Royal Enfield Classic 350 | Polishing the Engine Casings | Please read description |

[@chrisweeks6973]

Good one, Ian! I've used Autosol since 1963, when I bought my new Jawa 250. The bike was left outside my barracks 24-7 all year round and used on my 75-mile-each-way commute, day/night in all seasons and weathers. I refurbished a pair of scruffy Suzuki VL250's a couple of years ago, used the liquid form of Autosol, applied with Grade 0000 steel wool. The product both shines and protects the casings and the chrome and I would highly recommend it, black hands notwithstanding! Being in the military, I was used to that from polishing brasses, bayonets, etc.; we used Brasso to remove any tarnish stains and Duraglit to give a light polish once the item was clean. 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Chris. I am going to have a go with Brasso to see if it will brighten the tarnished spokes.

[@ReRiderChi]

I appreciate your content as I navigate riding my own Classic.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thank you, always here to help when I can 😉😎

[@melfzs]

I use Autosol myself Ian, but a tube lasts me ages now , as I've got the Classic in Gunmetal grey with the black engine, I used to get fed up of polishing my Interceptor through the winter so I coated it with Bilt Hamber wax coating until spring. The only alloy I've got to polish now is my fork legs ! 😆 Yeah it doesn't have to be mirror finish , just clean 'n bright. Must say you keep Clementine mint ! 👍 Cheers Mel

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Mel, I do like my bikes looking nice, but riding throughout winter, does have its challenges, especially where alloy is concerned. I hadn’t heard of Bilt Hamber, just had a quick look, will look into it a bit more, so thanks for the tip.

[@peterwillis4239]

"Marvellous" as someone would say!! 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Peter. 😎

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

Splendiferious! 😁

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thank you.

[@davidkiernan5901]

I also use Autosol and steel wool and it works a charm. I can shine up my castings in under half the time with the 0000 steel wool. Very easy now. Thanks for the content

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thank you, glad you agree 👍😂

[@thesilverfoxtravels6653]

Autosol..! Been around since the Arc sank..! best thing for polishing metal. Thankfully my covers are painted but I agree with you about the spokes, nothing seems to work on them. Toyed with the idea of replacing them with powder coated ones but really expensive. 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Yes, I looked into getting them replaced with Stainless spokes……..KER..CHING 😂

[@itsallrc-interceptor650]

Great idea👍I'd never have thought of using wire wool and a piece of bamboo,brilliant 🖖

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thank you. Don't forget O grade wool 🤣 Can't believe how often I said it 🙄

[@paulholmes1682]

Good to see a man happy in his work, top job 👍 I used to be a mould maker and you would be amazed at the polish achievable with diamond compounds 😎But I'm pleased to say I didn't have to buy them!!

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

😂 I bet. Thanks Paul. It is a good job I enjoy cleaning/polishing. 😎

[@mrgrizzlyrides]

Nice one fella. I’ve been using Solly Autosol since 1978 too. Must admit the wire wool is a new one for me; but, hey, it works, coz ur casing look great and the bikes done two winters, so your defo doin ur it right. Great how to Ian; I get fingers like your too; we really should wear a glove. Have a nice trip you two.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Neil. Perhaps I should have stressed in the video that the wire wool is OOOO grade 😂, it’s in the write up at least. It’s pretty much just like using a piece of rough cloth. We had a great couple of days away thanks, despite the weather being wet and miserable. Video out tomorrow morning 👍😎

[@mrgrizzlyrides]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield At least u both had a good time, that’s what’s important. Looking forward to watching your new video. Take care fella

[@petejones1957]

Agree with you about the rear spokes, that's the only part of the bike I'd have any reason to criticise. The rear spokes on mine were pitted from day one, totally different from the front for some reason, which after 2 years are still pristine. Autosol is brilliant, use it for "fettling" old pen knives and chisels, etc as well as the bike. Keep the "shiny side" up!

