L Train
Scooter
Well, black betty went down...I loaned her to a buddy who laid her down on the left side at very low speed, almost a stop. I didn't witness the maneuver, but it sounds like he was attempt a low speed left hand turn, was going too wide, so he jacked the bars while applying the front brake. The bike pretty much came to a stop but his body and momentum were still turning left and he couldn’t hold it up.
My friend is OK, and the bike is fine with the exception of a few scratches. He wants to make things right by replacing everything that was damaged, but I have a hard time justifying the full expense to him if it’s not needed.
My question is can scratches be removed (sanded, polished, rubbed) out of aluminum and stainless steel? If so, how does one go about it?
The items damaged:
* Left front indicator lens - this will be replaced ~ $10.
* Clutch lever - very minor scratches on ball end. Would like to smooth out if possible vs. replacing with $30 new one.
* Left napoleon mirror - took most of the abuse, will be replaced ~ $32.
* Gear Shift Pin - the end of the pin which screws on the rubber peg is scratch. $6.50 to replace, but can easily live with this or sand if possible.
* Clutch cover - 1.5" scratch in the black crinkle coat - looks like the gear shifter flexed causing it to push against the case marking the upshift. Oddly enough, the lever itself is not bent and it appears to be shifting fine, so I assume the shaft is OK. Replacement looks to be around $300. Not sure what a repaint would run. Might end up filling in with a sharpie.
* Kick stand - scratched. Can’t tell when its up, hard to notice when its down. Rattle can to fix is better than a ~ $72 replacement.
* Left Dominator pipe - thumbnail sized raspberry just at the apex of the reverse cone. No dent, just a hash mark type of scratch. Of all the damage, this is the one that gets me the most. It’s the most noticeable. Since they are stainless steel, I think they can be fixed, but I’m not sure how. The thought of forking over $525 for a new set of cans to replace a dime size scratch on one seems outrageous.
Thankfully the spill was low to no speed. Also having the bars jack-knifed left the Napoleon out there to take the bulk of the impact. While all the damage is pretty much just scratches and while I don’t have nor want a show bike, scratches are scratches and they will always be staring back at me.
Any advice on fixing procedures (if possible) is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
L Train
My friend is OK, and the bike is fine with the exception of a few scratches. He wants to make things right by replacing everything that was damaged, but I have a hard time justifying the full expense to him if it’s not needed.
My question is can scratches be removed (sanded, polished, rubbed) out of aluminum and stainless steel? If so, how does one go about it?
The items damaged:
* Left front indicator lens - this will be replaced ~ $10.
* Clutch lever - very minor scratches on ball end. Would like to smooth out if possible vs. replacing with $30 new one.
* Left napoleon mirror - took most of the abuse, will be replaced ~ $32.
* Gear Shift Pin - the end of the pin which screws on the rubber peg is scratch. $6.50 to replace, but can easily live with this or sand if possible.
* Clutch cover - 1.5" scratch in the black crinkle coat - looks like the gear shifter flexed causing it to push against the case marking the upshift. Oddly enough, the lever itself is not bent and it appears to be shifting fine, so I assume the shaft is OK. Replacement looks to be around $300. Not sure what a repaint would run. Might end up filling in with a sharpie.
* Kick stand - scratched. Can’t tell when its up, hard to notice when its down. Rattle can to fix is better than a ~ $72 replacement.
* Left Dominator pipe - thumbnail sized raspberry just at the apex of the reverse cone. No dent, just a hash mark type of scratch. Of all the damage, this is the one that gets me the most. It’s the most noticeable. Since they are stainless steel, I think they can be fixed, but I’m not sure how. The thought of forking over $525 for a new set of cans to replace a dime size scratch on one seems outrageous.
Thankfully the spill was low to no speed. Also having the bars jack-knifed left the Napoleon out there to take the bulk of the impact. While all the damage is pretty much just scratches and while I don’t have nor want a show bike, scratches are scratches and they will always be staring back at me.
Any advice on fixing procedures (if possible) is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
L Train
