Jennifer's Makeover

[Woodsy]

Looking good flyboy! Wow you actually get replies from Ashley at Boulevarde ive been waiting 2 months for them to send me a paypal invoice so i can buy my parts

 

[Flyboy]

Thanks Woodsy, nah, not yet, hoping to on Tuesday though when Ashley gets into work, sounds like I shouldn't hold my breath from what you tell me.

 

[Woodsy]

he replied to me quite quickly initially, but when i asked if the parts were readily available all communication stopped from them

 

[Guest]

he replied ...

If Ashley that you talked to is a "he" then there's your explanation for why the communication stopped - Ashley that works there now is a "she"

 

[Woodsy]

i dont think i called them a he or a she in emails though...

 

[ged]

Emailed parts list and got reply back straight away from Ashley with total price plus $40 shipping cost. Paypal completed and now awaiting response re order and shipping details. Bad time of the year posting things around the place, I didnt like ordering before new year but the price of parts are about 10% cheaper whilst on the 3 day sale.

Also slightly cheaper than partshark during the sale.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Pete, we try buddy, we try, but just a little inside info, that tail is as good as it gets, paint is going on there, no doubt my guide coat will have a few surprises and have me back with sanding block in hand, which is not half as much fun as .........never mind, Oi, what you doing here anyway, havn't you got a bike to ride?
Sod off now, shoooo, go ride that nice bike of yours, out, shooo, out, out out.

Hahahaha I do Stan, I do indeed! And I did today too

Commuted to work and took a lunch time ride as well, I'm lovin' having her back on the road

he replied to me quite quickly initially, but when i asked if the parts were readily available all communication stopped from them

Josh, try sending a fresh email, no previous replies or anything. I had those issues once and it turned out my emails were going to her SPAM folder. A fresh email with no previous text in it went through and I got success. That was a very frustrating two weeks... I think contributing to it was I listed the part descriptions as well as part numbers, and one item was a nipple...

 

[Guest]

one item was a nipple...

So, be careful not to order a pet cock !

Or, a shaft !

 

[Guest]

So, be careful not to order a pet cock !

Or, a shaft !

Hahahaha indeed! My next order was for the fuel cock... I just used part numbers :-\\\

 

[Flyboy]

Little update time, I have not been very busy on Jennifer over the Christmas/New Year period, just inikering really, with little odds and ends, nothing really news or picture worthy.
Just making sure I get something done to keep the steam roller going.

Woodsy, you and me both, yet to hear back from Ashley at Boulavard Suzuki after sending her an email during the sale, oh well, so much for that...
Scratch that off the vendors list.

Just been assembling the rear fender back together and buffed up the turn signal lenses, as they were really dull and scratched from old age, but otherwise good, so I saw no need buying new ones.

Before and after, photos don't really do justice.

I know this is probably old news to most the folks on his forum, but I figured they may be a few folk who would like to refresh thier plastic/Acrylic lenses back to new and save a few bucks by not having to buy new ones.
So I did a little photo essay as I went along for those who are interested, it is pretty easy and cheap enough.

The whole idea is to sand out the scratches and the old oxidised top layer to get down to new material, or level out the scratches, not unlike wet sanding and polishing a paint job.

Firstly you need;
Bucket of clean water, with a squirt or two of Simple Green in it
Wet and dry Sand paper, various grades
Sanding block
Polish
Elbow grease
Time

I use four steps as I am too lazy to use more, and it works just fine
I start with 360grit wet/dry for initial sanding, this will take off the outter layer and remove most imperfections without taking forever and without scratching the plastic too deeply.
Followed by 600 grit to clean up the 360 grit scratches.
Followed by 1000 grit and finaly finish off with 1500 grit.
All sanding is done wet.
From left to right...360 600 1000 1500 polish.

My favorite sanding block is a piece of high density foam, which works extremely well and is dirt cheap.
It is flexible enough to follow contours and sturdy enough to flat large straight areas.
Mine is about 5 inche long, 2 inches wide and about 1 inch thick, which makes it a perfect size for half a sheet of wet/dry.

Start with a full sheet of wet/dry, fold it in half, from left to right, not from top to bottom, this will give you the perfect size, cut in two pieces.

Wrap the wet/dry around the sanding block, it ia laways best to leave it in the water for a while to soften up and permiate right through first, about 10-15 minutes is fine.

 

[Flyboy]

Now you are ready to start sanding with your first grit, the 360.
Sand the lense uniformaly untill all scratches and imperfection are removed, and the lense now has a hazy dull white appearence.