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Pete. It’s bizarre how the rear are so much worse than the front, mine are the same 😢Cheers

[@mikehatswell3961]

Looking good, but yet another reason why I bought a meteor 😂 after you have used the wire wool, try the solvol on newspaper, not shiny paper but good old fashion newspaper, it seems to put some depth into it, not ridiculous shiny but some depth to the finish, all the best buddy 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Mike. I think, we have tried lots of different methods over the years. I will have a go with newspaper, but I don’t want it too shiny 😉😎

[@MsDenver2]

I’ve always done the same as you but not with zero wire wool so I’ll buy some of that. Once I’ve done what you do I always spray some WD40 on a cloth and wipe over where I polished and I always found this helps protect the casings till next polish. I think the answer to the the bolts area is to buy stainless steel bolts but of course they are expensive and need to be torqued to right setting? As for the spokes well I’m thinking of buying a set of alloy wheels as they look very good? I have to say how good you keep Clementine, it’s a shout to your hard work after successive winters 👍😊

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Donna. When I was referring to using a piece of bamboo, it was to get into the recess in the casings, not so much the bolts themselves. Clementines engine bolts look good, which is more than can be said for some of the other fasteners. I have always tended to wipe WD40 all over the frame, and wheels, but I find it evaporates off the engine casings, hence now using “Rocket”. Thanks for the compliment 😎

[@MsDenver2]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield yes your right , I’ve made a note about the rocket thanks 👍🏍️

[@tomstockell9481]

Great minds think alike - I did mine with Autosol on Wednesday, always does the trick

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Tom 👍

[@paulfoster5432]

I have to say, I agree with you about Solvol autosol, Being a Yorkshireman i use it sparingly, But definitely Not Wire wool 👎 I use two different cloths, like you said there's no substitute for the elbow grease of hard work, i don't like the way Fillingham cleans his bike's, he does it lazy like a car driver, Regards to the spokes, Best thing is Mr Sheen furniture polish, With progressively cleaner cloths, My system has worked for me, And I have been riding motorcycles for 50 years now, I presently own a Royal Enfield Interceptor and Hunter, Great bike's, Great Channel Ian Cheers Paul Foster 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Paul. The Interceptor has stainless spokes, but the Classic has mild steel. They tarnish far too easily, and before you know it, you just can’t spruce them up, when I had my Interceptor, they were gleaming. To me, it’s the only real flaw with the Classic 350’s, so annoying, especially when you are a bit pedantic about keeping the bike clean 😢 The O gauge wire wool, is a very light abrasive, and I guarantee, there are no scratch or swirls on the finish, especially if you do another polish with Autosol on a cloth. I am going back to using mutton cloth instead of microfibre though. Thanks for the compliment on the channel, much appreciated.

[@paulfoster5432]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield I didn't know that about the Classic Reborn, Bit of a shame about that, I opted for the Hunter, as I wanted an easier second bike to keep clean, I see your point about the lighter wire wool, Fortunately my Hunter a black engine and black Wheel's, so I tend to use Mr Sheen, Sorry not Pledge like i said, I have always used 'Mr Sheen', it's absolutely brilliant stuff, I use car polish Simoniz 'Carnuaba' on the paint work, and it does black part's as well without white residue, Cheers Ian Paul 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

@paulfoster5432 I remember nicking Mr Sheen off my mum to polish my bikes back in the day 😂. Yes, black engine and cast wheels are the future 🫣😂😎

[@bsabiker-d7z]

Hi, just seen your cleaning video, like you I tried McGuires and found it quite useless compared to Solvol Autosol, which I've been using since the mid 1960's. Basically if it's not broken don't mend it - stick with what you are used to and are happy with. Never tried it with grade O wire wool, only either soft cotton cloth or sometimes a piece of fine grade abrasive plastic scouring pad, then polish with cotton cloth again afterwards.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Morgan, yes we get tempted by what others suggest, but always fall back to what we know. I discovered the 0000 grade wire wool when I was restoring an old Matchless 500G9 in about 1981, trying to bring some very dull casings up. I used cardboard and Solvol first, then the wire wool + Solvol, then mutton cloth + Solvol, finishing off with a duster. When I watched Stu Fillingham using wet n dry on his Interceptor 650 cases, I admit that I cringed, but it worked for him. Cheers

[@bsabiker-d7z]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield Yes I to saw that one, okay if very fine wet and dry, say 1200 grade. But as you say, each to their own.

