Messed up my 2011 Wheels

[wonderment]

Well, I live in IN and a few weeks ago, it was cold (32 degrees) and I wanted to take a ride so I did. First time I ever rode the bike where there was a tad bit of wet road. Not rain or snow, just a tad wet. (More like moist.) Anyway, pulled the bike in the garage after my ride and left it there for 2 weeks. Yesterday, I saw my brand new pristine wheels look like this. I was shocked...and stupid I guess, having now learned the hard way about what aluminum wheeels without clearcoat is all about.

Tried lots of ways to fix this yesterday. The photo is the best I could make them look. Do you have any ideas or methods on what to do with my rear wheels? Kinda bummed.

There's always something about these bikes I don't do right or know about. (Noobie of 1 year now.)

 

[Bikerbozo]

Hell, I wish mine looked that good. Riding all winter might not help, bit I feel better anyways.bozo

 

[RSW]

The best aluminum polish I have found is Mothers brand. Might have to use some polishing rouge first.

 

[trikermutha]

I have used a power buffer and polish on mine in the past..

 

[wonderment]

I tried the polish and it looked better, but the spots are still there. Maybe try it some more...

 

[americanbadass]

Heres what I have had luck with on aluminum wheels without CC. Take a 0000 steel wool pad, then follow up with a good polish. This worked pretty well for me, if you think I am nutz-just try a small test spot! Warning: do not use anything coarser than 0000. If you put a polishing wheel in your drill you can follow up with that, to really make them bling.

 

[rhino 2]

Bar keepers friend, Its a power and It comes in a can similar to comet, Ajax' etc Home depot, Shoprite sells it.
Google it, They'll have a list of sellers ThumbUp

 

[vstrommer]

I use Eagle One Never Dull Wadding Polish it works great for me and easy to use with no mess...Good Luck!!ThumbUp

 

[RSW]

Heres what I have had luck with on aluminum wheels without CC. Take a 0000 steel wool pad, then follow up with a good polish. This worked pretty well for me, if you think I am nutz-just try a small test spot! Warning: do not use anything coarser than 0000. If you put a polishing wheel in your drill you can follow up with that, to really make them bling.

Thats why I said to use polishing rouge so you don't use nothing to coarse. Put it on a cotton cloth and a lot of elbow grease. I'v been ploishing aluminum for years and for a beginner, the 0000 steel wool will work. Anything to take a little layer off the top. Then follow it up with Mothers.

 

[rae2012]

Saw soom wheels in this condition in 2010 in Stergis . The person who had them was selling a cleaner that will cure your problem it is called FLITZ . I bought some and used it on my 2008 Ultra and now on my 2012 trike . Will never be without it . Hope this site is still good J&S Wholesale or J&S Wholesale-Flitz Products . Phone # 800-459-3233 . Apply with your finger and let dry then us paper towel to remove . Rub same direction around wheel towel will turn black repete if nessary . Works great good luck .

 

[BinIdaho]

Saw soom wheels in this condition in 2010 in Stergis . The person who had them was selling a cleaner that will cure your problem it is called FLITZ . I bought some and used it on my 2008 Ultra and now on my 2012 trike . Will never be without it . Hope this site is still good J&S Wholesale or J&S Wholesale-Flitz Products . Phone # 800-459-3233 . Apply with your finger and let dry then us paper towel to remove . Rub same direction around wheel towel will turn black repete if nessary . Works great good luck .

Which specific item for cleaning wheels....am on their web site and there's lots of their products?

 

[Trapper54]

I know here at home once they put salt down even if the road drys any moisture at all brins the salt back on vehicles.
Is it possible you got some salt on wheels.

 

[HogAir]

This took all of the salt off my wheels in Pananma City when I was at the Thunder Beach Rally last year.

Instructional Videos

 

[KindaOldTriker]

My wheels looked like that when I got my used 2012. The thing that worked best was WENOL polish on a cone-shaped buff pad that I used in my drill. I got them at a bike show. Similar to these but bigger.

Buffing & Polishing Supplies & Kits, Wenol Metal Polish Distributor, Shines Brite

Felt Buff Cones, Wenol Metal Polish Distributor, Shines Brite

 

[Ozarkryder]

I have had some good luck with the Flitz metal polish, and I also like the Nev-R-Dull wadding polish for chrome.
No matter what you do though, after a lot of miles, wet, general road crud, pollution and such the aluminum wheels will show signs of use, just like the rest of the trike. Think of it as a badge of honor, proof that it is ridden, not just garage jewelry. I've quoted a greybeard I know years ago a few times before - A bike can be really clean or really ridden, not both at the same time.

 

[kimber45]

Try this.

 

[Rosy]

Trapper54,
Good point about the salt. I had a Cadillac and the salt in New England ate through the aluminum wheels that they would not hold pressure any more. Had to buy a new set of "mags" for the car. That's why I always say, NEVER-NEVER drive a trike after they have put down salt on the roads, they will get on your wheels and frame. You can buy new wheels, but frames, not so much!
Bozo, with all the riding on salty roads you do, have you checked your frame to see if there are any rust spots?

