Distressing seat knobs

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MikeM

MikeM

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As my 71 is now on the road I am leaning to function rather than correctness at this time.
My OEM seat knobs are trashed and stripped etc, but they look like they belong. I got new ones but they are quite shiny. I really dont want to put them my bike as they will stand out like a gold tooth!
How can I distress them some so that they dont stand out quite so much? Bury them in the yard, sand them down?
Any tricks? One stupid question. What is the function of the spring pin?
 
Try a mixture of 5% sodium hydroxide with about 5g/l sodium chloride in it (common salt). Mix this with some sawdust and leave it for a few days on the aluminium surface - it will give a corroded finish. If it is not corroded enough, put the sawdust back for a few more days or until it is the finish you need. Make sure you keep the mixture moist.

Or, polish the rest of your bike! Oxidized aluminum is weaker than non-oxidized - keep your parts shiny!
 
gortnipper said:
Try a mixture of 5% sodium hydroxide with about 5g/l sodium chloride in it (common salt). Mix this with some sawdust and leave it for a few days on the aluminium surface - it will give a corroded finish. If it is not corroded enough, put the sawdust back for a few more days or until it is the finish you need. Make sure you keep the mixture moist.

Or, polish the rest of your bike! Oxidized aluminum is weaker than non-oxidized - keep your parts shiny!
Click to expand...

I certainly agree with that Too bad that some of the bits are past the point of no return. Its not but but..........
 
Sodium Hydroxide is the main ingredient in a spray can of common oven cleaner.
The precautions on the can clearly state not to use on aluminum.

BUT... you can use it to carefully clean or oxidize aluminum parts if diluted/rinsed with water and not left in contact too long.
It will leave a dull grey finish on the parts. Can be re-polished as desired.
 
. What is the function of the spring pin?[/quote]

Once you screw the knob onto the suspension top special bolt the pin should be fitted through a hole in the knob. This stops it from unscrewing to far and falling off as it should catch against the button head of the bolt. The threads can be damaged by P.O. unscrewing them by force rather than driving the pin out first.

Ebay or auto jumble may turn up good use able but suitability aged parts but they may be no better than your worn ones. So aging them would probably be your best bet.
 
Spring pin is so you don't lose your knob on the road.
They allow you to back the knobs off enough to get the seat off, with out allowing the knobs to be rattled lose if you forget to tighten the back up.
That is why the bolts have a grove machined in them, so the spring pin can allow the knob to spin freely, and pin rides in retainer groove.

Cheers..... 8)

I wonder how many members here have forgotten to replace these pins once removed?... :roll:
I just have a spot of blue loctite on mine sans pins as I have a Corbin saddle that does not utilize the knobs.
 
Mine were stripping and were actually only a year old. It was fairly easy to install helicoils in them. The bolts are an sae thread, can't recall the size off the top of my head, but the helicoils are available everywhere. I use stainless steel cotter pins (split pins in Brit speak I believe) for retainers. Picked them up at the hardware store. Positively won't come out unlike the stock pins but allow the knobs to unscrew enough to easily remove the seat. Don't install the helicoils so deep that you block the hole. There will be enough above the hole to hold the knob securely.
 
If I got any strong opinions about Commando maintenance, phucked up fasteners is hi on list. If wanting to resurrect the old beefy ones find a steel metal crimp type lock nut, rough em up, [hack saw groove corners or chisel cuts], grease its insides, then roughly bore out the knobs to jam nuts in with JBWeld. These can still back off so check often or drill small hole to clip a tiddy wire too. If sticking with ally treads then expect to replace like tires styles.
 
The threads on mine are 3/8 UNF if I remember correctly. Ebay are good for cheap Helicoil kits and that way you can keep the old ones.
 
If you don't want to corrode them just give them a light polish with steel wool. That will give them the same dull appearance of unpolished Aluminium. That way you can simply rebuff them if you decide to go 'bling' down the track.

I don't fit the pins as they are a pain to put in/get out when you wan't to either get at the top shock bolts or remove the tail section (fastback problem of course). I simply have a routine of checking my knobs :shock: every time I get on and off the bike .....it gives me a nice warm compulsive obsessive feeling too ....
 
is there something wrong with fitting helicoils inside the old knobs. I did that with mine. the threads wont aver wear out again.
 
Do you have a dishwasher? Put it in the next time you do your dishes. It will simulate 12 years of riding all weather in about 45 minutes. :wink:

(same ingredients in a dishwasher as the ones mentioned above by the way)
 
I got some shiny stainless ones from Eurojumble on eBay. The holes for the pins are too big and allow the pins to fall out. Also the drilling in the knob for them is not close enough to stop the knob from unscrewing. The pins are important. The knobs can loosen when the seat rocks slightly and your expensive knobs will be gone when you get off the bike. I ended up buying some used stock ones.

Don't screw yours up with chemicals. Just wrong - terrible advice. Just leave them on there for a few weeks and they will acquire some patina on their own.
 
Lets my two kids play with them for an hour... that'll distress them good n proper... So long as they don't swallow them !

Serious answers:

A) re thread your old ones

B) if you insist on new ones, just fit them, they'll soon blend in.
 
The spring pins are to keep the knobs from falling off should they come loose while going down the road .
 
These knobs are unique and ikonic. Shine them to perfection along with the Z plates.
 
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