Angela Christina (modelmayhem.com/AngelaM) with Psycho Chrome’s RC Components Busa
Intro - Pg.6 Product news - Pg.7 Oz custom scene - Pg.10 SBD CBR1000RR - Pg.12 Rear seat “how to” - Pg.26 Blaze’s turbo ZX-10 - Pg.30 Wiki helmet article- Pg.40 Psycho Chrome’s Busa - Pg.44 Chrome article - Pg.56 Italian Bling - Pg.62
Editor: Lee Wallace lee@blingrockets.com Aussie Associate Editor: Matt Gittoes matt@blingrockets.com Associate Editor: Adam Canni adam@blingrockets.com Marketing and Promotions director: Jesse Fennell jesse@blingrockets.com
Contributors: Seats by Tommy Psycho Chrome H2o: Louis Grasse Street Bike Designs Isao “Blaze” Bugeater
BlingRockets, Issue no.2, August 2009 is digitally published monthly by BlingRockets.com. All rights in letters, all photographic submissions including but not limited to drawings, or any type of submission sent to BlingRockets will be treated as unconditionally assigned to copyright purposes and are subject to BlingRockets right to edit, title, and organize editorially and will become the property of BlingRockets. Copyright © 2009, digital publication originating from the USA
You’ll see that there is more to read in this issue, thanks to all those that contributed, we’re pressing forward and building some substance to this publication. Take a look at Matt G’s Oz custom scene write up. Adam Canni gave some insight into the development of one of Wiki Helmets latest lids, Louis Grasse fills us in on the real deal behind triple plate chrome. A new face to many, Seats by Tommy, explains how to get that passenger seat more low profile. All great stuff!
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the great feedback and support that was received from our first issue. It’s a tremendous motivation for me and is much appreciated. And, I do wish to apologize for this issue being a few weeks late. I’ve been hustling all over the place getting material for BR plus juggling all my other photographic obligations. We went to Miami for material on some upcoming special features and most importantly for material on Psycho Chrome’s RC Busa. This bike has already had a major feature in our favorite print magazine, it continuously is requested to participate in auto shows and still gets into the local Miami magazines on a regular basis but I felt that there were probably some new faces in our world that haven’t been able to enjoy this bike since it may have came around before their time. So here it is. I hope we’re displaying it to those of you that are already familiar with it in a new light, definitely with a new hot model.
I’ll leave you all with this: our most recent road trip took us to Kentucky where Street Bike Designs and McCoy MotorSports are located. The CBR in this issue was shot during a prior trip up there but this time we shot material for the next two covers/main features. Again, we got some material on bikes that have “already been seen” but similarly to this month’s Busa, we tried something new and did it for those that haven’t been in this industry within that last year or so. We did get a bike that will be a completely new sight to be seen though - keep an eye out for No.4’s cover bike. Be safe & I’ll see you on the forum. -Lee lee@blingrockets.com
Shinko 005 Advance Radial Tires A large block-type tread pattern makes the Advance an excellent all-around Radial tire, which offers exceptional braking, cornering, and acceleration characteristics. Specially designed tread grooves help to dissipate water efficiently on wet surfaces and Aramid belts enhance high-speed performance. An intermediate rubber compound helps enhance mileage and increase the wear life. The 005 Advance is offered in front and rear versions in most standard sportbike sizes, including a 240/40VR18 Fat rear. MSRP: $101.95–$182.95, $245.95 for 240/40VR18 For more information visit www.shinkotireusa.com
2009 R1 Adjustable Lowering How low do you want to go? Get just the right height on your ’09 R1 with a Roaring Toyz lowering link: five holes give you five levels of adjustment from 0.5-3 inches lower than stock. Quality design and engineering means you get both looks and durability, no matter how hard you ride. These CNC-machined lowering links come with OEM bearings and arrive ready for installation. www.buynowroaringtoyz.com Part Number: RTY726 Price: $99.99
Canni Design Inc. is proud to introduce its new “Venturi” splitter for the Kawasaki ZX-14. The “Venturi” splitters will enhance the appearance of any 2006-2009 ZX-14, while minimizing the aerodynamic turbulence and improving the flow of cool air entering the airbox. The “Venturi” is molded in solid urethane plastic and is available in black and silver clear coat paint and chrome finishes. The “Venturi” splitter utilizes 3M double face tape for a clean custom look that requires no special modifications or tools to install.
