75 850T question

[TriumphFetish]

Hello all,

After a lengthy pause I am back to restoring my 850T. I stripped the forks on my bike which were painted with silver paint from the band with the eagle down. My parts bike forks are painted black from the band down. Are the forks supposed to be painted at all? I've searched but have had no luck on finding a definitive answer. Thanks in advance.

Eric

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

If you strip the paint (and filler) from them and the finish is rough, then they were supposed to be painted. If they're smooth, then they were supposed to be polished.

[TriumphFetish]

That makes sense! Paint it is! Thank you sir!

[fotoguzzi]

You can polish the lower fork legs and they look nice.

[1down5up]

Any tips on polishing the round legs without creating flatspots that then look funny when reflecting.

What grit paper did you start an finish on? And did you wet sand or dry sand?

[frozengoose]

Are the forks supposed to be painted at all? I've searched but have had no luck on finding a definitive answer. Thanks in advance.

Eric

Here's a shot of the forks on my 1975 T. As far as I know, I've had the bike for thirty years and bought it from the second owner, the forks have always been painted silver.

[fotoguzzi]

Mine were painted silver too.. I don't know what was done to polish them up, I took to a shop to have it done, I think cost was $60. For both.

[Groover]

I used a paint that I think matches very well to the original color that has just a bit of age:

Dupli-Color - Stainless Steel SS100 - (Enamel Ceramic)
Dupli-Color - Clear DE-1636 - (Enamel Ceramic)

[moto-uno]

  ^^ FotoGuzzi , that's one sweet machine you have there  , Peter