A chromed tank is not polished all over, common practice everywhere. This is not for having paint stick better to the duller chrome, only for reducing time on all that polishing labour when not required for painted areas. The 1954 Horex Regina below in my photo was never before restored when I got her from Italy 35 years ago . Nobody before me had a look into the engine yet after the company assembled it. So I can definitely say the chromed tank had no specifically sandblasted lines or areas done just for the paint and lining jobs. I would have found the dull lines before I did all these weeks of preparations for rechroming it, copper first coat, then nickel and finally chrome . I bet no company anywhere did extra sandblasting for paints on chrome and I´ll hand over 100 pounds to somebody who can show otherwise. There is just no NEED for an extra dull base when a paint is to follow, not worth the effort. Would not hurt though . . .
Vincent, the subject was about painting chromed or polished ss rims, same goes for chromed tanks. I can see same questions in other forums coming up regularly, so same answers - just simply paint them as did all companies in olden times. So when my mind wanders and looking at the chromed tanks it came to me why on earth Vincenteers came upon these crash bars when these bikes only got simple black tanks ? I cannot remember seeing that junk on any other brand of bikes , even when many of them got chromed tanks An accident on a chromed tank is an absolute nightmare as I can tell, did two Horex tanks years ago as you can see. On these no question about filler , only copper plating can do for filler , plus all these hours grinding and polishing for mirror finish , otherwise no way to hope for a brilliant chrome. So a black tank is a ridiculously simple quick job.
Even so, our Guzzi and the two Horexes got chromed tanks but no way would I accept crash bars on them - allright, myself no drunk driver, never been, but I can see the point . . .
Vic
Horex Regina 460 , 1954:
Horex 600 4 valve, 1935: