Top yoke

[Flak]

My top yoke is pretty rank and has been since I got the bike a few years ago and frankly, it's about time I did something about it.

What have you done? Polish or paint?

[misterjayb1]

I have polished them before now, but then again I dont mind the upkeep of polished parts.. Powdercoat is the proper route imo.. A top yoke protector may also be the solution to the inevitable keyring rash 

[joebloggs]

Wire wool along the grain works well

[celticdog]

This is also on my to do list, i'm going to go for a shot blast finish. God knows when i'll get round to it, i'll change the head race tapers at the same time tho'.

[Flak]

I have polished them before now, but then again I dont mind the upkeep of polished parts.. Powdercoat is the proper route imo.. A top yoke protector may also be the solution to the inevitable keyring rash 

Powdercoat is a good idea but too much of a faff for me. I think ordinary paint would start flaking off eventually though.

[Flak]

Wire wool along the grain works well

That's not a bad idea and now I'm wondering how a quick touch on a linisher or belt sander would look?

[joebloggs]

Seen a yoke sprayed with wrinkle paint that looked great

[RMT1983]

Just a couple of top yokes that ive polished for the 1000's............... id be happy to do yours for a small fee for parts and labour of course

[joebloggs]

Wire wool along the grain works well

That's not a bad idea and now I'm wondering how a quick touch on a linisher or belt sander would look?

Belt sander sounds a little aggressive, a couple of seconds with that and you could spend hours trying to polish out the deep scratches. Unless you're polishing I'd go with the least abrasive method possible.

[Flak]

Just a couple of top yokes that ive polished for the 1000's............... id be happy to do yours for a small fee for parts and labour of course

That polished one looks great, must have taken ages.

[Flak]

Decided to tackle this today. The casting is really soft so just used some 800 wet or dry going with the grain for the original look.

[Flak]

Not completely perfect but much better.

[joebloggs]

 

[His Dudeness]

Nice job. The same treatment works well on the forks

[Flak]

I'll see your  and raise you a  .

  .

[Flak]

Nice job. The same treatment works well on the forks

What?  Are you trying to make work for me?

[Bretty]

Did you literally just 800grit it?

Any lacquer or coating?

I would be tempted to do this to my forks, but assume they will just corrode again, only quicker.

[His Dudeness]

Sand them and a few coats of lacquer. Should last a couple of years

[Flak]

Did you literally just 800grit it?

Any lacquer or coating?

I would be tempted to do this to my forks, but assume they will just corrode again, only quicker.

I was in two minds whether to lacquer it or not, I even had some in stock. In the end, I decided not to. The bike is my winter hack/wet bike so time will tell how long it lasts. I'll update the thread in a year or so.

The fork bottoms definitely need to be lacquered as they are right in the salt-zone. (Unless you never ride in the wet of course).