aftercare for polished rims

[Anthony]

a question to those that have polished their rims themselves :

my front rim is dull from being eaten in by the salty winter roads
and after seeing the video's on this forum how to polish the rims on this site, i want to do that myself also.
now that i have the rim off anyhow, i guess now is the time.

the question :
is this a 1 time job, or does it require a lot of aftercare.
or :
what did you do to preserve that precious shine - state while on the road ?
the video's seen here, explain clearly how to do it, but nothing about any requirement for aftercare, if any.

if you have some advice on good products : please advise what they consist of, because i guess i won't find the exact same brand on this side of the pond.

Thanks in Advance,
Anthony

[BigBod]

I live by the sea and what with all the salt air, I got my wheels powdercoated. For where I live a much better option and not that expensive. Any colour you like, I got mine done in black chrome

[tank_post142]

Thats Paint?   WOW!

[The Anvil]

Untreated (as in not clearcoated) polished aluminum SUCKS to keep looking boss. I had polished PM wheels on my ZX7 and my Buell and though they looked awesome when clean they clouded up at the slightest hint of moisture. A good wax will help slow the process but not eliminate it completely and then you have to strip the wax to properly clean them. Brake dust also does a number on them if allowed to accumulate. If you polish and do not clear then be prepared to clean and re-polish them frequently. For winter storage I would coat them with vaseline and them kept them looking pretty good come spring.

[9Ball]

I do an annual cleaning with chrome polish and a Mother's powerball in my cordless drill followed by a good application of "Liquid Glass".  The wheels stay nice between treatments but I'm nowhere near salt water and don't ride the bike in winter when the roads are treated with salt.

http://www.autobarn.net/chlg100.html?site=www.jellyfish.com

this stuff isn't cheap but it's one of the best products I've found over the years.  I started using it after I did a ground up restoration on my '54 Chevy and a lot of the Corvette guys were using it at the car shows I was going to at the time.  A can lasts a very long time...I use it on everything.  After a few treatments it becomes very easy to clean the bike.  Anyone that's seen my bike will vouch for the finish.  It does a nice job on polished aluminum, goes on easily, and better yet comes off without a lot of effort.  End of commercial....

A WORD OF CAUTION:  There have been many reported problems with using clear coat or products like POR-15.  The metal is porous and will oxidize under the clearcoat and then you have a real mess trying to strip the coating off.  Your best bet is the liquid glass or a good paste wax, then plan to re-do as needed to maintain the shiny finish.

Those powdercoated black chrome wheels posted above look really nice.  Might consider that for my Rocket 3.

[lucky_1_chris]

After they're polished, you can seal them with Zoop or something similar. It will help keep them from oxidizing, and make them easier to clean. Clear coat would be best. The shine will not hold up long if they're not sealed or clear coated.

[Chrisj CMA]

I live in FL.  I ride the beach often.  I have traveled on the Valkyrie to Daytona beach 16 times since owning the bike.  I just wipe the wheels off with a damp cloth a couple times a week and go over them with a good aluminum polish a few times a year and they look like this ALWAYS

[CASABROKER]

Flitz polish awesome stuff keeps the shine along time too

[Anthony]

So the answers go from "SUCKS" over 'yearly polish or seal' to 'weekly wipe off'. MMh...
Usually i prefer a smaller pool of possible results before i start on a process. I will investigate the polishes/seals further.

Bigbod : that powder paint looks good ! what was the preparation for that powder coating ?
the same grinding & polishing, or
sandblasting, or
glass bead blasting,
or ... ?
got any outside pics mounted ?

