My Busa Overhaul

[MLSDUKE1]

Oh GOD No! If it was steel, I'd be all over it. Been welding since I was a sophmore in high school (ag class). But aluminum? With me on top of and relying ON it? Hell No! LOL, no no no no no. There's a company in town that is just for welding stuff like farm equipment and whatnot. No, THEY'LL be doing it, NOT I! LOL

If your welding the swingarm, and have never welded aluminum I would highly recommend letting the shop do it. If the temp isn't just right it could end very badly. Remember the 2007 GSXR1000 recall on the frames splitting apart. The temp was too cold and didn't actually fuse the aluminum, the weld just sat ontop, but it looked great on the outside.
To each his own, but I have welded all types of steel for more than 10 years and I would not weld my own aluminum swing arm and I have access to a aluminum welder.

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

As far as you have the bike apart, it is not much further to just pull the upper off, instead of having to mask around everything to paint. Your paint job will come out better, as well if it is off...

 

[MLSDUKE1]

I figured keeping the upper on would be fine since I'm airbrushing instead of using my HVLP. Since I'm using such a low pressure with my Iwata, I don't think overspray will be bad there. As for the rest, I'm going to do layers with my HVLP and then finish with airbrushing.

I have some parts I'm willing to trade if anyone has a lowering top clamp for the forks.

ALSO: I HAVE ACCESS TO LASER ENGRAVERS AND HAVE HAD MANY HOURS OF TRAINING ON IT!!! I'M WILLING TO DO WORK TO TRADE FOR PARTS!!! Just let me know what you have to be engraved, what you want on it, etc. PM me, we'll set up the shipping and arrangements. I CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

OH, if you've ever seen a polished and engraved 105mm shell from the AC-130H Gunships, I do those too (I can't just give you one but I can do the polishing and engraving)

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Anyone got spare, black, good (like new or new), parts? Hit me up. I need some rearsets. If anyone is tight with some of our sponsors that will extend me some credit for parts, tell them to hit me up

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Bump!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Welp, I'm the only one posting on this anymore so I'm gonna keep it going as a personal milestone/blog/thing for myself lol.

Anyway, I bought the first pint of paint for her today. Toyota's Twilight Amethyst. Deciding on the second color now. Gotta choose a loud one. Wish me luck

 

[MLSDUKE1]

I'm still looking for the lowering triple clamp. If someone has one, please pm me!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Painted some parts today. Only got 1 drip and the white spot you see in the last pic has been taken care of. These pics were after the first coat.

I first sanded/wire wheeled/sanded the parts. The sand paper was 320 grit. I then cleaned them with brake cleaner as clean as I could possibly make them.

I used a self etching primer (white) with 3 coats, 30 minutes between each coat and 1000 grit sanding between each coat.

I then used Dupli-Color metallic black. 2 coats so far, will sand with 2000 grit and put a 3rd coat on tomorrow.

Last, I'm applying 5 coats of Dupli-Color clear. 4 coats because I like to do extremely stupid thin coats of clear and sand between coats.

Lemme know what you think! Comment Comment Comment!! Good or bad, I LOVE advice!

P.S. The pic of the swingarm is because I cleaned it and I'm taking it to some guys in town that SPECIALIZE in aluminum welding. IF the price is right, I'm getting the hump cut off along with the braces. Then I'm painting it (because the powder coaters here are thieves and want WAY TOO MUCH effing money) with the same paint as above.

 

[GIXERHP]

Very nice, but why did you not remove the rubber exhaust donuts before you painted them?

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

I was wondering that as well!

I wouldn't put thin coats of clear on and sand them. Too easy to sand through, unless you have several, thin coats on first

 

[StrtRac3r]

Parts look good. What's goin on with the plastics so far. Saw the taping a while ago...

 

[MLSDUKE1]

I left the donuts in the holes because......... uh............... Yup.

The plastics haven't been started yet because the white paint I'm buying comes with an orange/red pearl and is expensive.

As for the clear, I'm not sanding between the first 3 coats. 3rd coat on is where I'm sanding.

The parts came out good EXCEPT for the links. The paint had several minor defects because I didn't cover them up in time. They got little pieces of crap in them so I wire wheeled them about 10 mins ago and sprayed a new coat of primer.

I'll update in a lil while.

On the swingarm - it is now at the place in town. Told him what I wanted, he quoted fiddy. Not bad.

 

[GIXERHP]

Now on the swing arm, i hope he clamps it to a bench, because it will twist when he weld the plate on the top!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

I hope so too, for him. If he doesn't, he's buying me a new swingarm!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Ok, I'm working on the frame with paint. Gonna do it the same way that I'm doing the swingarm. With the paint that you see above. To prep the frame, should I just sand it with my 320 grit before primer or should I use the wire wheel drill apparatus I have? Just don't know what to do!!!

 

[GIXERHP]

The anodizing suks to break thru!

Try scuffing it with the 320 grit, or go to your paint supply shop and tell them what you are working on!

SEMS product has a spray that will make paint stick to any thing!

But im not sure if you can get SEMS near you!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

I'll ask them tomorrow. The paint guys seems to know his stuff pretty well. If only there was something to put on it that ate the anodizing off to get back to the bare metal

 

[GIXERHP]

There are ways to do it with out stripping it down to metal!

Like i said SEMS has a product that makes paint stick to any thing!!!!!

 

[MLSDUKE1]

Stop yelling, geez. I get it. I'll ask them as soon as I can