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| jensen | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 13/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 150 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 12:54 Post title : Wheel cleaning | | | Hello all,
my wheels are standard fit and have some spots on them that I'd like to clean off when the weather improves.
Has anybody any suggestions? I was thinking of a metal polish but not sure of the damage this could do if the wheels were lacquered but .... if they were lacquered then they wouldn't have spots?
Hmmm - also anything that will seal them or help prevent this in the future?
Much appreciated - ta!
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| Druid | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 14/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 1,359 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 13:33 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: jensen) | | | Yep the only advice I can give is get some chrome wheels .
My wheels are shot . Totaly fecked . I ride my bike all the time all weathers otherwise I see no point owning a bike at all. The wheels are not laquered because , apprently , the laquer peels or some such noncence.
I try everything but nothing works . The amount of polish Ive bought I could have got the chrome wheels by now . The only thing I do now is use wire wool on them and be damned with the polished finish . Then put a coat of wd40 on a rag and whipe it over the wheel .
| Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery - W.Churchill
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| EnGage | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 14/07/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,155 | | Location | : | Grand Rapids, MI, United States |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 13:34 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: jensen) | | | The inner portion of the "spokes" are lacquered, but the rest of the wheels are not. Take a close look and you'll see what I mean.
Most of us have good luck using metal polish. I use metal polish about every other month and my wheels look new after two riding seasons.
| | Post edited by EnGage on 22 Jan 2011 - 13:35 |
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| daz | | Zeus | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/05/2009 | | Posts | : | 7,731 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 13:53 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: EnGage) | | | Metal polish typically works on aluminum with great results. It does work on mine, tho for some reason (i suspects a harder alloy) not as easily or as well as other aluminum parts. It works pretty good tho. However, it does seem like some people are having much worse issues with corrosion than others and having had a few tiny spots like that on mine i certainly can understand how metal polish would be useless for them. Even on the tiny spots i've had it was a bear to remove, and i tried 3 different polishes. One thing that will work but will be a LOT of work is wet and dry sandpaper. But i would probably not recommend it because the amount of work it would take due to the fact you'd have to do every part (except the painted inner part of spokes engage mentioned) well in order to remove the stock texture. Otherwise they would look spotty and horrible. But once don then you would be able to spot sand and remove areas of corrosion as the occur. I see no real easy fix for this aside from the chrome wheels, which i personally would love to have if not so expensive.
Oh, and by the way I found a product that works great on them, not for the corrosion but for wheels with no issues. It serves to give them a nice shime and works easier than metal polishes. Meguiers swirl-X ! It's also a polish, but it's a paint polish and very fine. This would typically mean it's not likely to do much for metal, at least not w/o 10 times the elbow grease. But i had some and never cared much for it on paint, but tried it on the wheels and as shocked to find it worked better than blue magic or mothers metal polishes ! Instead of taking MORE work, it did the job quicker in getting off stubborn spots. I have no idea why. And the shine it left way out did the metal polishes. The shine even lasted longer for some reason. It's seems to leave a coating which may be why, i dunno. Actually, it just might work better for those with corrosion than metal polishes, but i doubt it. Thats just too tough a job for anything less than wet and dry.
| 2010 Blue/White Thunderbird, "Brutus". 1700 kit, short tors, gutted cat, UNI filter, filter seal off, custom tune. Brutus in his native habitat: Link
| | Post edited by daz on 22 Jan 2011 - 14:02 |
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| wizard | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 07/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 430 | | Location | : | St Neots, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 14:34 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: jensen) | | | Dealership recommended using car body polish on the birds wheels from new. I use autoglym polish and after 900 miles from new (8-months) there is no significant deterioration so far. I have had two jaunts out around cambs/bedfordshire and Northamptonshires salty old roads so far this month and the wheels were fine when I gave them a swill down last weekend, but I will keep an eye out. I have had some minor watermarks, usually where water gathers on the high side of the wheel, but it came off real easy with a light wipe of fresh polish.
| It is the job of every senior manager to agree to a task then find someone who hasn't got time to do it!
