65 FLH King of the Highway fit and finish

[JSB55]

Yeah, my pipes are chrome, and look like they've been on the bike for years, if not from day one.

Best I can tell, it was a King of the Highway originally, or one of the two previous owners bought all the stuff aftermarket to deck it out as KOH.

Thanks again for all the input... you guys are guiding me to a finished project I know I will be delighted with.

John

[Rubone]

JSB55,
One thing on the pipes. Lots of '65s have chrome pipes. And lots of factory replacement pipes are chrome. It seems as the lower priced packages and police were painted and top end packages may have come chrome. The pipe covers and heatshields were always chrome ans so were the mufflers.
Robbie

[JSB55]

Thanks so much, Chris and Rub!

Pleased that I had guessed right on most of it, but still amazed at the painted pipes. That one I would have totally missed for sure.

Determining the original finish isn't as easy as it might seem, Chris, as the previous owner of the bike had chromed a few things or replaced originals with aftermarket parts, and had liberally applied an ugly metallic blue paint to quite a few parts it did not belong on.

I know Colony sells a complete fastener kit that's available through V-Twin. Are the fasteners they provide CAD and clearly marked as to what goes where? If so, that might be easier than sending all my stuff out and then having to match everything up again via the diagrams and specs in the parts book.

[Chris Haynes]

[QUOTE=JSB55;80661]

clutch arm Cad
clutch rod Cad
shifter rod Cad

foot shift lever Cad
shock studs and related nuts and washers CAD
rear brake pedal CAD
front brake crossover tube CAD
fuel line CAD
exhaust pipes Painted silver
upper motor mount Cad
intake manifold bare
push rod tubes Chrome tube outer with Cad inner.
Most every nut, bolt, screw, and washer. Cad.
Spokes and nipples Cad
When taking things apart you can usually spot the original finish in areas that have not been exposed to weather. Under nuts and washers, on threads, ETC. A magnifying glass helps.

[JSB55]

Thanks, Robbie. I would *never* have guessed that the pipes should be painted.

So the pipes, pushrod tubes, and intake manifold are off the list above.

Can anybody help me with the other items marked "?????"

[Rubone]

JSB55
Pushrod tubes; all parts are chrome except for the upper inner tube which is cad.
Exhaust pipes are high heat silver paint.
Your intake manifold should be raw aluminum
Robbie

[JSB55]

Man, you guys are a gold mine of info! And $60 is a small price to pay to get a bunch of stuff right.

OK, so assuming my chrome plater or the place in Ohio is a good place to go for cad, here's my short list (so far) of stuff to send them. If I can half fill a bucket with parts to be done, I must be missing quite a few.

Any suggested additions would be greatly appreciated, as would comments on the stuff marked "???"

clutch arm
clutch rod
shifter rod

foot shift lever ?????
shock studs and related nuts and washers ?????
rear brake pedal ?????
front brake crossover tube ?????
fuel line ?????
exhaust pipes (but not mufflers and heat shields) ?????
upper motor mount ?????
intake manifold ?????
pushrod tubes ?????

Not sure what to do about fasteners, as I have everything sorted, bagged, and marked so I know what part it goes with, and/or which hole in the cover (e.g. for cam and primary covers) it is potentially "mated" with.

Thanks again to all for the many great suggestions!

.

[Rubone]

JSB55,
The fender spears are stainless steel, polished. The emblems are chrome. The pans are a hard finish to duplicate, a clear anodized finish. There has been discussion on this forum. You can search for it. The D rings are as cast aluminum. Clutch rod is cad. Don't try to determine the finish from the photos. Ask about specific parts and you will get answers.
Good Luck
Robbie

[flat-happy]

the best place i have found that still does true cadmium plating is

CASCADE PLATING
210 SABRE RD
ELYRIA, OH 44035

TEL NUMBER 440-366-4931

they have a minimum charge of $60 as of today---i just got off the phone with them to make sure they were still doing it and to get a price before i put this up here. i asked the guy how many pieces he would do for that like maybe a half of a 5 gallon bucket and he said that would be still under the minimum. i think that if you clean the parts really good yourself you could get a 5 gallon bucket full done for the minimum charge. the heavy plastic bucket makes a great shipping container too. you can get one from any painter or sheet rock man for about .50 or usually free. i have compared their work to many nos parts i have and it looks exact----hope this helps

[Chris Haynes]

For starters, aluminum can't be cad plated. Fender trim is chrome plated. Hardware and most steel parts are cadmium plated, unless they are painted black.

[JSB55]

Where could I find a list of the cad-plated parts?

I'm having to work off of the couple of photos that you've posted, Chris, and a few others that I've found online, plus using process of elimination. The chrome I can pretty much identify from the KOH descriptions in the Palmer and Fields books... anything else shiny in the photos must be cad-plated or polished, but it's not always easy to tell.

I know the front brake drum and lower fork legs are polished, and the front bumper, engine guard, and hub cap are chrome, as is most of the shiny stuff on the back end. Just looking at them, I'd guess that the "spears" that run down the side of the front fender, and the Electra Guide logo are probably cad, since they are not as shiny as either polished aluminum or chrome... but that still leaves me some other parts I'm unsure of... the brownie pans, D rings, clutch rod, etc.

[Chris Haynes]

There are a great deal of cadmium plated parts on your 1965. If you are truly restoring the bike they should all be re plated. Rattle can paint is not a restoration.

[JSB55]

AH... cool... got a can of that right here, as I just used it on some aftermarket tappet blocks.

[flat-happy]

I Use The --silver Bead Blast-- From The Harley Dealer. Looks Like Cad To Me Especially If You're Riding It. Glass Bead It First. It Is Really Durable

[T. Cotten]

Good to know - thanks!

Unfortunately, not a finish I can easily reproduce, and from what I see on other threads, prone to premature aging.

Nearly anything can be faked adequately with a little ingenuity: That's called *restoration*.

....Cotten