Picked up two rough H's!

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TNStreamerDreamer

Member
So I picked up some rough condition but not garbage "rollers" today. One is an HK0 and the other is an HK1.
I really went crazy over budget on my K1 resto-mod so I was looking for some input as to how to get some value out of these. I don't intend to keep all 3 so looking for a good way to get ROI.
I enjoy cleaning these things up so what's the most cost effective way to approach these? How does one blast off rust without leaving it vulnerable to flash rusting?
Also, are the H's more valuable than the standard models?
I'll get better pictures tomorrow afternoon and start digging in to them more.
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69ST

Well-Known Member
Decide which you want to attempt saving & which you're willing to sacrifice first. Doesn't look to me like the bars are worth saving. You might be able to save the knobs...but it's a long shot.

Never know what to expect when you pick up a roller that appears to be this rusty. Sometimes, the frame is more of a lace doily...rendered in steel. Other times, it's all surface rust with a surprisingly clean & solid bike beneath the rust & dirt. Usually, you end up with something in-between those extremes.

About 10 years ago, I was given a gold K0 that had been stored outside for a loo-o-o-ng time. It had a hole drilled into the frame, just aft of the keyswitch, was coated in what I think was household white latex paint. I figured it'd be good for a few aluminum parts, maybe the tank & bracket and a scrap frame to either re-purpose or recycle. The knobs & bars were toast; I broke out the Channel locks and snapped the knobs off...binned `em with the bars. Turned out that the frame had nothing but surface rust and minimal surface rust, at that. Had to hammer-out the axles but...the swingarm pivot bolt came loose with a bit of mechanical persuasion. Used a drift to get the axles out without damage. Blasted everything back to clean, "white" metal, welded the hole and ended up doing a total restoration, no "heroic" repairs needed.
 
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allenp42

Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with racerx, but if you want to give it shot, here's what I do.

Wash out inside to remove as much crud out as possible. Then fill the inside with evaporust and replaced with new sauce every day or 2. May take 2-3 times of replacing the sauce. Then rinse with acetone to remove all the water. Fill up the inside with PBlaster, and tap on the knob ends a a few times, sometimes over several days.

You may get lucky by skipping the cleaning and evaporust. I just kinda'a gauge how much effort I'm going to put into salvaging the bars & knobs based on what I'll have when I'm done.
 
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TNStreamerDreamer

Member
Couldn't get the K0 bars loose. I soaked in Evaporust for 48hrs and shot them handsomely with PB blaster. Sold the K0 frame and was able to clean the K1 up to reuse most everything!
Had to spend some money on a seat, cables to use oem bars, some tubes, brake pads, and some misc other stuff but I saved a ton of money. Dropping my Lifan 125 into it after my 140cc semi auto arrives for my other bike!

Anyone have recommendations for 140cc exhausts? I'm thinking I would like something chrome or more modern than the big bore oem style pipes. What you got that will look good (and not burn my leg) on this bike?
 
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69ST

Well-Known Member
There's no need to go any larger on the headpipe than ~25mm. That's bigger than most exhaust ports. Nearly all of the backpressure is going to be in the muffler, so that's where you want to look. The more of the stock utility you need, the fewer choices you have. If you want to retain buddy pegs, you'll eliminate over half the pipes available. Want to retain the signature engine guard, you're probably down to 10% of what's listed, unless you perform some mods. Want heat shielding, there's fewer than a half-dozen choices out there, including stock and Chinese knockoffs (stock type, extremely restrictive).

That pipe, in your photo, looks like it'll eventually smoke the paint on your chainguard.:eek:
 
OLD CT

OLD CT

Well-Known Member
Header wrap is a alternative for shielding. I use wrap on a N.H.R.C. up swept or somewhat stock bend style performance pipe. That pipe delivered, is almost as much a L125 engine. Chrome = burnt leg...
The bummer is the huge muffler can on it.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
OLD CT said:
Header wrap is a alternative for shielding. I use wrap on a N.H.R.C. up swept or somewhat stock bend style performance pipe. That pipe delivered, is almost as much a L125 engine. Chrome = burnt leg...
The bummer is the huge muffler can on it.
Click to expand...
I believe that that pipe and the Trailbikes version of it, are both based on Kitaco's stainless steel original design (speaking of pricey exhausts). The Kitaco muffler is packed with fiberglass and the can section remains cool enough to touch, maybe 120-130F peak after a long run. It's the headpipe that gets searingly hot (well over 400F)...and remains so long after the engine is shut down. I kinda like the look of header wrap but, that's gonna be a deal-breaker for some.
 
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mark from florida

Active Member
Congrats on your new bikes. as long as the tank if it was not lined I recommend rust restorer.works great on rusty gas tanks. does not eat paint either. kinda pricey. but works great. as for preserving blasted areas to bare metal. I use ospho. can be bought at home depot , lowes pretty cheap. good luck
 
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