gun
I watched that👍. Does using a heat gun cause the plastic to go brittle in the long term?
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Motorex protect and shine.recommended by triumph for black plastic. Looks great but needs repeat application.
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Dont know about brittle, but if the people who work on Argos all the time did it i would think it would be ok.
You have to be gentle with the heat and keep moving
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Motorex protect and shine.recommended by triumph for black plastic. Looks great but needs repeat application.
Bike Spirits Spray Cleaner & Polish...
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Spirits-Cleaner-Polish-Aerosol/dp/B007KPX7HQ?th=1 (https://www.amazon.com/Original-Spirits-Cleaner-Polish-Aerosol/dp/B007KPX7HQ?th=1)
Wash, dry and de-grease part, apply, let soak over night, wipe any excess off with lint free (cotton) fabric in the morning...
(lasts about a year on dark gray and black plastics before it washes off/faints due exposure... but re-application works effectively after the first over night treatment)
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Motorex protect and shine.recommended by triumph for black plastic. Looks great but needs repeat application.
Bike Spirits Spray Cleaner & Polish...
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Spirits-Cleaner-Polish-Aerosol/dp/B007KPX7HQ?th=1 (https://www.amazon.com/Original-Spirits-Cleaner-Polish-Aerosol/dp/B007KPX7HQ?th=1)
Wash, dry and de-grease part, apply, let soak over night, wipe any excess off with lint free (cotton) fabric in the morning...
(lasts about a year on dark gray and black plastics before it washes off/faints due exposure... but re-application works effectively after the first over night treatment)
Some fairly usual components in it's makeup, light petroleum oil, Stoddart solvent (white spirit, naphtha type stuff) butane for propellant......and "Amides, tall-oil fatty, N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl)" that I don't recall seeing before. Looks like a plasticiser type product that appears valid to what's asked for here.
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Looks like a plasticiser type product that appears valid to what's asked for here.
Was sold (re-batched) under Honda back in ze 90ies, took me a while to find the original though...
Brilliant on poly-carbonate windscreens (removes bug-splash without a trace, keeps the screen water repellent for quite some time)...
Successfully prepped some (plexi) instrument faces and cover plates...
Great on the plastic handlebar switch-pods (some UV-protection and won't make the plastic brittle like that ArmorAll...)
Super on vinyl seats as they're not slippery afterwards!
Also using it on my car's dash and interior, preserves the dull surface, hence keeps windscreen reflections at minimum...
(no, I'm not a share holder! 8) )
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Trouble is with the heat gun the results do not last long
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Looks like a plasticiser type product that appears valid to what's asked for here.
Was sold (re-batched) under Honda back in ze 90ies, took me a while to find the original though...
Brilliant on poly-carbonate windscreens (removes bug-splash without a trace, keeps the screen water repellent for quite some time)...
Successfully prepped some (plexi) instrument faces and cover plates...
Great on the plastic handlebar switch-pods (some UV-protection and won't make the plastic brittle like that ArmorAll...)
Super on vinyl seats as they're not slippery afterwards!
Also using it on my car's dash and interior, preserves the dull surface, hence keeps windscreen reflections at minimum...
(no, I'm not a share holder! 8) )
For UK based buyers if interested https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166316971142 makes reference to original Honda distribution etc too.
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Plastic fantastic - the answer to all our prayers - yeah, right!
I think this topic came up on here a while back and someone recommended 'Owatrol Polytrol'. I bought some and it certainly works but like the heat gun or peanut oil methods is not long lasting. I used it initially on brown guttering/downspout fittings - the main components don't have a problem, it's the brackets and fittings which go very pale. Used outside in the Orkney weather it lasts about a year. Can't remember what's in it now.
Ian
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As it's related just started cleaning my 500 chaincase - I suspect it has been painted as big sheets of black paint like material came off when I cleaned it in carb solution. Side sheets rubbed off easily top section just like photo - rubbed off easily.
There are some pretty good paints around these days that stay on flexible plastic such as spoilers & car bumpers - expensive though.
Has anyone tried the U -tube trick to replace missing plastic?
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53344584111_0a8c332827_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pgSWmP)looks like paint (https://flic.kr/p/2pgSWmP) by Macabe Thiele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187487200@N03/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53344584071_19806f5064_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pgSWm8)a small bit missing (https://flic.kr/p/2pgSWm8) by Macabe Thiele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187487200@N03/), on Flickr
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A few ideas to try, thanks. I did have to rub it down with abrasive as was quite rough (as most things were on Lazarus) so will experiment and report.
