Buffing Stock Foot Pegs

by "HondaHog"

Tools and Material

These are the items I used to complete the polishing process. Of course other tools will be required to remove the pegs. Likewise, if you have a favorite polishing paste or compound, try it. This was stuff I had on hand.

• Bench Grinder
• Buffing Wheels
  • 1 tight
  • 1 loose
• Files
  • Flat Bastard
  • Small Flat or Triangle
• Sand Paper
  • 150 grit
  • 220 grit
  • 400 wet or dry
  • 1500 wet or dry
• Buffing Compounds (at least brown)
• S100 Total Cycle Finish Restorer (paste that comes in a tube)

The Procedure

Step 1. The first thing you need to do is remove the pegs. Each one is secured by pin that is secured by a cotter key. Remove the cotter key and remove the pin. When removing the front pegs note the position of the return spring so you can get it back together correctly.

Step 2. Remove the black rubber rings from the pegs. They are not glued, just set in groves in the pegs. For the front pegs, you’ll want to remove the, I dunno, “grinders”, for the lack of a better name. Mine were a little worn, so I put new ones on when it went back together.

Step 3. With the flat bastard begin removing the casting lines, keeping in mind that you can NOT put the metal back on the peg once removed.

Step 4. The stock pegs have a grainy finish. To cut down on the sanding, I removed some of it with a small file. Not all of it, because filing will leave small groves that will also need to smoothed.

Step 5. With the 150 grit sandpaper, begin sanding the pegs to get the file marks and the most of the grainy finish off.

Step 6. Progress to the less abrasive 220 sandpaper. At this point, start getting the peg as smooth as possible, removing the grain entirely.

Step 7. Continue sanding with the 400 wet or dry sandpaper to continue smoothing. Use water so the paper last longer and cuts better. You will go through quite a bit of paper for such a small area to be sanded. After all, you are sanding metal, albeit aluminum. The smoother it is before you start buffing the better the final product.

Step 8. Finish the sanding using the 1500 wet or dry paper.

Step 9. Begin buffing with the tight buffing wheel. I used the brown buffing compound, as it seemed to work best. The black actually pitted the aluminum, making it appear grainy again. I could tell no difference after using the white or red compound.

Step 10. Put on the final shine using the S100 Total Cycle Finish Restorer and the loose buffing wheel.

Step 11. Replace the black rubber rings. Do it using no tools since you don’t want to scratch the finish you just spent so much time creating. A silicon-based lubricant may make them easier to put on. Replace the “grinders” on the front pegs.

Step 12. Mount the pegs back on the bike. The rear pegs are interchangeable. There is a left and right front peg. Make sure you get them back on the correct side.

Notes:

1. The filing, sanding, and buffing do take some time. You can do the back set of pegs and put them on the front so you can still ride while you do the front ones and then swap them out when done. Just remember… no heavy cornering until you get the front ones in the front.
2. ReCon deserves the credit for this, since that is where I got the idea. He may even be able to suggest better polishing materials. Send him a message on the forum.
3. The same thing can be done to the switch housings, levers, clutch lever mount and brake reservoir. No need to file these parts though.

Ride safe and look good doing it!

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Additional Tips

by Garry (Nyou)

To save on the sanding part of the job, if you have a die grinder and the bit that holds the cleaning pads that I use to clean old gasket material from parts, use them instead of sandpaper super fast!!!

Also, to keep the shine a lot longer, I have used a product from Alcoa. Its in a spray and has all directions on can. I dont know where you guys will find it down there, but up here in Canada I get it at Fort Garry a place that sells partsto us Truckers {rims, lites,air brakes, etc.}

I have also used a clearcoat, just in a spray bomb, on my rig's wheels and tanks it still looks like chrome after 3 years with no signs of yellowing.

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