1981 Yamaha RD50MX
1982 Suzuki GP100E
1978 Honda CB400 Dream
1987 Kawasaki GPX750R
1989 Honda CBR1000FK
2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1600
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| zolti | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 22 Jan 2011 - 23:36 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: wizard) | | | if you can get a good wax finish on when you first get the bike and keep it up you should be ok,
365 or equivalent before riding in salty conditions can seal the surface and protect
you can get an acid based cleaner that ford dealers use to bring up thier alloys but its not over the counter stuff
i have used 365 but found it a pain to keep the brake dust off so when i was up in edin at a bike show i perused all the polish companies and after some revisits decided to go with belgom polishes. so far i havnt needed w/d paper, wire wool or solvol, aint needed the belgom alu polish either
only use the belgom chrome cleaner and mer
i went for belgom chrome for these reasons
1 it has a chemical reaction that removes oxidisation
2 it leaves a wax residue
3 it was the least abrasive of all the "polishes" i looked at so enabling an almost chrome like finish.
that is when i can be bothered to do it. properly
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| RedBird2010 | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 11/10/2010 | | Posts | : | 666 | | Location | : | Spokane Valley, Washington, United States |
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| | Posted : 23 Jan 2011 - 14:50 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: wizard) | | | wizard wrote:
Dealership recommended using car body polish on the birds wheels from new. I use autoglym polish and after 900 miles from new (8-months) there is no significant deterioration so far. I have had two jaunts out around cambs/bedfordshire and Northamptonshires salty old roads so far this month and the wheels were fine when I gave them a swill down last weekend, but I will keep an eye out. I have had some minor watermarks, usually where water gathers on the high side of the wheel, but it came off real easy with a light wipe of fresh polish. |
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I hadn't thought of waxing the wheels, it makes sense. Another idea to make application easier is to get a Mothers Powerball or equivalent (I prefer the chamois ones from Flitz)
For polishing aluminum or chrome on my classic Chevy, I use a product called Flitz Link it should work extremely well on the bikes, I did use it and chamois thing to remove some really stubborn road stains on my birds exhaust, can't even tell where the stain was now.
| Rick 
2010 Thunderbird SE 1600
"Harley-Davidson; the worlds' most efficient method of turning gasoline into noise without the harmful side effect of horsepower."
"The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask"
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| paulc | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/05/2010 | | Posts | : | 441 | | Location | : | Brackley, ENGLAND, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 23 Jan 2011 - 15:00 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: RedBird2010) | | | as soon as mine starting getting tatty gonna get them powder coated in a chrome effect
| infidel troop scooter club
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| horse27 | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 70 | | Location | : | Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 23 Jan 2011 - 18:22 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: paulc) | | | Second that ... the salt used on the UK roads at the moment kills polished alloy. I can see maybe even a black powder coating for me at the end of the summer. Like the look but black wheels are the practical UK option ... summer lasts three days here anyway 
| Ex-demo T'Bird 1600 ABS in fetching Blue & White : Bags, boards, fogs, chrome bar ends and locking fuel cap! Got a t-shirt thrown in too  Optimate cable wired in, gel pad fitted by Marty at Link , MRA vario touring screen, retro tech Garmin Quest GPS ... roll on summer 
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| paulc | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/05/2010 | | Posts | : | 441 | | Location | : | Brackley, ENGLAND, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 23 Jan 2011 - 18:30 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: horse27) | | | also thought about black but not convinced it'll go with blue & white
| infidel troop scooter club
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| fab | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,515 | | Location | : | wyong, nsw, Australia |
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| | Posted : 24 Jan 2011 - 04:13 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: paulc) | | | i have just have got mine back from the ceramic coaters,they were done in aluminium color
and now blend in nicely with the pulley i had done when i first got the bike
when i get a chance i will post some pics.
I'm looking forward to this as i will never need to polish the wheels again
my pulley has stayed the same color and anything that is on it washes straight off when i wash the bike
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Remember, soft cocks hang around all life long, hard ones come and go
ahh f**k im deep
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| paulc | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/05/2010 | | Posts | : | 441 | | Location | : | Brackley, ENGLAND, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 24 Jan 2011 - 05:43 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: fab) | | | how do they finnish the edges to stop it lifting?
| infidel troop scooter club
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| fab | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 12/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,515 | | Location | : | wyong, nsw, Australia |
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| | Posted : 24 Jan 2011 - 08:17 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: paulc) | | | they do the whole wheel.
ceramic coating is not powder coating,i put a link up the other day (cannot seem to find it)
it can handle extreme heat without discoloring, will not chip or crack and little to no maintenance.
it also has silica in its formula so it is perfect for pulleys etc.
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Remember, soft cocks hang around all life long, hard ones come and go
ahh f**k im deep
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| paulc | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/05/2010 | | Posts | : | 441 | | Location | : | Brackley, ENGLAND, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 24 Jan 2011 - 17:25 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: fab) | | | are the pulley teeth coated as well ?
| infidel troop scooter club
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| fab | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 12/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,515 | | Location | : | wyong, nsw, Australia |
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| | Posted : 24 Jan 2011 - 18:35 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: paulc) | | | yes just like the chrome ones are.
