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1Back to top Go down   Make those switches look like new Empty Make those switches look like new Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:02 pm

barryt

barryt
Silver member
Silver member
When I got my bike, the switches had all faded in color and looked very tired - red had become a faded purple and so on.

So here is a nice trick I stumbled upon by accident to restore them to an "as new" looking condition (and you can do it nice and leisurely one Sunday afternoon - very rewarding outcome) :

My switches looked like this to start with:

Make those switches look like new Dsc01310

    

barryt

barryt
Silver member
Silver member
Don't try taking these apart and painting them - I tried it without success - but perhaps I didn't try hard enough...Wink

What I did notice by chance however, was that when I scratched one of them with something sharp - the original color came through a bit!

They are made of some hard sort of rubber (I hate to say plastic, because plastic seems usually to be a lot harder and brittle than the "rubber" the switches are made of.

Through the passing of years, this "rubber" the switches are made of appears to get discolered by the sun and the elements and loses its original grandeur.

I tried scratching very gently on the surface with a flat screw-driver, and to my amazement it started coming nice again!

(Note, VERY gentle scrapes - you don't want to destroy your switches!).

Also, I tried fine grained sand-paper (water paper actually) but this just seemed to make more a mess of things.

So, with patience and gentle "scrapes", I did this all over each switch:

Make those switches look like new Dsc01311



Last edited by barryt on Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:13 pm; edited 3 times in total

    

barryt

barryt
Silver member
Silver member
The results speak for themselves, and very rewarding! ... Wink

It took me about 30 minutes to do all the switches inclusive:

Make those switches look like new Dsc01312

    

Crazy Frog

Crazy Frog
admin
admin
Nice job, but there is an easier solution (no need to scrape)
I am using Pledge which is a furniture cleaner. It works well for the saddle bags and the inside of the fairing too.
You can use any plexiglass or plastic cleaner.


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Make those switches look like new Frog15Make those switches look like new Logo2101986 k75, 1985 K100rt, 1985 K100rt/EML GT2 sidecar, 1999 K1200lt/Hannigan Astro Sport sidecar.
    

Guest

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Guest
I too use a spray cleaner. It's called Mequiar's Motorcycle Mist & Wipe Detailer, didn't cost much from the local auto parts supplier, and works a charm on painted surfaces as well. Armor-All does a similar job on the 'plastic' surfaces, but the sheen doesn't last as long.

    

blaKey

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Life time member
Life time member
Try 303 Aerospace Protectant and you'll never go back to Armor-All.
It's the duck's guts.

Good work Bazza, the switches came up a treat.


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Neil
K100RS 1986 RED!

Dress for the ride and the potential slide.
    

Guest

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Guest
On the switchgear I use WD40 or similar, it brings the original colours out a treat as well as lubricating and protecting the working parts.

    

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