Pic: courtesy of Myrtle West
These bar mount switches are manufactured by BXP Machining which bolt onto your original brake assembly mounts and constructed from 6061 T6 aluminium and retail for AU$125.00 for a three button switch. Switch buttons are a momentary style but can include switching via latching relay for turning lights etc on and off, also can be used for led lighting, air ride suspension, general switching and this list goes on. A drag kill switch and lanyard is also available. For more info contact info@bxpmachining.com.au
Welcome to our first Australian Blingrockets contribution, while the Oz custom scene differs from the US we will endeavour to keep you up to speed on whats happening down here in Oz. Over the early years, customs were mainly Katanas of the 80s and race replica GSXR’s ZX7’s and the odd Ducati that were popular to modify, you would have never heard of sportbikes with chrome or drag style swingarms on streetbikes in these times. It was all about engines and racing although the first of the turbo bikes started making there way into the custom scene. Probably the most popular custom sportsbikes, from the darkness of the underground, emerged the Streetfighter. The Streetfighter scene in Australia seemed like it grew overnight with people building amazing bikes in there sheds with the majority of builds from crash damaged bikes by a lot of talented people. With the Streetfighter scene well and truly established we also saw our first pro builders come on the scene supplying custom streetfighter and sportbike parts by helping with builds or doing total complete builds. The sportbike scene is growing more and more with stretched, turbo and fat tyre bikes hitting the scene and the attention to presentation in paintwork becoming more apparent. 2005 saw a huge leap in both the sportbike scene and streetfighter scene with the first real quality 240 rear bikes modified and painted hitting the Aussie custom bike magazines which sparked a frenzy in both the sportbike and streetfighter scene. Which inspired new Pro built bikes from Ben Shaw at Extreme Creations with the “Judge” ZX9 Turbo, 250 rear tyre streetfighter pictured and amateur builds with more chrome, better paint, airbrushing, etc. with more of these bikes showing up at one time Harley dominated shows. 2007 to present Turbo bikes seem to be very popular and more and more fat tyre bikes coming out of the woodwork. Hayabusa’s, ZX14’s, etc. with added supply from custom suppliers accessing the US market for there products, and more bike nights appearing every few months. Its not uncommon these days to see stretched bikes, but not everywhere, there are areas for a certain style’s of bikes being Streetfighters, fat tyre bling machines, turbo bikes, stretched streetbikes, race replicas, not to mention air ride equipped bikes. With everything thats happening in the scene down here, I can see only one way for the Oz scene and thats up. Until next time, be safe and keep it right side up. Matt, Aussie associate editor matt@blingrockets.com
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Pics: courtesy of Ben Shaw, Extreme Creations
Words & Pics: BlingRockets Model: Deborah Murphy
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A crash in late 99’ made Randy Workman, the owner of Street Bike Designs, think twice about riding a streetbike for awhile, the potential risks on that Kentucky four lane just weren’t worth it. He never forgot about his first love though, a Honda Hurricane, and when the 06’ CBR1000RR came out he was stung by the street bug once again. This CBR stayed stock for several months but after fully customizing his shop’s showcase bike (Yamaha R1), this one began getting the attention it deserved. Even before the single sided arm was added, it was getting press. In the summer of 08’ it won a bike show at a local steakhouse where it was knocked over during a bar brawl. Randy said that when the culprit said that he wasn’t paying for an F’n thing, the situation got even worse.
The guy ended up fleeing the area with Randy in pursuit. He may have got away but the CBR didn’t leave the scene without 1k worth of damages thanks to the guy who didn’t want to stick around. All orginal paint work was done by Gator Customs so the scuffed panels were sent back to them for repair. Roaring Toyz’s Project H Honda set Randys wheels in motion. A Gregg’s Customs Side-Arm was installed propelling his bike to the next level. The 240 and minor wheel base change didn’t change the fact that this bike is his favorite to ride. Even through the tough economic times Randy’s been able to retain the bike. Thoughts of putting it up for sale don’t last long probably about as long as he contemplates actually allowing his little brother to take it for a spin.