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Remember, soft cocks hang around all life long, hard ones come and go
ahh f**k im deep
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| jensen | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 13/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 150 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 25 Jan 2011 - 15:37 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: fab) | | | Thanks all, looks like I'll need to get some metal polish and a couple of bers - once the weather improves of course! 
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| jusspassnthru | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 03/03/2011 | | Posts | : | 104 | | Location | : | IL, United States |
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| | Posted : 17 Mar 2011 - 00:27 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: jensen) | | | I came across this information Link I think I'll give it a try. I've got nothing to lose since my rear wheel looks like hell.
| Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities: Voltaire
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| mat1600 | | Thunderbird | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 17 Mar 2011 - 10:03 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: jusspassnthru) | | | I had to rescue mine the other night. Got a couple tubes of Solvol and rubbed loads in with my hands first and then very fine wire wool and then a good rubbing with a course cloth and then polished to finish. The rear looked like shit, black stain marks and white splodges all over. Now after a couple of hours (and no beer) they are nice and shiney.
I did protect them with Scottoil protector but it looks like the oiley based stuff has attracted road shit to it and the road shit has got through it.
Change of product coming up.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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| zolti | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 18 Mar 2011 - 21:30 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: mat1600) | | | molasses in the salt, sticks like glue and invades worse than the romans,
i found the oily stuff does attract dust and salt so far
a liberal dose of mer after belgom has worked for me
almost become a second language
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| HoopsIRL | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 09/05/2010 | | Posts | : | 161 | | Location | : | Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland |
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| | Posted : 18 Mar 2011 - 23:12 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: mat1600) | | | Solvol is a saviour, no doubt.....but I am fed up having to use it......I never get a completely 'cured' zone. My bike lives outside, coastal, covered, but it IS my daily transport most of the time (recent winter excepted!.....for that minimal cost, could Triumph not provide ceramic coating on their wheels....seems like a cool solution!?. My wheels are completely screwed at this stage....Grey/black/oxidised....no chance of fixing....work 14-16hrs a day.
MAYBE this is the argument for using a BMW!!!...last resort!!!!!
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| zolti | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 06:42 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: HoopsIRL) | | |
HoopsIRL wrote:
Solvol is a saviour, no doubt.....but I am fed up having to use it......I never get a completely 'cured' zone. My bike lives outside, coastal, covered, but it IS my daily transport most of the time (recent winter excepted!.....for that minimal cost, could Triumph not provide ceramic coating on their wheels....seems like a cool solution!?. My wheels are completely screwed at this stage....Grey/black/oxidised....no chance of fixing....work 14-16hrs a day.
MAYBE this is the argument for using a BMW!!!...last resort!!!!!
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cheaper to buy the chrome wheels 
there was some reduced on ebay last week might still be there, windy corner getting rid of triumph stock
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| Thatch | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/06/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,655 | | Location | : | Savannah, GA, United States |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 08:24 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: zolti) | | | I will say this... it is a hell of a lot harder to clean the bike in cold weather than warm. I didn't know how good I had it in NC. I just waved a microfiber cloth near the bike and it looked great. Here it apparently can't be done. The bike refuses to shine up. Now, part of that is that it's not been touched much in 7 months and part of that is that it's scuffed to hell from the move but even without that, the chrome is all cloudy, the paint all muddy looking. I'm going to actually have to start trying now.... I don't like that at all.
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| Druid | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 14/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 1,359 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 19:13 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: Thatch) | | | Welcome to the world of gloom Thatch lol.
| Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery - W.Churchill
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| zolti | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 19:54 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: Druid) | | |
Druid wrote:
Welcome to the world of gloom Thatch lol. |
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your such an inspiration to us all you make me feel warm inside and glowing with enthusiasm, 
just need to find the lass now and offer her a quid to do some polishing
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| mat1600 | | Thunderbird | | | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 20:07 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: zolti) | | | Good luck - I know a good plastic surgeon that can sort you out after you have asked her.
Had a good day riding today - mainly cos I had no cleaning to do when I got back - totally dry day. Still nice and shiney. Had to spend two bloody hours the other day cleaning it after my day at the ploughing match across East yorks. Did some wireing friday and noticed there is still lumps of mud under the tank and side panels. Hope summer comes quick.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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| zolti | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 19 Mar 2011 - 21:52 Post title : Re: Wheel cleaning (Re: mat1600) | | |
mat1600 wrote:
Good luck - I know a good plastic surgeon that can sort you out after you have asked her.
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oh yeah .... forgot youve met
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