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Got to be honest here and say I always hated the plastic chainguard on the 500, looked cheap and tacky to me. When the 550F came out with a chrome one the first thing I did was to see if I could get it to fit the 500 and pleased to say it does fit with a little modding. Never gone back to the plastic one and I severely doubt I ever will.
This is the only picture I can find with it fitted and even then it's not a great pic.
(https://i.postimg.cc/15KD9vfD/scan0001.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This was just after the bike being removed from the Utility room I mentioned in another thread, you can see the Atrium behind it, the room is to the right and the coal hole was to the left, the bike was wearing a very old seat and shocks just so I could sit on it, it's not even been on the road at this point. Notice the RD400 rear light, just so I could have 2 bulbs as the rear bulb always seemed to blow a lot. I got sick of not being seen from behind until I could replace it. Around 1979-80 this picture, where the bike is standing is now my bike garage/workshop, the Atrium is gone and is now part of the kitchen you can see through the back door, the coal hole is also now a part of the kitchen
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First thing I disliked about the 500 were the black fork gaiters & chain guard.
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First thing I disliked about the 500 were the black fork gaiters & chain guard.
What?! I love the gaiters! Gives the bike that classic no nonsense look and I have not had to renew one seal yet!
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First thing I disliked about the 500 were the black fork gaiters & chain guard.
What?! I love the gaiters! Gives the bike that classic no nonsense look and I have not had to renew one seal yet!
It’s well known that you have no taste though DR
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One man's meat is another man's ....
I know gaiters are retro but they just look like a crude after thought to me.
I liked bikes that had covered front suspension like my Aerial Leader iirc my 250 Dream had painted covers not black rubber gaiters that shout at you.😁😁😁
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It’s well known that you have no taste though DR
Well known? Well known?! What arrogance is that? Who do you represent besides you yourself then? Just look at the taillight of the UK's model CB500 and compare it to what the rest of the world had. You want to discuss taste?
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DR, you have as much taste as you do a sense of humour. Lighten up, it's just a bit of fun.
As for the rear light, Germany got a god damned awful one IIRC. The yanks got a huge one, way out of proportion, the UK one was just about right IMO.
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Bigger is better…size counts😁
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De gustibus non est disputandum, the ancient Romans already knew. Not that they were much into biking, mind you; I mean, the Vespa was still a wasp.
In all honesty, I never understood this craving to have the 'original' as the best. Nobody has been able to inform me what was so special about a sandcast engine block. I remember the then importer of HD's complaining about his dumb customers. HD had thought it wise to turn to lock nuts and this for a reason ofcourse. It rained complaints from customers: where had those lovely nuts gone which you'd need to refasten from time to time?! Same for our bikes. It's all a matter of taste. The ultimate judge is... you. I find the black chainguard modest and the chrome one over the top. I mean, why would you draw attention to such a banal part like a drivechain? When I bought my Koni rear shocks, another banal part, I opted for the black ones without the chrome covers and it looks lovely, because now the beautiful line of the exhausts comes out better. I have removed all amber plastics. BTW the PO had been of the same opinion. When the deal was done, he handed me them in a plastic bag. For years I have thought it was law to have them. Not so. Luckily CMSNL has the crossheads that were on the models destined for France and the reflectors are back in a plastic bag. Same for the blinkers: front lenses are clear with neutral bulbs (that flash amber though) and in the rear they are red, like I have seen them on CB500s in Malaysia and Singapore. Why would you have a ridiculous, inferior horn? You may find it blasphemy, but for years mine is hidden behind an instrument panel on my yacht, where it functions as an acoustical alarm for both overheating and oil pressure loss. In short: free yourself!
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In Latin, custodi comas Deltarider.
Translated as, keep your hair on Deltarider ;D
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Amber is the requirement of law in several countries
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Amber is the requirement of law in several countries
Easy enough...
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Just looks wrong! In my opinion. Great if it works for you DR.
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Those silver coated bulbs that illuminate as Amber are very handy.👍👍👍
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tried the heat gun method, did not work and made the plastic very soft. Having some other issues, see my Lazarus thread.
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Those silver coated bulbs that illuminate as Amber are very handy.👍👍👍
You have several of them. See pics.
If you dislike the amber side reflectors, know that some markets had white. In Germany some CB350Fs had them.
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But thats not the msrket we are talking about
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just noticed the heat must have been too much and the chainguard is now distorted. I may try reheating and try to straighten, ho hum.
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Yikes what a pain - call me chicken but that's why I left a small top dent as it was.
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You could always find another or go the chromed guard off the 550 route