Model: Deborah Murphy (www.TheOnlyModel.com)
Make & M Swing-ar Wheels: Fuel man map, NO currently Gearing: Rear sets Seat: Co Paint: Ga & tail sec Rear Tire Front Tire Turn Sign Rotors: G Brake lin Grips: NY Exhaust: Guages: Controls: Headlam Dress-up
Model: 2006 Honda, CBR1000RR rm: Gregg’s Customs “Side-Arm”, 4” over Performance Machine, Torque, 240 rear nagement: PCIII, Two-Dudes custom OS ready (2 position switch, dual maps, no bottle installed) Stock, Gregg’s rear sprocket s: Vortex, powder coated passenger sets orbin, baby gator ator Customs w/ Gator Glass, windscreen ction e: Pirelli Diablo 240 e: Avon Viper nals: flush mount Galfer performance nes: Galfer steel braided YC parts, billet alum. : Yoshimura, RS-5 undertail, slipon Illuminglo : ST machine levers, two piece mp: Demon Eyez from ToBeFast.com p: spike bolt kit, mirror blockoffs by Vortex
Tired of how tall and bulky your rear seat looks? Well, here is a simple and quick remedy to that problem with out having to go out and buy a seat cowl. The process takes only about an hour and a half to do and requires some basic tools, a heat gun, and an air stapler. I performed this on a 2007 GSXR 600 rear seat do to the fact that they have one of the ugliest and tallest rear seats. You can do this to almost any other rear seat though.
Here are the items that you will need to buy. All of this can be picked up at your local craft store and it will cost you under $50: 1) New material to make your seat cover (Vinyl or Leather) 2) 1” Foam 3) Poly Fill Sheeting Here is the list of tools that you will need: 1) A small flat head screw driver 2) A pair of pliers 3) A razor blade 4) A pair of scissors 5) A heat gun 6) A air stapler 7) ½” crown staples 8) A can of spray adhesive
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Step 1: Remove the staples that are holding the original seat cover on by using the screw driver and pliers.
Step 2: Remove the factory foam and say good bye to it and all of it’s ugliness.
Step 3: Make an insert to fill in the hole in the seat pan. You will need this so that you do not create a crater in the top of the foam once it is installed. You can use anything for this. Examples are cardboard, thin foam, plastic, etc.
Step 4: Cut out your new foam and shape it so that it matches the shape of the seat pan. Clean up the edges the best you can. Big gaps will show if everything isn’t pretty level.
Step 5: Place the insert into the void in the seat pan and adhere the new foam with some spray glue. You don’t need to use a lot of glue because it is just to keep the new foam set in place while you wrap it.
Step 6: Cover the whole seat with the poly fill sheeting. This will help eliminate any small depressions in the seat when you wrap it. Cut away any excess material that hangs past the bottom of the seat pan because it will just get in your way.
Step 7: This is final step in this project, wrapping of the seat. Start off by stapling down two opposite ends and work your way around the seat. You are going to end up with folds in the material, but that is what your heat gun is for. Just be careful that you don’t over heat the material because it will discolor, melt, and ruin the integrity of the material. When it is all said and done you will have a new lower profile sleek looking rear seat that will still retain some comfort for your passenger
Seats By Tommy Tommy Taylor www.seatsbytommy.com (coming soon) www.myspace.com/seatsbytommy 321-508-3736 West Melbourne, Fl, 32904
Tokyo’s very own “Blaze” caught my eye one day while surfing the web. Through email, I was able to communicate the fact that BlingRockets wanted to know more about his turbo bike. Pics and specs were sent but in order to really ensure that there was no miscommunication, I felt that we should meet face to face. Luckily, BR’s very own Japanese correspondent, Hiro T., was in the area. Hiro met with the man himself, Isao (on the right), in Tokyo where we ended up getting the low down on Isao and his bike. Isao is the real deal. He’s a builder, tuner, and most importantly a visionary. His bike stands out from the crowd. It’s custom! It’s fast; ready for show and go. He’s a part of a niche, even more of a niche than we are here in the States. He dreams of a place (USA?), where his appreciation for speed, and his bike, are accepted by the masses. -Lee
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Pics: courtesy of Blaze
