CB125 Stealth bike - yay or nay?

[0ni]

Had the exhaust of the CB 125 and its fairly badly rusted in parts, that coupled with paint flaking off the panels and it just being generally poor cosmetic condition Im going to treat it to a 23rd birthday present.



Already decided on black as ive seen a couple of lovely examples.



3 Questions:

1) What preparation goes into the surface - I know it gets sanded but with what? (No "with sandpaper answers please" lol)

2) Metal tank, plastic side panels - can I use the same paint?

3) Should I paint the exhaust matt black? Go for uber stealth all black?

Thanks

oni

[stinkwheel]

I had a CB125TDC with all the plastics stripped off (including airboxes) painted matt black with a 'Melted' superman logo on the tank, home made 2-1 exhaust with removable baffle, square block trials tyres, 10" rise T-bars, highway pegs and a flyscreen made from an old open face helmet.

As I remember I slapped "Rustins wrought Iron Paint" straight over everything using a 3" brush without any preparation of the surfaces. I kept adding coats until it looked smooth when dry, if it got dirty or marked, slapped on another coat of thinned paint.

It looked the dogs danglies

It was inspired by this bike (a superdream!) which is called "Auntie Social"
https://www.ratbike.org/photos/y01honsd.jpg

Usefull link for all things matt black:
https://www.ratbike.org/rat-tech.html
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[0ni]

Have you got a picture of the old tdc? Its the tdc i've got - great little bike!
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[garth]

Preparation, none.

mask off the stanchions, and your headlight, and spray the rest, with cheap matt black from the 99p store.

For added effect, use olive drab paint, and go all military style on yo' ass!


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You ain't a has been if you never was

[0ni]

Cheers garth the matt dark green sounds ace.

Need to get some leafs for it, a bike with its own ghille suit!
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[0ni]

Ahh shite was just out to move the bike to take some good pictures of it for photoshop mockups and the front brake seems to have seized, its very difficult to get the front wheel to move - any advice stink?
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[stinkwheel]

Unbolt the calliper, push the piston back in, reattach....well that is what I would have done on mine but I suppose the correct answer would be to pump the piston nearly out and push back the dust sleeve. Then throroughly clean and polish any crud off the sides of the piston before pushing it back and refitting.

That is assuming yours has a hydraulic disc brake? If it is a cable operated one you need to take the cover off the side of the calliper and back off the ratchet a few turns.

I did take some pictures of mine but I have never developed them yet. The front end of it appears on page 35 of AWOL Winter 2001.

The bike finished its life in style by being thrown off a cliff then blown up (with explosives) for an amateur film
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Frost]

Smack the caliper with lump of wood to make sure it still floats. If that does it no good pump the pistons nearly out them scrub with wire wool.

New panels for them are pennies.
As a general rule though, if it can't be polished, spray it with heat proof black paint.

The only exception is the fuel tank which will need petrol resistant paint.

The exausts on mine rusted to nothing, but the previous owner bought it a 2 into 1 micron system. I think it looked ace!

[0ni]

Thanks for the help chaps, battered it with a hammer, loosened up a bit, then just rode round the car park till it was free.

Made it to b and q without chain tensioner screws which was an exciting ride (back wheel wiggling about!), got the screws on and everything appears to be normal.

Going to nip back down to the shops tomorrow to get some wet and dry sand paper and high temperature paint.

Everything apart from the number plate and lights is getting done
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[Dr Nick]

Rat bikes

Mate put a 130section tyre on his old Z200, rubbed the swinger, chain and sprockets the lot , cut the exhaust off at the downie, sounded like a beast, if it ever got dirty it got another spray of paint, and as he somehow got it through an MOT, Look at the front mudguard he gave it a coat of flourescent paint. It sadly died a few months ago, went to start it and the loom went up in smoke .
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is that it

[0ni]

That is a lovely piece of kit, especially the exhaust!

Not thinking of going as extreme yet, just a gradual as thinks break - paint them.

Going paint shopping tomorrow, nipping down to halfords for some brake fluid and will pick up a can of high temperature paint for the exhaust and a couple of tins for the tank and body.

Any ideas for a "rats tail", would need to be curly and pink?
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Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.

[0ni]

Haha just realised the rear tyre was looking a bit chunky - need to copy that if thats ok?

Hunting on ebay as we speak!
____________________
Its a lovely day, just wait until some bastard spoils it.