Fork reconditioning

The coating is soft plastic. Use commercial paint stripper you can get at any hardware store. The plastic coating comes right off then you wet sand and polish. Comes out great.

650ed wrote: Has anyone tried powder coating the fork legs with clear or metallic silver? Any idea on how well powder coat would hold up? Ed

I'm looking into getting a pair anodized. That should give a very durable finish.

mtbspeedfreak wrote:

650ed wrote: Has anyone tried powder coating the fork legs with clear or metallic silver? Any idea on how well powder coat would hold up? Ed

I'm looking into getting a pair anodized. That should give a very durable finish.

TCR Wheels out in CA does forks. Prices on their site, I just sent out some rims to be redone. The price includes polishing.

Most shops here in Texas use glass bead, looks like fine white powder. Its much harder to hurt aluminum with glass beads. Any tool truck can get them for you. Snap-on Matco and cornwell, all those guys have it. Far safer than sand blasting. Often if held to long or too course, it will roll the aluminum over the other aluminum, not good. Ive seen some factory clear coat sooo tough, aircraft stripper wouldnt touch it.

KZJOE900 wrote:

Knowmad wrote: What product can be used to strip the original clear coat off. I have two KZ1Ks, a 77 and a 78, the 78 has chrome lowers which are or course easy to maintain, the 77 I want to strip and polish.

I would think Aircraft Remover would do the job. Maybe someone here could confirm if it does or not.

I used the aircraft stripper in the aerosol can - Klean-Strip brand. It took a couple of applications but if you use a soft brush and higher pressure hose nozzle it lifts it really nice. Then use a sisal buffing wheel with the proper compound. The sisal wheel cleans them up really fast and leaves a factory looking finish on them - meaning polished not mirror like. I then used some autosol to clean them up by hand. I have left mine unfinished.