The CB1100 Community Forum

Hi Guys,

I installed the anodized gold meter cover on my bike. It is a REALLY nice piece.

However, when cleaning your existing black plastic meter cover DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEANER!!!!

Use some alcohol. The Brake cleaner immediately crazed the plastic.

Its not noticable with the anodized cover on it, but it will be very much so if I were to remove it.

Hope this helps!

Gersh

(06-17-2013, 05:38 AM)dagersh_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Guys,

I installed the anodized gold meter cover on my bike. It is a REALLY nice piece.

However, when cleaning your existing black plastic meter cover DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEANER!!!!

Use some alcohol. The Brake cleaner immediately crazed the plastic.

Its not noticable with the anodized cover on it, but it will be very much so if I were to remove it.

Hope this helps!

Gersh

Hey Gersh,

What's this gold meter cover you speak of? The top shock bolts are the only gold accessory I see from Honda. Could you share a picture? I would love to add some gold accents to the bike.

(06-17-2013, 05:38 AM)dagersh_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Guys,

I installed the anodized gold meter cover on my bike. It is a REALLY nice piece.

However, when cleaning your existing black plastic meter cover DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEANER!!!!

Use some alcohol. The Brake cleaner immediately crazed the plastic.

Its not noticable with the anodized cover on it, but it will be very much so if I were to remove it.

Hope this helps!

Gersh

What was it about the brake cleaner that led you to believe it would be OK on plastic? How was it labelled?

I have used lacquer thinner many times to remove the reside of double sided tape (in the days before GO-Gone), but when I used it on the dash of my GMC Envoy the result was a mess.

You simply must get Honda Cleaner and Polish aerosol spray can. Buy it at any Honda dealer, car or motorcycle, or from [url=http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Honda-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B004FSEJZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371509449&sr=8-1&keywords=honda+cleaner+and+polish]Amazon .

This can replaced 3 or 4 separate products I used to use for cleaning and polishing. Also get some micro-fiber cleaning cloths to use with the Honda Cleaner.

The Honda dealers use it on every part of their showroom bikes. I use it to: remove bugs, polish chrome, clean and polish rims, polish mirrors, clean plastic parts, clean anodized parts, clean tires (apply first to rag and keep off rolling surfaces), clean seat and rubber parts. I also use it to clean my helmet and the inside and outside of my visors.

It's not greasy and polishes to a high glaze when dry, almost like Rain-X on my visor.

The one place I don't use it is on the stainless headers. After buffing out the blotchy, discolored pipes with a buffing wheel I applied WD-40 or food grade silicon spray. They still turn golden but much less blotchy and no dark brown.

For many years the Honda spray cleaner was actually made by Original Bike Spirits (it may still be). Within the last couple of years the Honda version was changed to include carnauba wax, which in my opinion makes the product less desirable because it now smears a bit when applied. (And it tends to clog the aerosol nozzle.)

You can still buy the old formula used by Honda simply by buying the version offered by its manufacturer: Original Bike Spirits Spray Cleaner & Polish. It has the same great smell and cleaning/shine of the old Honda spray because it IS the old Honda spray. Google it and you'll see that many thousands of motorcyclists swear by it, it really is that good.

Don't be suckered into overpaying for it, it should only be about $6 for a 14 ounce can (here's where I get mine):

http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/672...olish.html

Ok, good to know.

Your supplier only has stores in the midwest and I can't buy it from their website. Amazon sells it for about $14 with shipping, but I discovered that Advance Auto Parts sells it in their stores. Mine didn't have it in stock but they special ordered for me; $7.00 a can.

$7 a can is not bad at all, but some of those places that charge $14-$16 a can with shipping are just nuts IMHO.

Thanks for the advise guys. I have used brake cleaner on plastic before - only if I spray into a cloth first, never directly on the surface - and never had a problem. I will check out he Original Bike Spirits.

CBville - I will get you a pic on my bike. Its a Honda Part, so far offered overseas. Its a really nice piece. Available from Web Bike Japan:

Depends on what kind of plastic.

Took me awhile to notice this section,

[url=http://japan.webike.net/ps/#!p.m=311&p.c=1200&p.sk=1]http://japan.webike.net/ps/#!p.m=311&p.c=1200&p.sk=1

They have added so much.
Here are some pics from the website to hold us off until dagersh puts some up.

[url=http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/redReno1100/media/sc65-08f85-mgc-010-2_zpsc5ef0964.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/redReno1100/media/sc65-08f81-mgc-010b-3_zps8cb2eddb.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/redReno1100/media/sc65-08f81-mgc-010b-4_zpsb7bfbab3.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/redReno1100/media/sc65-08f81-mgc-010b-1_zps58b05f5a.jpg.html]


and...
THIS!!!!
[url=http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/redReno1100/media/sc65-08f81-mgc-010b-2_zpsd4c3482a.jpg.html]

Not quite sure how red would look, probably great with the matching red side cover and maybe a matching road comet.