Anthony

[BigBod]

I need to take some more pictures of the bike now it's all finished. These rims are great, just wipe them with a damp cloth. Before I sent the wheels away to be done, I removed the tyres, disks and bearings. The wheels were really bad, all corroded and furry...I didn't do any prep on them, they were completely taken care of by the place I sent them to. Cost was £80 per wheel which is about 90 euro's or $125. Cheaper for standard colours but this 'black chrome' is a bit more difficult to do apparrently.  This is where I sent them:  http://www.aerocoat.net/index.htm They are good at what they do and know which bits to mask up. Tip for you when putting new bearings in, put them in the freezer for a day before hand, they will go in much easier when you come to fit them

[The Anvil]

So the answers go from "SUCKS" over 'yearly polish or seal' to 'weekly wipe off'. MMh...
Usually i prefer a smaller pool of possible results before i start on a process. I will investigate the polishes/seals further.

Bigbod : that powder paint looks good ! what was the preparation for that powder coating ?
the same grinding & polishing, or
sandblasting, or
glass bead blasting,
or ... ?
got any outside pics mounted ?

Anthony

No, correct answer is that they suck. My PM wheels looked great in pics too...



But I can tell you that in person that wheel looked like ass when I took that pic. Some people also pick up more on certain things. I have a really discerning eye for detail. What other people find terrific looking makes me throw up in my mouth.

Uncoated means a lot of maintenance to keep em looking good. That's just how it is.

[98valk]

http://topoftheline.com/polishingtips.html

http://topoftheline.com/poal.html

[PAVALKER]

IMO.... unless it is a show bike only....  forgo the time consuming sanding with various grits and then polishing and get yourself a Mother's Mini Powerball and some polish (I like White Diamond) and do them once (maybe twice a year if that).  I had some bad wheels and used a pot scrubbing pad with Soft Scrub w/bleach, then a Brillo and finally the Mothers Mini Power ball.   Once done, I usually just just have to wash them off or wipe them down and give a spritz of Eagle One Nanowax to help coat them.  Do they look like chrome?  No, but they are nice.

Considered powder coating wheels as well... and those black chrome ones look sweet in pics.  I have Powder Coated Spoke Wheels on my car, and even on my truck, and they are easy to maintain.  However, once you get a scrap, stone chip or the like.... you have to either get em touched up/redone or live with it (you can't polish it out).  But for the most part... they are pretty good.

[Chrisj CMA]

IMO.... unless it is a show bike only....  forgo the time consuming sanding with various grits and then polishing and get yourself a Mother's Mini Powerball and some polish (I like White Diamond) and do them once (maybe twice a year if that).  I had some bad wheels and used a pot scrubbing pad with Soft Scrub w/bleach, then a Brillo and finally the Mothers Mini Power ball.   Once done, I usually just just have to wash them off or wipe them down and give a spritz of Eagle One Nanowax to help coat them.  Do they look like chrome?  No, but they are nice.

Considered powder coating wheels as well... and those black chrome ones look sweet in pics.  I have Powder Coated Spoke Wheels on my car, and even on my truck, and they are easy to maintain.  However, once you get a scrap, stone chip or the like.... you have to either get em touched up/redone or live with it (you can't polish it out).  But for the most part... they are pretty good.

I agree with you PAVALKER my wheels were rough when I first got the bike.  A little "elbow grease" and some good aluminum polish "healed" them.  Now I just wipe them down regularly and use some polish a couple/four times a year and even up close they look like new.  Well not really like new, Ive seen new ones that arent as clean as mine....so like new ones SHOULD look LOL

[Mean Cat]

I used a product by POR-15 called GLISTEN on my vans aluminum wheels. It seems to hold up well with the salt on the roads in the winter .

[PAVALKER]

I used a product by POR-15 called GLISTEN on my vans aluminum wheels. It seems to hold up well with the salt on the roads in the winter .

Interesting.....  http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC/productinfo/GPCGG/

[Ricky-D]

You could also get the wheels "bright coated" and "anodized" which is the process you see on most high end aluminum products.

Anodizing is probably the hardest surface treatment for aluminum and the most resistant surface against corrosion on aluminum.

Without the "bright coating" the anodizing will render the aluminum gray and splotchy, but still a good strong surface finish.

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