motorcylce: trying to make it perty, the canister

[gnahc79]

the previous owner lowsided the bike, so there`s 2-3 scuffs and scratches on the steel canister (fairings too, but those are a lost cause). What`s the best way to minimize them? Is it even possible? I have a PC and a dinky dremel.



btw, I thought about replacing it with a used OEM exhaust or even an aftermarket slip on, but I don`t want to spend that kind of money for only cosmetic (vs functional) damage.

[2wheelsx2]

Use a metal polish on it. You should be able to shine it up pretty good, but it`ll have a scar on it.



Or you can go to a dealer and see if they have any takeoffs (from people getting a pipe) and sell it to you cheaper.



What bike is it? If it`s a sportbike, it should be easy to get a takeoff.

[gnahc79]

yeah, it`s a Katana. I`ll give it a go with some metal polish and see how it looks. Thanks!

[LOTA OT]

Doubt you`ll be able to get rid of the scar completely, but you can minimize it by filing in flush with the surface and smoothing it out a bit. Then as others said, use a metal polish and make it shiney. May need to use some polishing compounds and a buffing wheel.



Not sure how the katana can is mounted, but is it possible to rotate it so the damage is on the inside? I know you can do this with most slip-ons, but the stock can might be permanantly in one position. If you get a slip-on, you`d have to hack off the stock can anyway, so you might be able to do that, and rig something to hide the damage.



Michael

[admac]

usually the canister`s outlet it turned downward. i`ve heard of people drilling out the rivets and turning it outer shell around and re-riveting the pieces to put the bad side in.



you might be able to just do progressive sanding on it with 400 -> 800 grit papers. most oem canisters have a brushed finish anyway.

[gnahc79]

I can`t rotate the canister since the OEM canisters are flattened at the base. I got some EO never dull (sp?) and it helped with the lighter scratches a lot. The deeper ones don`t look much better, so some 400 & 800 sandpaper may be in order. I`ll post pics if I decide to do the sandpaper thing. thanks! :)

[gnahc79]

here`s a pic of an `03 (same as my `01 for the most part):

[2wheelsx2]

The little flat spot is to help increase clearance. The Kan-o-tuna has pretty poor ground clearance.



Good job on fixing up the scratches!:up



Is the body work new from the drop, or do you have to work on that still?