Some years fat bikes are in, other years long and low seems to be the hot ticket. Style is an abstract concept; there is not one design criteria that defines a particular look. It is the sum of all the parts that define style.
Just having a particular type of frame will not define the finished motorcycle. It certainly is a great starting point, but without a supporting cast of similarly styled components, the bike will have no style of its own.
That being said, there is one styling element that can be applied to most any part of any motorcycle. This styling has been and is able to transcend all of the different styles of motorcycles for probably the last 70 years.
So what is this long-standing element? It's none other than chrome plating. As far as we can tell, motorcycles have been adorned with chrome in one form or another since the 1930's.
We are all familiar with the look of chrome. But the question is: How did it find its way onto all of those different components? We wanted to know the answer to that one ourselves, so we loaded up the saddlebags with some old polished aluminum parts and rode on over to NC Plating Metal Polishing located in Escondido, California.
NC plating is a family business run by Mario and Alicia Moreno. The two took over the business from their dad upon his passing, back in the mid '90s.
Back then, NC specialized in motorcycle and hot rod parts; today Mario and Alicia put all of their dad's tips and experience to good use.
Not much to look at. These...
Not much to look at. These rocker boxes have been in service for 10 years and they show it.
Our rocker boxes make a quick...
Our rocker boxes make a quick detour to the sandblaster to remove the protective lacquer that is applied at the factory. When the parts emerge from the sandblaster, they already look better than when we brought them in but soon will look a whole lot better. NC uses various methods in addition to sandblasting to remove a variety of surface finishes before they can proceed with polishing.
Once the parts have been received,...
Once the parts have been received, Alicia logs them on the production board; they will shortly be on their way to the polishing department.
When it comes to polishing,...
When it comes to polishing, NC has a large selection of wheels to mount on the buffing machines. These wheels are made from different materials, and come in various densities and sizes; all of these variables allow for proper wheel choice for a particular part.
Jose starts out by polishing...
Jose starts out by polishing the rocker box with a wheel that is known as a dry wheel. The dry wheel is rated at 120-grit, and is treated to an application of buffing compound. The combination of the dry wheel and compound allows for scratches, pits, and gouges to be easily removed from the surface of the rockerbox.
Following the dry wheel is...
Following the dry wheel is a 280-grit grease wheel. This finer wheel is used to minimize the surface imperfections left by the dry wheel.
Here, Jose installs the last...
Here, Jose installs the last wheel he will be using at this point. It is known as an air buff wheel. The air buff is designed to remove very little material while at the same time producing a smooth and brilliant surface finish.
Jose now has to go in with...
Jose now has to go in with a die-grinder and polish the surfaces that he was unable to reach with the larger wheels.
A quick rubdown with a white...
A quick rubdown with a white powder called Whitty helps to remove all the buffing compound before the part goes to the prep department.
Before the parts make it to...
Before the parts make it to the plating shop, they need to have certain areas protected from plating. These are areas such as shaft bores, threads, bushing and bearing surfaces, and the like. NC keeps a supply of different-sized plugs, tubing, and hose, that are used to block off the areas that we don't want the chrome to adhere to -- in this case, the bore that the rocker shaft goes through.
Our parts are then loaded...
Our parts are then loaded up on a rack that is made out of copper and stainless steel. The rack is covered in rubber with the exception of a hook on top and the prongs that secure the parts to the rack.
Now it's over to the plating...
Now it's over to the plating department where the parts are submerged in a variety of different chemical solutions. That clean, etch, deoxidize, and coat the parts to help the nickel adhere properly in the first step of the plating process.
An electric charge is placed...
An electric charge is placed on two copper bars that span the top of the bright nickel tank. Parts that need to be plated are suspended from the work bar that has a negative charge, and the other bar, charged positively, is attached to baskets that contain nickel chips. The action of the D.C. current on the parts, chips and solution cause the chips to dissolve in the solution and deposit on the parts. This is what the parts look like after a 45-minute bath in the nickel.
Then it's a quick dunk in...
Then it's a quick dunk in the copper strike tank before...
...they spend some time in...
...they spend some time in the copper acid tank. This tank (and the chrome tank) is electrically charged as was the nickel tank. At this point the copper is deposited over the nickel to allow the part to go back to the polishing depart-ment and get one last ride over the buffing wheel. The reason for this is to use the copper to fill in the tiniest of imperfections allowing for a super-smooth surface as a base for the chrome.
A quick touch-up is needed...
A quick touch-up is needed to remove any minor imperfections, and we are into the home stretch.
After an additional 20-minute...
After an additional 20-minute dip in the nickel tank, (did I mention it's been a long day?) it's time for a dunk in the chrome tank. After being in there for only two minutes, the parts emerge and receive a water rinse.
With the finished part in...
With the finished part in hand, it is pretty amazing when you think about all the hours of hard work that went into making the rocker boxes look as good as they do. Next time you pass on that chrome part you really want due to its price, just ask yourself: What's it really worth?