The concept of this particular motorcycle build was to spur everyone, child to adult, to think it was beautiful and a cool design. Most Japanese never even look at motorcycles unless they are interesting. However, it is thought that the motorcycle demands attention which is not always true. Actually, people of all ages walk by my show room and do look at my motorcycle. I think that the impact of the color was very strong this time. As a child I always admired the motorcycles that were seen on television. I simply want people to be more interested in motorcycle. The turbo was added for drag racing. Motorcycle riders in Japan do not favor the turbo, reguardless to the fact that the turbo can raise horsepower. Our roads are narrow and there are a lot of traffic signals, and thus you cannot open the accelerator very often. I think that these are the big factors why many Japanese are also not interested in motorcycles. I am very discouraged over the rise of shipping rates to the United State.. Drag racing is also unpopular in Japan, and there is only one special course here. Therefore, I terribly yearn to visit the United States. I want to bring my own machine to the United States to participate in drag racing, and want to meet and speak with fellow riders. -Isao “Blaze�
Ow Bik Mo pis 53 fue ret Dr bra sh ch Ga fue Ot Nu 20
wner: Isao Yoshioka ke: 2004 Kawasaki, ZX-10R otor: bore 76.0, stroke 55.0, MTC low comp. ston, 76.0 Crower rods, SARD injector 30cc p/m, SARD fuel pump 265l/h, SARD el regulator, SARD waste gate type C, Gartt T3 turbo, GReddy boost controller rive train/Brakes: front – BRR brake kit, HEL ake lines, rear - Marchesini M10R, Ohlins hock, Brembo caliper, Wave rotor, REGINA hain auges: boost gauge, A/F gauge (Innovate), el press gauge, Yoshimura Temp gauge ther: HID system umbers: boost 0.5kg to 1.3-1.5kg, approx. 05HP to 260HP
WikiShift – Breakthrough Technology Enthusiasts have complained for years of having to change between clear and tinted shields for night and daytime riding. Wiki® provides a much sought after solution. Their sun-sensitive color changing shield technology named WikiShift™ delivers convenience with style. No more uncomfortable sunglasses inside the helmet, switching shields, carrying an extra shield, or getting caught at night wearing a tinted shield which is obviously dangerous. So how does it work? The photochromatic reaction occurs when the photochromic molecule is exposed to UV from the sun. Therefore when riding at night, street lights and oncoming headlamps (which do not emit UV light) do not cause a reaction and the shield remains clear. But when exposed to sunlight the shield quickly darkens. The “shift” from clear to tint typically takes 30 to 60 seconds. WikiShift is a coating which must be applied to the exterior surface of the shield to work its magic because UV inhibitors in polycarbonate (the material all faceshields are made of) block most of the UV. This is the main reason photochromic inserts do not work well. Photochromic molecules are one of the most expensive materials in the world by weight. Cost varies by color and amount of darkness. Current available colors are smoke, amber, and blue. Wiki’s advanced award-winning technology was developed by its premier photochromic chemist. The popular Wave helmet includes a WikiShift shield. It is an incredibly unique and desirable piece of safety equipment. The helmet features an incredibly light carbonfiber re-enforced fiberglass shell, is very comfortable, and meets DOT and strict ECE standards. Also, a brand new product called a WikiShift Skin™ will convert most clear shields to a WikiShift shield in a snap. Now almost any street helmet can be outfitted with WikiShift technology! Prices of shields and skins range from $49 - $99 depending on color and darkness and Wave helmets (WikiShift shield included) run around the $300 mark. Visit www.wikihelmets.com or call (877) 411-9454.
WiKi Development -The Latest Lid
Insider Article by: Adam Canni
Few motorcycle products combine safety and style as seamlessly as the modern motorcycle helmet, and never before in history has there been a time where there has been as many helmet choices available to motorcycle riders as today. Personally, helmets have intrigued me since the time I first slipped a metalflaked egg on my head as a young MX rider growing up in the seventies. Back then, helmets only offered a minimum of protection, comfort and style. My first helmet was a standard three quarter design that left my face wide open in a crash, and I have the scars to prove it. Cranium protection and comfort came in form of a state of the art fiberglass shell that featured thin foam and fabric padding and no vents, which of coarse left you sweating, not to mention, the stylish bubble style face shield, which did a great job of distorting the view of trails while protecting your eyes and face form rocks and debris. Thankfully, the past thirty years of technology has brought some significant improvements in all these areas, and as a result modern motorcycle helmets offer a higher degree of safety, comfort, not to mention the endless color and graphic choices.
