About the side engine covers (called heads?)

[William_86]

You know the valve covers those big heads with the big 1200 writen on each side of the engine heads... well are those made or steel? or aluminium.. i want to polish them but the chrome seems to be old or dunno how to explain to you but it is not shiny.. i already tryed to polish it a but it doesn't seem to get shiny again only on the parts that the chrome is alive.

[Guest]

From what I've been told, they are aluminum alloy and can be polished to an almost chrome-like lustre. Apparently, you have to remove the factory coating first with paint remover or something like it. Then you can polish and re-coat with a clear.

[SIR tricky]

As above....
carefull with the paint remover.
Mothers billet polish.
Yes expensive but keeps my fork tubes shiny.

[roscoepc]

Mothers Billet polish? Is that simular to the aluminum polish or something different??

[SIR tricky]

It comes in a small round can.

Page 5 in their catalogue

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[Guest]

I used a buffer with a tube of "Autosol" hard work by hand, the buffer eased the work, but it takes time and repeated buffing. When done it's like new if there aren't too many pits.
I use this on everything, it really makes the front forks shine like chrome.

[SIR tricky]

The pictures might not show how well the Mothers polish works, I didnt use the Billet polish but the Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish I got it from Walmart about $8.00 or so.

You can see the difference between old and new by comparing the Trac anti dive mechanism and the main fork

Once the paint is removed it doesnt really take too much elbow grease.





Seeing the small amount of polish I used to do the job I don't think I will be needing another can for a while.