Square motor makover, rounding of the fins?

[kckershovel]

Looks like I'm in the market for a pre 2001ish squarefin engine. 

[Murray]

I'll bet a "fin job" like that would look good with the rounded, organic lines of my Sport 1100 !!

Reduce the cooling on one of the highest output examples of the two valve motor from the factory ever built? Dunno about you but get caught in traffic on a warmish day (36 degrees C plus) and mine starts leaning out pretty quick.

[rocker59]

Reduce the cooling on one of the highest output examples of the two valve motor from the factory ever built? Dunno about you but get caught in traffic on a warmish day (36 degrees C plus) and mine starts leaning out pretty quick.

97.5 °F day?  Stuck in traffic?  Not this cowboy. 

You might find me in the pool like this 

Or, more likely indoors, enjoying the air conditioner and thinking how glad I am that I'm not stuck in traffic on a motorcycle!

Other than the afternoon work commute, I really don't ever have to deal with traffic.  One of the benefits of living in flyover country!

[ratguzzi]

Huey Lewis and the News. "It's hip to be square" !!
JB

[Dean Rose]

Reduce the cooling on one of the highest output examples of the two valve motor from the factory ever built? Dunno about you but get caught in traffic on a warmish day (36 degrees C plus) and mine starts leaning out pretty quick.

I just don't see how taking off that little bit to Round them off is going to effect cooling that much.

Dean

[T in NC]

I thought Pete said Guzzi's were over cooled anyway.

[Dean Rose]

I thought Pete said Guzzi's were over cooled anyway.

 ;-T


Dean

[blackcat]

Interesting discussion.   ;D  When I like round fins.  I take out the hack.  ;-T  I like square fins.  I take out the other bike.  My preference is the rounded look though.  :-*

Yeah, easier to just ride a round fin bike than making some change to a square fin bike. But, to each their own.

[Matt Story]

I have to say that I like the look of the rounded fins over the later square design.  It's not an issue for me since my 'luddite' bike (other thread) from the round era is already has the preferred aesthetic.

Lets say you have a square fin, and you want to make it 'rounder'.  It really is a matter of degree.  I personally like the examples that are less extreme in the material removal.

You could certainly go at your machine with an air grinder to get the job done.  That would be a pretty tedious project and difficult to be consistent.  Also, aluminum does not lend itself to grinding very well.  You end up consuming lots of loaded wheels/disc in the process.  I think the way to got is to machine the fins in a cnc mill.  In the process of developing your cut program, you might as well make a model of the end result, and you get to evaluate the model for how extreme you want to round things.  From there on, you can duplicate your work very easily.  The trick is having access to the technology with the key being the 3d modeling software.  The CNC machining sources are abundant.  HMB-Guzzi is certainly following a similar process.

How about this aesthetic?  First powder coat your heads/jugs.  Then CNC all the edges to bare aluminum?

Matt

[drums4money]

I think a little bit of rounding looks good.

Yowza!

[mach1mustang351]

I like it.  If I had a newer engine in old bike situation I would do it for sure.

[Petrus Rocks]

I like the contrasting color idea but powdercoating is an insulator.  Nice for a show bike.  Looking at the examples  shown, a large belt sander, coarse to finer belts, then dremel or bead blast the edges.  Use a flat edge to  keep the fins consistent.