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As an Industrial Designer I have always wanted to put my signature design style on some cool motorcycle headgear, so when the call came last year from Wiki Helmets President Steve Reed, to design some new styles for the Wiki Helmet Brand, I jumped at the opportunity! For those in the know, Wiki Helmets is the first company to offer the Photo-Chromatic facesheild technology, for those of you not familiar Wiki Helmets and its patented technology, this revolutionary coating allows the Wiki shield to transition from a dark tint in high sunlight to clear for night conditions. This means fewer hassles for you the rider because one shield does double duty, not to mention that the shields are offered in a variety of blinged-out color mirror finishes allowing you customize your lid to match your bike and suit your tastes. Always on the cutting edge of design, Wiki Helmets President Steve Reed made it clear from the start that he was looking to expand his product line with some bold new designs, but wanted to stay focused on the brand styling for his company. “You see”, Steve, explained, “Wiki is Polynesian for speed or fast, so whatever you design needs to be true to that theme”. Whenever I begin any creative design project, I typically like to brainstorm and verbally walk the client through my thought process. In the case of Wiki Helmets, we discussed the recent trends in motorcycle apparel that I had been following. These trends included hot colors, graphics and styles. Over the next week I analyzed the competitive product from other top helmet manufactures to access the best direction to pursue for new Wiki lineup. After a in depth look at the Wiki product offerings at the time, coupled with the market analysis I had researched, I recommend strategy for developing both ladies and men’s styles.
I started my creative design process by focusing my attention on creating eight new, and uniquely Wiki styles, that where specific for both ladies and men. These original themes would be inspired by traditional Polynesian art, with shapes and lines that where designed to complement the shape of the Wiki helmet shell. For the men I chose to develop four masculine themes based on Polynesian tribal tattoo art. The first two designs featured a unique tribal graphic and OEM brand specific coloring, in this case Yamaha blue, that would be applied or transferred over a pearl white painted base color. Men’s design number three offered a combination of tribal graphics combined with old school pin striping with black and white separations over an OEM brand specific paint, in this case Honda red. The fourth design utilized a metallic silver base with tribal and scallop style striping complemented by OEM brand specific coloring, once again Honda red. Each helmet design is complemented by color-keyed Wiki logos, another first for any helmet manufacturer. For the ladies styles, I chose a much more feminine approach by combining floral patterns and animal prints with sophisticated metallic pastels and vibrant hues. For the first ladies helmet design, I choose to take a page from ladies fashion design, but with a new twist, by abstracting traditional animal prints into hidden patterns that featured butterflies and plant scrolls over metallic earth tones and a pearl white base. Ladies helmet design number two, also features the peal white base, however in this case it’s over a two toned lavender base with translucent floral motifs, divided by a single row of tropical flowers. Ladies designs three and four broke new ground by introducing metallic blue, green and lavender tones over a pearl white base while incorporating unique tropical floral patterns over a pearl white base. Just like the men’s styles each of the Wiki ladies helmets featured a color-keyed logos. With the design phase behind us, and management ecstatic about the results, Steve and his team at Wiki would now begin the arduous task of determining the design or designs that would be best suited for the Wiki brand and production. After much deliberation, Steve and his team at Wiki Helmets selected the ladies design number three for production in China. With the final design selected, the “Seascape” style, aptly named by Steve, I moved to the prototype phase of the project. For the prototype of this production helmet I would need to hand paint