Once you are satified that the lense is uniform and all scratches and imperfections have been removed, repaet with 600 grit, 1000 grit and finaly 1500 grit.
Hours of sanding are not neccasary, about 5 - 10 min with each grit is fine, the plastic sands down pretty quick.

Warning: If you want to retain the Suzuki OEM wording moulded into the lense, inclding the DOT certification, don't do this, all wording will be removed by the sanding.

Here it is, ready for polish after 1500 grit

Final stage is to now hit the lense with your favorite polish, Mothers/Adams/Maguires, any good haze and swirl remover will do.
You can do it by hand with a clean microfiber cloth, but it takes a long time and I told you, I am lazy, so I break out the dual action polisher and give it two runs over with a foam pad and swirl and haze remover.

If you using a DA polisher, don't apply much pressure , just the weight of the polisher is enough, don't let it get hot, it is plastic after all.
If you polishing by hand, put on a DVD and park yorself down for an haou and a half with the polish in front of the TV, when the movie is finished, you should be done too.

Took me about two hours total to do these three lenses today, and they look as good as they did when they were still in thier little red Suzuki packets.

Not all can be saved

Hope it helps some one.

 

[Guest]

Great write up Flyboy. As I was reading your post my mind was already asking the question of "how" and sure enough, you delivered. Thanks again passing along the knowledge.

I, like yourself, try and get something done, however little, every day. That way it never turns into a box of parts that ends up as a for sale, unfinished project.

Sci85

 

[Flyboy]

Also got around to getting a start on the storage locker under the tailpiece today, as well as the rear caliper.

Here is the sorry state of affairs we start with.

I scrubbed it down with Cleen Green and a toothbrush, removed all the dirt and grime, now am a little stumped on how to strip all the paint off without hurting the plastic, any ideas are welcome here.

Got the rear caliper stripped, and was pleasently surprised by what I found.
Apart from one of the allen bolts that hold the two halfs together stuck solid and giving me an hour long fight, which it lost in the end, the pistons and bores look clean as a whistle, pulled the pistons right out with no effort at all.
Not bad for 5 years of standing

 

[GateKeeper]

Great write up....

A little bit of super glue on that last one, and you might be able to get it good enough to be put back, if you have all the broken parts...

and that last piston on the left looks like someone used pliers or something to get it out, some teeth marks in it, good thing it's on the outside lip....

 

[Flyboy]

Thanks guys, GK not worried about that lense, I have a set of long stalk units lying at Dale's place which I will need for the front to clear the S fairing, so there will be a good lense there.
Yes, i see the marks you are refering to, that would be from pushing the piston back with a screw driver during pad changes, and being a bit ham fisted.
This is the first time these pistons have come out of these calipers since they were assembled 30 years ago.

 

[GateKeeper]

I think I will change up my side marker lights, if I can find what I am after, probably something similar to these

 

[Redneck]

I have those marker lights on my bike GK I really like them. Low profile when you are not using them but plenty bright enough to be seen when you are using them.

Flyboy things are looking good. Saw your seat coming along in the other thread. Glad to see things moving along for you. I think if I finish my hand controls tomorrow that I am going to delve int ot my brake calipers also.
Keep up the good work the turn signal lenses look great.

Paul

 

[Matchless]

A
I scrubbed it down with Cleen Green and a toothbrush, removed all the dirt and grime, now am a little stumped on how to strip all the paint off without hurting the plastic, any ideas are welcome here.

Stan,
Try some brake fluid to get that paint off.

You can also get a replacement rubber kit for a BMW car at Midas that has the exact size rubber seals for the caliper pistons, if your outer dustcover is still OK.

 

[rustybronco]

Also got around to getting a start on the storage locker under the tailpiece today, as well as the rear caliper.

I scrubbed it down with Cleen Green and a toothbrush, removed all the dirt and grime, now am a little stumped on how to strip all the paint off without hurting the plastic, any ideas are welcome here.

Let me see if the compartment is the same as the 'old' one from my 78. if it is, you are welcome to it. Steve (sedelen) gave me a spare 79 tail piece and I'm using the trunk from it on my 78.

Thanks guys, GK not worried about that lense, I have a set of long stalk units lying at Dale's place which I will need for the front to clear the S fairing, so there will be a good lense there.

You have three lenses 'in stock' to choose from.

 

[Guest]

Stan, your patience is astounding and the results of your work amazing... now I've gotta try to find some time to do that to my tail light lense as it's a bit on the old and beat up side of things... it was an eBay score and is very "out there" they way I have it installed so I really should make it a little nicer to look at...

Glad to see your calipers are in good shape, and as for your parts from Boulevard, Ashley has now joined the GSR so you can PM her to get your email issues resolved She's simply "Ashley" on here...