Hi Everyone, I was given a spare set of handlebars with my 20inch SB45 recent purchase. The bars on the machine are a bit twisted and I was thinking of restoring this spare set. I have no idea how to go about it or if it can even be done in the current state, but would really appreciate some advice or direction about how to do this. I have included some pictures below. Also, is there anywhere I can get hold of some original looking handle grips, as the ones on the machine are a bit worn and look like they are just old bicycle grips. Wondering if anyone makes any new, original looking ones. I am absolutely blown away by the pictures of some of the restorations on this forum and I hope to perform a full restoration in time. This will be my first learning in the process and I would like to achieve a very high standard finish on the bars.
Sadly electroplating when left in the elements will break down rather quickly, especially the production style plating which doesn't have much copper applied as the base coat prior putting into the Nickel bath which builds up the plating thickness and base metal protection.
If you left the parts in the nickel bath as long as we used to do you'd go broke within a month.
I've seen some members here use scrunched up ally foil and water and rub it back and forth which is quite a long process, but some of the results are fabulous. I will say though that is not a long term answer as the areas where the plating has broken are exposed to the atmosphere and will continue to corrode as is the current state of the bars.
The only way to overcome the corrosive process is to totally chemically strip the old plating and then start the plating process all over again and thus seal the base metal. (alternatively paint) One thing I will say though is that this treatment is not as cheap as it used to be back in the 1970's when there were plating shops in every industrial complex. Now there are only a small handful of them left and this is due to the massive EPA regulations that govern this industry over the top, thus most of the plating is now done overseas in countries where they continue to be able to pollute the planet to no end.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Hi BB, Thanks for the information. I just made contact with a guy here in perth who said to bring them down and have a look at what he can do. Also, is it possible to buy grips that would suit the pressed type handles present with these bars? I see on the internet that there is plenty of grips advertised for the 45 model, but they look like they might be suited to a round bar. I stumbled across a thread from a couple of years ago where I think you were going to look into the possibility of authentic grip production. Did anything ever eventuate from your investigation? Do you think there is anyone who could make these up? Or do we just have to make do with the generic ones? Regards, Evo
Firstly my apology regarding forgetting that part of your previous post.
Yes you are spot on regarding all the round ones available. There's nothing on the market that's perfectly suited but you'll find that the more solid grips work ok with the flat pressed handle.
Now as far as what I was up to in trying to get some OEM grips remade it worked out that I could here in Adelaide but to make them cost effective I had to have thousands made and not hundreds and I was always somewhat skeptical about getting a return on my investment.
I have a good friend that wrote a book that he felt needed to be written before the subject person passed away that was only ever going to appeal to a limited market and he's still got a mortgage on his home over the publication of which he still has a few thousand left that would basically see him eventually only break even and never recoup the extra interest he's paying on his home loan that was originally debt free.
Thus the market for Model 33 ~ 45 Grips is just not big enough to justify unless you got them made offshore in say China etc.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