the design and all its details in automotive paint on a blank shell. This prototype would serve two purposes, first it would act as a master for digital scanning and reproduction and secondly it would be featured in the Wiki Corporate Display, at the quickly approaching Indianapolis Motorcycle Dealer Expo. With only one week to paint and reassemble the prototype of the Seascape helmet, all the chips where down. You see, its had been about ten years since I had my airbrush out and there was no time for mistakes and no margin for error. With no paint booth and no time to spare, I sought the assistance of long time co-conspirator Dennis “The Menace� Virga, for the use of his paint shop and vast automotive paint knowledge. Dennis was kind enough to invite me to stay with him for a few days while we completed the project. Menace got me started by laying down the primer and the base pearl white, and that’s when my fun started. To accomplish the design I had created in the concept illustration, I needed do quite a bit of masking. This meant that I would need to create a digital vector file for each of the main elements and then cut them out utilizing a sign plotter printer. This task was made even more challenging, because of the scale and delicate nature of these graphics coupled with the egg shaped contour of the
helmet. After many hours and much trail and error, I was able to produce the paint mask graphics, and transfer them onto the now pearl white base coated helmet. Going big on my first day of airbrushing, I went for the blue wave graphic on the upper portion of the helmet. Mid-way though the process Dennis suggested a cool old-school painters trick, where we would mist water droplets on to the blue and then spray additional coats over the droplets to give the effect of real water droplets in the paint. Luckily, the trick worked and we where treated to some realistic detail. We then removed the mask and locked down layer one under a coat of clear base. Day two began by masking out the lower portion of the helmet design. I started out with a lime green over yellow base fade, followed by clear base lockdown and masking the lower seaweed graphics, with multiple base coat clear lock downs, Your probably wonder why all the clear base coats in between the color graphics, and the answer is simple, it was an insurance policy. Thankfully one that I never had to use, but if a mistake was made, I could simply and carefully wet sand back to the previous layer of clear removing any mistakes in the top layer of graphics. With the big spays behind me, day three saw the final masking in the form of the decorative flower boarder that separates the upper
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ocean graphic from the sea weed bottom. Once the vinyl paint mask graphic was down, I went about spraying each individual flower, stem and leaf. Removing the final masking Dennis laid down the final base clear coat. With the airbrushing completed I turned my attention to pin striping the black outlines around each of the design elements on day four. Late in the evening on day four with the pin striping completed the Menace laid down two coats of clear mixed with metal flake and then several final clear coats to seal in the graphics permanently. With the arrival of day five, I finally began to feel the pressure lifting as we set about wet sanding and final polishing on the Wiki Seascape helmet. With only two days to spare we rushed the final prototype to the local UPS store for overnight shipping to Steve who was already Indy for the Dealer Expo. Thankfully UPS did there job and the helmet made it on time and in one piece. For me the personally, designing and prototyping the Wiki Seascape helmet was a very rewarding experience, however the true measure of success for any new product I design, has always been based on sales. In the case of the Wiki Seascape helmet, sales success has come with both large distributors like J&P Cycles and with Motorcycle Dealers across the globe.
“Few realize the importance of personally checking manufacturing quality as much as Wiki’s Steve Reed” What’s even more surprising is that the helmet originally designed for the ladies has been just as popular with the guys, go figure? In the end, it’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment to see a product that you have had such a hand in creating, embraced motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere. -AC
Words & Pics: BlingRockets Model: Angela Christina
(modelmayhem.com/AngelaM)
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When your swimming in a sea of Busa’s, one must take drastic measures in order to stand above the rest. Gonzalo Polanco, of Psycho Chrome, did just that a few years ago with this 06’ model. Gonzalo, who was known for his custom tanks, body work, and paint, had asked RC Components if they wanted to be a part of the project. Needless to say, they took him up on his offer. The bike is rocking the “Vega” model wheels, a completely custom gas tank, fairings, nose section, windscreen, and tail section. Aside from practically every body panel being modified, it was topped off by a paint scheme motivated by the low rider scene. A 10” over arm, with a 300 rear, is suspended by a Tricky Air cylinder which is remote controlled. An ANT rear view camera was massaged into the tail section as well. It’s hard to find any part of the bike that wasn’t chromed or painted. Stare at this bike for awhile and you’ll notice some astounding details, even the seat is bad ass!
