Up and coming restoration: questions

[ChromeSuperhawk]

No worries SMBH, I still don't know where Redditch is. :)

[malcolmgb]

My apologise ChromeSuperhawk when i see Lake Zurich I instantly thought it was Switzerland, geography was never my strongest subject at school.

IL is Illinois, when you visit east coast USA you see a lot of European names taken over by early settlers, my daughter lived in a town called Sussex in Wantage Township just down the road was a town called Hamburg.

[malcolmgb]

No worries SMBH, I still don't know where Redditch is. :)

Redditch is in the middle of England just south of Birmingham, Royal Enfield motorcycles were originally made there until they shut down, now they are built in India.

[ChromeSuperhawk]

Thanks malcomgb for explaining the location of Redditch. What I'm looking for in these postings are do's and don't s of restorations, facts or opinions. Lets start here, with painting or powder coating is one more desirable than the other on these old bikes? I'm looking to paint the pictured bike white with the chrome fenders and head light bucket. Painting or Powder coating?

[rrietman]

paint is more work/$ but will look more original. having been involved in bike show judging I will say that powder coating looks way different, is easily detected, and will cost you points. that said, powder coating is far and away the more durable finish, and is much easier to to do.
Good luck
Randy

[ChromeSuperhawk]

Thanks Randy. So how about stuff like polishing instead of repainting the engine side covers to a reflective finish? How about replacing stock hardware with new chrome hardware would that kill points as well? Re-chroming tank panels and headlight bezel?

[rrietman]

you want to go original? for judging? then go original finishes. you want bling? then go polished/stainless/chrome. there were no polished parts on these bikes. no stainless. and very few chrome fasteners.
Randy