Hi ,with regard to cleaning all the engine etc what are my options?
Ive seen some are soda blasted ,I see wire cup brushes are also used .

what was the finish on the wheels and lower fork legs as standard?

I have a sand /soda blaster which im sure will come in handy on this one.

jlmk100 wrote:
what was the finish on the wheels and lower fork legs as standard?

Depends on which model you got.

Wheels: silver painted, exept SE models.
Legs: 83-85 unpainted, 86 on, satin black.

G'day jlmk100 , another member MikeP has posted on this , take a look at his posts , apart from the techniques mentioned I've used the sunlight/velvet soap & steel wool with great results

JR

Thanks for the replys I have found halos thread on restore very good .
I cant seem to find mike p post on ally any chance of a link?.

going back to the fork legs bare ally with a  laquer finish then?

https://www.k100-forum.com/t6604-will-i-never-learn

this is one of Mike's reno's , take a look through

JR

Many thanks JR.

Ya, every year I have to get in there and clean things up.   

Note, my bike is for commuting bike (in summer), and so this is really minimum maintenance as far as most owners are concerned. The bike looks really good for most of the year, but it's a continuous process to keep it looking clean and well-maintained:

1) Start with natural de-greaser (green cleaner) to get the surface(s) clean. 

2) Next, white vinegar to reduce any corrosion build-up. (note, this step is not going to work on already badly corroded parts, but will keep corrosion from building-up over time)

3) Finally, some aluminum polish to bring out the luster. Note: I'm currently using mag cleaner for aluminum polish because it is designed for unpolished surfaces. Lots of aluminum polishes on the market, but most are for polished surfaces and are too gritty.

Word of caution; Unless you're a professional re-finisher, avoid doing anything more like mechanical polishing (wire brushes, steel wool, etc.) as it will never look as good. 

Hope this helps.

P.S. Late '85 models came with painted front forks. I painted mine this year in part because they were so dingy looking, but also because I put on some '93 3-spoke rims complete with painted brake disks (interior painted) and so it would have looked odd otherwise.

AJ.Valente wrote:P.S. Late '85 models came with painted front forks.

And what do you consider as a late '85 model?

A few pictures will get more on as we go.

My parts bike, for one.

The production year for the next years models starts after the industry have finished the summer holiday and the start date is 1st of September.

Your spare parts bike which is produced 11/85, is a -86 model year.

Inge K. wrote:The production year for the next years models starts after the industry have finished the summer holiday and the start date is 1st of September.

Your spare parts bike which is produced 11/85, is a -86 model year.

OK. I didn't know.

Inge, my 91 LT ex police, has plain unpainted fork legs, also didn't have fuel or temp gauges and a fixed screen.

I would guess that the fork have been changed sometime earlier, missing gauges to keep the costs down, adjustable screen was first time available on K1100LT's.

Talking of forks where the forks polished alloy then laquer also what was the finish on the wheels silver paint?

The wheels were painted, usually silver some were black and some were white on special editions but all were painted as for the forks after 1985 I think they were all black and before were unpainted as they came from the foundry. The finish was raw but they may have been coated clear not sure on that.

Thanks Rick , my bike is an 83 sept build fork lowers are raw finish so i guess shine and laquer same with the fork clamps above .

Do we know what material the wheels are mag or alloy? paint is not an issue but the blast media would be if the wrong stuff used . 

AFAIK it's aluminium alloy but no magnesium content. I think magnesium is just too expensive nowdays to even consider it.