Make & Model: 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa Wheels: RC Components Vega, smooth hub and matching rotors Suspension: Rear - Tricky Air (remote), C&S 10� over 300 arm, HHI brake system Motor: PCIII, K&N air filter, 40 shot of NOS, custom exhaust Body: Tank and panels by PsychoChrome, custom windscreen, Hot Match gas cap Other: Alligator seat by Jeffrey Phipps, integrated ANT camera (rear view) Controls: Performance Machine brake and clutch master cylinders, Thunder Cycles billet grips, PsychoChrome handlebars
Plating facilities have flooded the industrial complexes of Southern California for years, dating all the way back to the early 50’s. During this time the art of triple-plating metal parts was all but perfected and left little question as to the exact processes necessary to complete the job. While not much has changed in this industry during the past 60 years it was easy to understand why people continued to toy with the many variables that made up the chrome plating process. One of the anomalies discovered while tweaking that process actually bends the thoughts and procedures used to define the exact science of the chroming process. The same science that actually brings us the final finish for your everyday chrome wheels is simple in its design, easy to speak and write about, but terribly hard to pull off consistently with a high level of quality control. The procedure is the same in today’s busiest chrome plating facilities as it was for the pioneers back in the day. Aluminum and steel parts were prepped either by sanding manually or sandblasting the current finish back to a raw, virgin metal finish. Once the part was stripped of all its cover it’s bathed in an electrically-infused series of chemicals that very closely resembles the ritual we follow for making Easter eggs with our little ones. Chrome plating facilities are outfitted with many different configurations of plating lines, but for the most part, the parts take the same trip from start to finish in every shop.
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No different than an executive chef at a great restaurant cooking you the same chicken you make at home except better; although you too can buy the same ingredients, mimic the same cooking times and follow the same recipes. The process stays the same although many companies have created ways to “chrome” non-conductive parts such as fiberglass, ABS plastic, carbon fiber, lexans and other types of smooth plastics and materials. There are different ways of making the parts electrically conductive but the most widely used in the industry is a silver spray or bathing process that impregnates the part with conductive silver. The part is then prepped and bathed in the copper to create the first layer of the metalizing process and from there the part is treated no different than a freshly coppered piece of metal and follows its set plating path through the remaining parts of the line.
fading, yellowing or any manufacturer or plating defect. Check out our website (www.H2oCycles.com) for further information and reference pictures of some of our work. Trust me, many companies have tried to perfect the process of plastic plating, and many have quickly turned their head on this labor-intensive process.
(copper tank) Although this sounds like an easy twist to an already complicated process, I can guarantee you it’s not. In order for these parts to be properly coated, hold a great finish, be somewhat pliable and get delivered in a timeframe shorter than six months, all the planets and the stars need to properly align. We at H2o Cycles have spent over five years working with this process specifically in the motorcycle and auto industry and pride ourselves on the quality of our current plastic chrome plating process and turn times. Parts of recent have gotten thinner, easier to work with, and have held a better finish than ever before and continue to get better every time. This is why we are still one of the only companies in the nation that offers a one year warranty on plastic chrome parts to protect the customer against pitting,
Keep in mind when shopping for parts of this nature that salespeople and companies selling their products as “Chemically Plated”, “Color plated”, or “Chrome coated”, are simply selling spray chrome products and services and the two should never be confused as similar. The spray chrome process is a paint-like procedure that adheres to your non-conductive part and gives the “look” of real chrome. These parts look great out of the box but quickly fade, yellow, chip or peel in the elements we submit our rides to. These decorative finishes are great for toys, lamp fixtures and non-moving parts that don’t see rain, sun, salt and sand. Real chrome does not come in colors, real chrome is not flexible, and real chrome is not cheap. I know we’re in a new economy these days, but keep in mind that 65% of all our plastic chrome work comes from customers who have already spent their hardearned dollars on spray chrome and weren’t happy with the results. Spending your money twice has never been wise, in any economy.
is providing that all important layer of copper that keeps things shiny and brilliant for years to come. Copper is to chrome plating what primer is to automotive paint and finishes. If you bypass that all important step with your cars paint job, you end up at Maaco and your $399 Supreme paint job starts to flake and peel off in layers within the first 90 days of completion. Sometime sacrificing quality for cost is not the wisest decision when it comes to chrome.