[@lomate1963]

Like the Enfield sticker dude 👍🏻

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Email me at [e-mail] with your address and I’ll send you a couple 😉

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Yes Ian 100% 💯 only ever use auto sol and wire wool 000 grade or just a cloth Sod Bloody Stuart fillingham he’s doing it for the money that’s all he does it for 😊 My late father always swore by it in the garage trade 🙌🙌 Good stuff Phil

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Phil, us “old boys” stick with what we know 😂 Glyn Owen seemed to get good results with the imposter, but that was with the casings off the bike, and on the bench. Cheers

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield Il bloody give ya “old boys’ 😂😂

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

😎😂😎

[@martintraffordmoorlandbike7121]

Another vote for Autosol here Ian - I too tried SF's suggestion of Maguire's, but that's at the back of the cupboard now! On a completely unrelated note, I notice that your van's a Transit. We're looking to swap our VW camper and thinking about Ford, how d'you rate it? Cheers anyway Ian. 👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Afternoon Martin. We love our Transit Custom. We bought it as a van, then had it converted inside, to have three seats from a Transit Tourneo, but leave the middle one out, and have a wheel chock which Clementine’s front wheel sits in. I can’t really tell any significant difference when driving with Clementine in the back, but mpg does come down a bit. Without the extra weight, the van returns 40-42mpg on a decent run, at about 65mph, but this comes down to about 36mpg with Clementine in the back, and stays about the same when towing Zebedee (our folding caravan). We have the Limited model, which has some nice extra’s like heated seats, reverse camera etc. Great to drive and looks cool (in our opinion), with it being the SWB (L1H1) it fits into a standard parking space too. Yes, I rate it highly. One consideration, the cam belt, is a “wet belt”, so when it needs renewing (100,000 miles), it is a very lengthy job. I have been quoted about £1200 by Ford main dealer, all in (parts and labour). I have about two years to save up for that 😭

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Here is a vid I did, not long after we had it converted……kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2qwkqmZbMR4qpIsi=wgS_Jrrf1KHWX4nf

[@richiedewen9289]

The casings do come up nicely with auto sol. As for the spokes! I use Vulcanet wipes and they are superb, they bring them up like new. Very very pricey though!

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Richie, do they bring up spokes which are tarnished or just dirty ?

[@richiedewen9289]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield They cut through all the road grim, chain lube and grease easily, although I haven't had any corrosion on my spoke so can't say vouch for whether they would. 2 wipes cleans the whole bike from front to back. 👌

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

@richiedewen9289 sounds good, but I doubt they will have any effect on the tarnished spokes. They are a real bugger, though I will persevere. Thank you.

[@StevenTubb-g3d]

As a final coat, have you ever tried Brasso? its a liquid rather than a paste and may bring it up to that final shine you are after

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Hi Stephen, to be honest, no. Always willing to try other products, so will give it a go, cheers.

[@GapBahnDirk]

I also use Autosol Ian, on a cloth. For around the engine bolts, I have found that Autosol on a toothbrush works well. I have upgraded to Hitchcock's SS engine bolts. it is all definitely worth the effort, in fact I enjoy cleaning and polishing my bikes! I wear gloves.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks GBD, I just can’t get on with gloves 🤦‍♂️😂. A toothbrush ehh, you like your brushes (remember the cleaning tip using baby bottle brushes for hard to reach places 😁)

[@GapBahnDirk]

I remember👍👍. I have never tried wire wool, but might give it a go if I find some stubborn tarnishes. @@ianhughesroyalenfield

[@crumblymal8479]

Can't beat the old Autosol Ian it's the best way that I've always found and Clem looks mighty fine on it ,I reckon the best thing with spokes is have them replaced with stainless ones at the end of the day but I would guess that's somewhat expensive unless your Henry Cole 😂👌👍

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Mal. Yes replacing the spokes for stainless would be my preferred option, but I have seen prices of about £250 per wheel 🫣 so not an option. I could do with a wheelwright offering me some sponsorship 😂

[@enfield7123]

I found metal polish and baking tinfoil works really well

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

We all find our own little ways, I will try that one day. Cheers

[@travisperkins100]

Great timely video Ian!. Ive just commented on wyre forest bikers channel, complaining about the poor quality ally on my own classis 350casings. They seem quite pitted despite it being a fair weather machine!...you can't beat solvol can you?!..ive been using it for 50years!.. one thing though... where do you get that protective spray from please?.I'd like to try it im currently using the fs365. Thanks again.. Clementine looks great!. Andy.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks for the comment Andy. I bought Rocket off Amazon. A big tin for not a lot as I recall. I just did the same as applying the FS365.

