by Richard Serra

Created on: June 09, 2008

Restoring a bike can be therapeutic instead of stressful, and it all depends on how you approach the project.
Can't be in a hurry, and you can't scatter your attention all over the bike, because this leads to less than what the restoration could be.

It can be compared to trying to clean up a totally cluttered basement in that you can get overwhelmed unless you start in a corner and methodically work your way through the rest of the basement.

This is also the case when restoring a bike, and unless you take all the parts off the bike that can be easily taken off and replaced later, the restoration will not be at its best. A full restoration which includes re-chroming, paint and all other components being replaced that are unreasonable can cost quite a bundle.

However, a bike that is original can be taken apart in the fall, taking considerable care and attention to how you removed the pieces so that it will all go back together in the same way.
Once you have all the removable parts (everything except the engine) taken off, keep them separate from each other just as they are on the bike.

In other words, parts from the rear of the bike separate from the front components etc. Taking all the parts off serves you in two ways. First it will allow you much better control, and more time devoted to each part when you can do the cleaning standing up or sitting at a work table rather than causing knee and back pain because of being hunched over working on the parts attached to the bike.

Second, it allows you to spend more time and attention to each part, and once each is cleaned up as best it can be, you can decide whether it will be good enough, or whether you should send the part out to be re-chromed or painted. Keep what is good enough aside, and then farm out the pieces you want redone, and wait till you get the pieces back before replacing all the parts back onto the bike.

There are many great chrome cleaning/polishing agents to choose from, but it's what you apply the polish with that will provide the best results. A very fine, and I'm talking the finest steel wool that you can buy will do the trick as far as removing oxidized chrome and even slightly rust color from the chrome being exposed to condensation and drying over a period of time.

Each piece should get a going over until all oxidation and rust is removed. If the chrome has a lot of micro pits that make the chrome look dull in sunshine, you may opt to re-chrome. Take each of the nuts and bolts and buff them with a

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