Dressing up old EVO cylinders?

are you talking just the fins or the whole shebang.

If you are just wanting to clean up the edges some scotchbright pads
from Home Despot in the sand paper section will work.

that guys company is still going his wife runs it they do diamond cutting.

You could just clean them up good, hit them with some high temp
black and wipe down the edges or sand them with the scotch bright..

Good info HRK & bagger Paul thanks If & when I get around to doing my base gaskets I need to repaint the heads & jugs , I was thinking of silver heads & black jugs about like the shovel heads clean looking fins would top it off real good

They have all winter, to rub out their cylinders LOL

+1 all the other suggestions.

If trying to keep the natural aluminum look you'll need to completely pull the cylinders and possibly strip or blast them depending on the level of dirt and staining they have. Soap and water or brake cleaner will often be enough to clean them up, but often bead blasting is needed. If you don't have access to a blast cabinet a great alternative is soda blasting. It basically uses a baking soda media to blast away paint and debris without having to contain all the sand or glass bead media in a cabinet. Harbor Freight has portable soda blasters for around 100 or some equipment rental yards have then to rent. Bathe the cylinders in soapy water to get all the remaining media or dirt off after.

If blasting or stripping off the original coating make sure to apply a new clear coat since the aluminum may discolor later or be susceptible to staining. I've always used VHT brand flame-proof clear coat or their other solid paints for adding color to cylinders. This paint has a resistance of 1300-2000 degrees and you just have to cure the paint to prevent it from pealing. You can do that in your oven (when the wife is not home) or even preheat the bar-b-q and place them in there to cure. You can also do the curing while on the bike but I've found the finish to be stronger and less likely to chip during installation if they are cured before.

Make sure to mask off the bore, gasket surfaces, and base. If going with a color (gray, black, etc) those are flat finish so you'll need to hit it with the clear coat after (satin) and give another curing.

Here is a great method for making any rattle can paint job look great.
1) After stripping or blasting, prep the bare metal being painted with acetone to remove any remaining grease. Avoid getting this on any other painted or clear coated surface.
2) Shake the paint can until you can see tiny dents in the bottom from the rattle ball. This is the only way you know it is mixed enough. If your arms don't hurt and you can't see tiny dents in the bottom of the can, you haven't shaken it enough. Well mixed paint makes a huge difference. Keep rattling the can every minute while painting.
3) Fill a bucket with very hot tap water (not boiled, just hot from the faucet).
4) Place the paint can in the bucket of hot water and let it sit in there for about 10 minutes. Warm paint will apply more evenly and is less likely to spatter coming out of the nozzle.
5) Warm the cylinders or other parts to be painted, especially if the outside temp is below 70 degrees. You don't want them hot, just slightly warm. The wife's hair dryer is perfect for this (again, while she is not home).
6) Let the paint dry for a day and then cure as described. Curing is critical to keep the coating from cracking or peeling.
7) If filing off the paint from the fin edges, do this after the first cure. Then apply the clear coat and cure again.

Good prep and patience has always yielded me a great finish on cylinders that is practically as good as powder coating and I've never had issues with peeling.

It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway... wear a mask! Spray paint alone is bad stuff but some of these specialty paints will do a number on your nose, throat, and lungs. Ceramic coating on metal, good. Ceramic coating in your lungs, not so good. Again, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to wear a good quality mask, or better yet a respirator.

These are just the methods that have worked for me, your mileage may vary.

excellent info ken!!!!!

thanks ken that's some real good info as well , let see here , paint, cigs , no mask , no wonder I need a inhaler , after all these years

I've seen this before on other raw engine parts. Be sure to clean with some acetone first or other pre-paint wash. Also follow the directions on the paint can, typically states something about applying second coats either within the first hour or having to wait several days to prevent lifting the first coat.

Also be sure to cure the coating properly which includes baking the part in several steps that increases the temp each time. This may also change the color. A few years ago when we upgraded our gas BBQ I saved the old one for projects like these. I heat up the bbq to just above the desired temp and shut it off before placing my parts inside to cure. I don't suggest running the bbq with the part inside in case you get a flare up or turn your paint to orange peel. And DON'T use your wife's over to cure parts (don't ask me how I know this).