finish on rear (aluminum) shock mount plates

[nc_rider]

What is the finish supposed to be on the aluminum upper shock mount plates?

I have a '64 CA77 that had some silver paint on these parts and I've cleaned them and found that the aluminum still shows the slight defects (like wrinkles) from the casting process. They were never polished.

... but I have a '65 (I think..) CA77 that was obviously polished and clear coated. The clear coating is now yellowed in places. Were these parts polished from the factory, or did a PO do that?

If the plates on the '64 are supposed to be painted do they get the same silver as the engine cases?

[G-Man]

My '62 C72 has those parts clear coated and the bike has laid undisturbed since the late '60s

G

[nc_rider]

My '62 C72 has those parts clear coated and the bike has laid undisturbed since the late '60s

G

and they are polished?

[e3steve]

I've never seen those plates, on Dreams & Baby Dreams, anything other than bare, untreated alu. Polishing is a process that's left to personal taste. I like to see alu highly polished (except engine casings) and laquering, as long as it's carried out properly, offsets the chore of continual repeat-polishing.

[nc_rider]

I've attached a pic of the polished one. I don't know the history on the bike, but there's nothing else on it that's polished that is normally unpolished.. so it would be kind of odd for someone to take just these two parts off and polish them up professionally. I've also found a couple of other CA77s that are in collections/museums (see the pic of the red bike) that show these parts polished. That leads me to believe at least some came from the factory this way.

the '64 is the one I'm more concerned about. I've cast a lot of aluminum and know that these parts have never been polished. So do they get a clear coat over unpolished, or do they get painted with the silver paint that matches the engine? They had what looked like rattle can silver on them... so I don't have much to go on.

[Hippykid]

I too am restoring a 65 CA77 and my bike also had the shock mounts polished-then clearcoated...
I used aluminum jelly (available at hardware stores) and progressive steel wool to remove the clearcoat and alot of elbow grease
and mine are
beautiful. I also polished the carb cover and it gleams!

[e3steve]

Engine casings, top & bottom, are bare -- not lacquered; as are the upper/rear shock mounts (fender supports), alternator & oil filter covers, points cover, Stanley taillight trim, winker housings, handlebar switch ass'ys, hubs & brakeplates and upper steering yoke (triple-tree).

Krylon Dull Aluminium-painted:

• Carb covers
  Clutch cover (engine left side casing)
  Kickstart cover (engine right side cover)
  Starter motor & end covers (not the spec plate?)
  Horn (not the spec plate)