[@birchwoodbiker]

Ian as Ali G would say it's going to need a lot a lot of polishing 🤣🤣🤣 looks great I use the same polish for all my ali and chrome

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Paul. I have found a new love in “Rocket”, I don’t have to constantly keep on top of the casings now. Just the occasional buff up 😎

[@esrider7765]

Looks great, good job

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Cheers 👍

[@philipmccann2358]

What is that circular hatch on the left side with the hex key insert ? I’ve got same bike and I can’t find out what it’s for

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Morning Phil. If you remove it, you can put a socket in to turn the crankshaft for doing the valve timing. 👍

[@SOLOMOTOUK]

Turned very well nice one 👍🏍️

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks Derek. 😎

[@davelawton9520]

No substitution for good old fashioned elbow grease, job done !

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Absolutely Dave 😎😂

[@michaelgilbert3311]

Bike casings look good, unlike your hands. Have just bought ACF 50 for the Hunter as im in agreement with you, winter conditions remain in Wales.Bfn Mike

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

😂, I like getting my hands dirty 😂. Yes, best to keep things protected, good luck 😉

[@WyreForestBiker]

Dont worry it was a good watch ...it made me want to buy you a bike lift though ! 😊

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

😂 thanks David, if I could have one, I would have bought one years ago, especially with my bloody back 😂 Cheers

[@Ainsworth-Rider]

AutoSol 😐 Now Ian I thought you had found a miracle cure but no I have been using the best since the sixtys, but the 0 grade wirewool I will definitely give that a try 😊😊

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks James. I have been using the wire wool for decades. 🤣

[@borderlands6606]

Working condition is what I aim for. The gritters are still going round here, and I'm b*8d if I'm polishing up for a fresh dose of road salt. I prefer your level of polish to mirror finish anyway.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks, yes winter is still with us, but I do like to just keep on top of them. Although I didn’t recoat the casings, before coming away (vid out next week), they will be getting done after next wash over the weekend.

[@BlakesPipes]

I just dropped off my W800 for cleaning at your house. No rush, will pick it up in two weeks. Tell me how much when I pick it up. You take IOUs right?

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

😂 Blake. If you could get it here, I would do it…….but doubt you could afford me 😉😎😂

[@ruahinesrider]

Autosul is the stuff to use alright. Using Hessian cloth is the best cloth to use on engine casings etc & any large moto store will sell large bag of Hesian cloth.Micro fiber cloths can put fine scratches into exposed metal.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thanks RR

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I ride my bikes for transportation. My Sportster proudly shows the miles and the patina of age. The only bikes that are pretty are ones that don't get ridden. I only polish silverware.😂😂HA HA.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Well Frank, you can’t say that Clementine doesn’t get ridden, considering the weather and road conditions she has endured over the last two winters. I just like to keep her looking tip top, and I am sure other motorcyclists feel the same about their pride and joy 😉

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield Yes you keep it looking good but your motorcycle is only 2 years old. You do ride in all weathers kudos for that. I watch your videos and enjoy them. I just hope you have Clementine for 25 years.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

@frankmarkovcijr5459 I doubt I will still be around in 25 years 😂😂😂

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@ianhughesroyalenfield l will be here in 25 years and I will still be riding.l will have 1 million miles on my Sportster by then. Ride safe.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

@frankmarkovcijr5459 quality. Enjoy the ride 😎

[@phillipmoore8114]

Nice job 😂

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Thank you ☺️

[@michaelfirth1075]

Hi Ian, Great video, thanks.

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Hope it helps, thank you.