motorcylce: trying to make it perty, the canister

gnahc79

New member
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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! :)
 
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?
 
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