Chrome wheels

[Tfrank59]

So I picked up a spare rear wheel from a guy on craigslist, and it's off an '01 standard which had chrome wheels.  My question is, it has lots of little scars on it from tire changes – right now it's got a car tire on there – and I'm wondering why does it look like white stuff coming through the scars in the chrome?  Does anybody know is that some kind of coating they put on there before chroming?  The little scars look ugly – I thought it was like bird crap – something that I could get off by cleaning, only to discover that they are scars and scratches in the chrome.  Perplexed.

[BonS]

I'd have to say it's corrosion of the underlying alloy wheel or "aluminum rust". The cause? Perhaps salt or other cleaning chemicals that have attacked the aluminum alloy. The cure? You can try #0000 steel wool and clean it up best you can and then wax it regularly to keep it from returning.

[gordonv]

I didn't know any of the Valk wheels came chromed. So it must have been done by the PO.

Sounds like the chrome is cracked, and corrosion coming though from the aluminum underneath. Like mentioned, it can be cleaned, and the wax might seal the oxidization from the air.

Permanent solution would be the removal of the chrome and starting over again.

Sell it, and get another, will be cheaper in the end. Polish the aluminum instead, it can be brought to a mirror finish. Then coat it in clear or wax.

[Tfrank59]

I didn't know any of the Valk wheels came chromed. So it must have been done by the PO.

Sounds like the chrome is cracked, and corrosion coming though from the aluminum underneath. Like mentioned, it can be cleaned, and the wax might seal the oxidization from the air.

Permanent solution would be the removal of the chrome and starting over again.

Sell it, and get another, will be cheaper in the end. Polish the aluminum instead, it can be brought to a mirror finish. Then coat it in clear or wax.

No it's just a backup – I won't sell it and get another one.  I was thinking maybe I could strip the chrome off, but that sounds like too much work too.  Probably the thing I'll do is simply not worry about it. Put a tire on there and have two sets of rear wheels for my bike.

[The emperor has no clothes]

If it's a stock '01 wheel it's not really chromed. Those came polished and clear coated from the factory. Whoever did the tire changes scratched thru the clear coat and the aluminum is corroding.

[salty1]

Use a stripper and remove the clear coat. If needed follow up with a very fine wet and dry sandpaper to remove gouges. Finish the job with Mothers Aluminum and Mag  polish and a power ball. It will look like new.

[Tfrank59]

Use a stripper and remove the clear coat. If needed follow up with a very fine wet and dry sandpaper to remove gouges. Finish the job with Mothers Aluminum and Mag  polish and a power ball. It will look like new.

That's a plan.  So just like paint stripper?  If I can get it done the way you describe, then it will be just like the one on my 98 tourer.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Use a stripper and remove the clear coat. If needed follow up with a very fine wet and dry sandpaper to remove gouges. Finish the job with Mothers Aluminum and Mag  polish and a power ball. It will look like new.

That's a plan.  So just like paint stripper?  If I can get it done the way you describe, then it will be just like the one on my 98 tourer.

I guess it depends on how many gouges there are. But I would be hesitant to remove ALL of the clear coat. I think you could fix up the bad spots and spray some spray can clear on them. I have a '01 standard with clear coated wheels and a 99 I/S without. The I/S wheels NEVER look as good no matter how much buffing you do.

[Tfrank59]

man there's a ton of gouges – probably 100--Some large some small.  It's ugly.

[Jess from VA]

Clean it up and live with it, or get it powder coated.  Powder coating comes in many shades (some near chrome/polished aluminum), and is wash and wear and durable.  Just make sure they don't screw up the bearing pockets.

https://www.google.com/search?q=powder+coat+wheels&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIhaTi-qG4xwIVxTY-Ch09qQMD&biw=1434&bih=646

[Tfrank59]

Powder coating is also a plan.  My only concern would be that "aluminum rust" I hear it never actually stops, you can only slow it down, won't it come through and ruin the powder coating?

[salty1]

Use a stripper and remove the clear coat. If needed follow up with a very fine wet and dry sandpaper to remove gouges. Finish the job with Mothers Aluminum and Mag  polish and a power ball. It will look like new.

That's a plan.  So just like paint stripper?  If I can get it done the way you describe, then it will be just like the one on my 98 tourer.

I guess it depends on how many gouges there are. But I would be hesitant to remove ALL of the clear coat. I think you could fix up the bad spots and spray some spray can clear on them. I have a '01 standard with clear coated wheels and a 99 I/S without. The I/S wheels NEVER look as good no matter how much buffing you do.

Remove all the clear otherwise it will be a mess. Buy the stripper at an O'Reilly's. It comes in a spray can and you may have to apply it a couple of times.

[Jess from VA]

Powder coating is also a plan.  My only concern would be that "aluminum rust" I hear it never actually stops, you can only slow it down, won't it come through and ruin the powder coating?

I'm no specialist, but you are paying them to do a good job.  As with ANY paint anywhere (and powdercoat is not really paint), prep is the key to a good job.  They would prep and coat and seal the wheels, and I think no rust or corrosion would continue or bleed out, unless you (or some downstream tire installer) chipped the coat.

I don't have extra wheels, if I did they would already be powder coated awaiting car tires to wear out.  I would only (get spares for and) coat the rears, the fronts are easy to keep polished.  And I would not care if they didn't match... bagger rear wheels don't show that much anyway.  A satin (never gloss) battleship grey/silver rear wheel would be my choice.

Something like this. (my days of busting my azz polishing the rears are over)


If easy to do and not much more money, I would think coating the wheel slots satin black would look good too.

[Tfrank59]

OK Jess, that's good food for thought. I don't like busting my butt to polish the rear either – nobody hardly even sees it with hard bags!

[salty1]

OK Jess, that's good food for thought. I don't like busting my butt to polish the rear either – nobody hardly even sees it with hard bags!

Just clean and polish when you change the rear tire. FWIW