(after copper tank) Regardless of what transpires while getting to the copper stage, it’s what’s next that makes or breaks the part. Let’s think of the copper stage of this process as body filler, like Bond-O, it fills all the little cracks and crevices and makes the perfect work surface to apply your next layer on top of. The parts are then buffed to an amazing shine, rinsed and entered into the next step of the process. The process of working with copper is very meticulous, trust me, it requires patience and polishing perfection to make a piece ready for the perfect finish. For reference, take a quick minute and Google “Copper ZX14” and let me know if we have some knowledge of this amazing finish in its raw form. With copper plating, the parts can range in the bath from a few minutes to several hours, it all depends on the buildup needed for that specific part and we’ll leave that science up to the guys on the line. When the part is copper plated, rinsed and polished, it’s taken to the nickel bath. There are many different types of nickel and ways of nickel plating that we won’t bring into detail in this article, but for all intensive purposes, it’s the second part of the triple-plated process and usually runs anywhere from a quick couple of minutes to close to an hour for actual adhering of the nickel to the copper plated surface. Many billet aluminum parts are still plated at today’s facilities without the use of copper. Raw aluminum can easily be prepped to take the nickel and chrome only, although it’s not highly recommended. Always be sure to ask if your plating company
“Show chrome” to the consumer world probably means chrome that is good enough to be on a winning entry in a car show. Although most OEMs rely on the “self-leveling” property of nickel plating to give sufficient reflectivity to roughly polished steel, chrome-lovers believe that the key to “show chrome” is to copper plate the item first and then buff the copper to a full luster before starting the nickel plating. Whether you start with bare steel or buffed copper, at least two layers of plating follow -- a layer of nickel and a layer of chrome. But high quality plating requires a minimum of two layers of nickel. The most important issue for durable chrome plating for outdoor exposure such as on a vehicle is that it MUST have at least two layers of nickel plating before the chrome: namely semi-bright nickel followed by bright nickel. The reason for this involves galvanic corrosion issues. The bright nickel is anodic to the semi-bright nickel, and sacrificially protects it, spreading the corrosion forces laterally instead of allowing them to penetrate through to the steel. Careful control of this issue is probably the principal reason that today’s chrome plating greatly outlasts the chrome plating of earlier times. Experts argue whether copper plating provides any additional corrosion resistance at all, but with or without copper plating, chrome on top of a single layer of nickel will not hold up to the severe exposure of a motorcycle! Industry professionals call the two layers of nickel “duplex nickel plating”, and that would be a much better term to use than “triple chrome” if attempting to sound technical.
Chrome plating is hardly a matter of dipping an article into a tank, it is a severely involved process that often starts with tedious polishing and buffing, then cleaning and acid dipping, zincating (if the part is aluminum), and copper plating. For top reflectivity “Show Chrome”, this will be followed by buffing of the copper for perfect smoothness, cleaning and acid dipping again, and plating more copper, and then two or three different types of nickel plating, all before the chrome plating is done. Rinsing is required between every step. Keep all of this in mind the next time that you send your parts out for a quick “dip” in the sauce.
(nickel tank)
-Louis Grasse H2o Cycles, LLC www.H2ocycles.com
(Finished!)
Jerry had been watching right he pulled the trigger ba definitely the coolest and m wheels (19” up front and 20” cern to him, it came with un around in with approximately It’s tough to say these days adds up quickly. Just get it bucks each time and at 10k out for Jerry’s ride though, h Words & Pics: BlingRockets Model: Missi Casey (modelmayhem.com/MissiCasey3)
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the prices slowly drop on his dream machine, the Ferrari F360 F1, and when the time was ack in Dec. of 08’ and made this 01’ Spyder his own. He said that this particular model was most reasonably priced of all his favorites. Luckily enough, this one came with upgraded ” in the rear), exhaust, and seats. It’s occasionally driven and public parking is a major connder 10k miles, and to this day it still doesn’t have a scratch on it. What else can you cruise 400 hp at your finger tips, 20’s, leather, and a sweet sounding exhaust for under 200 grand? s since just about everyone has to upgrade something here or there on their ride which t over with and rock out in a 360! But be careful, oil changes will cost you about 500 k miles it will need a clutch service that will run you another five thousand. Keep your eye he cares for this one like we do with our bikes. We can all relate to Jerry on that part. -Lee