Regards,

Rosy
From NH

 

[wonderment]

Lots of ideas to try here. Thank you very much. I guess there must have been some salt on the road. I can't believe it acted on my new wheels that quickly.

I will look through all these products and see what I can do. Again, thanks.

 

[viper]

OOOO stainless steel wool and 2000 grit finishing paper or higher dose a great job ! After you are done buff real good and apply a coat of gloss finish. It will look like chrome and last for a good while!!! Lot of elbow grease!!! Worth the effort!

 

[GARYD]

I have the exact same problem. I ride all winter in Chicago. I've tried 99.9% of all the above recommendations - nothing worked - completely. I even did what I did with my Vette wheels when the clear coat started coming off. Laquer thinner and steel wool - took days but finally got the wheels somewhat decent. Didn't work to my satisfaction on the Harley rear wheels(they're not glass smooth). They seem to be chemical spots that go deep down into the aluminum where polish won't work. I even tried CLR and Lime-a-way = nothing.

What I do every winter is spray the bike and wheels with S100 Corrosion Protectant. Always worked. Last year I tried Harleys new bare aluminum wheel protectant. In one word "****TY". Do not use this crap. That's why my wheels are as bad as they are now.

The only solution I know of is having then chrome plated. I've been researching that for the last couple months. One drawback - no one will warranty the plating against salt. The best I could find was 2 years. Powder coating is another option. I even thought about buying another set of wheels and use the existing ones for riding in the winter with winter tires already mounted. :gah:

 

[GARYD]

ooops

 

[Countryal]

+One on the Flitz.:10: That stuff is great! It says on the can that It's Non-Toxic,Non-Abrasive,Non-Flammable and acid free. It's a little Pricey, but hey it works and you don't use much of it at a time. I bought a kit at Thunder Beach 2 years ago. They were demonstrating it by polishing some dull Aluminum Diamond Plate. It looked like Chrome when they finished. It came with 2 buffing pads(Balls) and Quart can of FLITZ. The buffing pads are much better than the Mothers buffing pad(Ball). I have the can that says: Metal, Plastic & Fiberglass POLISH & Paint Restorer. Larry

 

[BinIdaho]

TG rear wheels in classified section....$200 + shipping

 

[msocko3]

Lots of ideas to try here. Thank you very much. I guess there must have been some salt on the road. I can't believe it acted on my new wheels that quickly.

I will look through all these products and see what I can do. Again, thanks.

You would be amazed at how quickly raw aluminum can be pitted by salt, the salt can also pit the high lights on the cylinder fins, get in internal sections of the frame and possibly cause rust from the inside out. If your state uses calcium chloride brine along with salt then electrical problems could be down the road also, calcium chloride is bad new to electrical systems.

 

[tomg]

White Diamond works great and they always set up a display around Daytona during bike week and octoberfest week. About $15 a bottle and they sell it at Lowes also.

Tomg

 

[wonderment]

You would be amazed at how quickly raw aluminum can be pitted by salt, the salt can also pit the high lights on the cylinder fins, get in internal sections of the frame and possibly cause rust from the inside out. If your state uses calcium chloride brine along with salt then electrical problems could be down the road also, calcium chloride is bad new to electrical systems.

I AM amazed! I mean, seriously, how was I supposed to know about unprotected aluminum wheels? First bike for us ever, and now this. Never had issues with all the car wheels I've had. It reallllllllly would have been nice if our sales guy had warned us how unbelievably easy-to-damage those wheels would be. Our guy rides his every day in the winter.

Like I said, first time out in somewhat "moist" weather. Kinda busts the stigma of Harley's being so much of a "brute." I've kind of found they are pretty much on the delicate side, and half the stuff you accessorize with goes on with sticky tape! Always something not working right, getting out of kilter, it seems like. God help us after the warranty is up. I just hope I don't ruin the rest of the bike in the next 6 months, doing something else wrong I didn't know about.

I'll call the street department and find out what they put on the roads here. I thought it was "beet juice." They promoted doing that to cut costs here. (And here, I thought a saltwater aquarium was hard to keep going. That's nothing compared to a HD.)

 

[americanbadass]

Don't let a little salt stop you from enjoying that trike-your wheels will clean uo nice, and look good again!:Trike1:ThumbUp

 

[wonderment]

lol I am exactly like your monkey icon animation right now!

 

[Ozarkryder]

I have the exact same problem. I ride all winter in Chicago. .........snip a bunch of stuff......... I even thought about buying another set of wheels and use the existing ones for riding in the winter with winter tires already mounted. :gah:

A set of inexpensive winter wheels will keep the original ones looking good, but think about what the winter road crud is doing to the rest of the trike - if it corrodes the wheels what it is doing to the frame, all the nooks & crannies of the engine, transmission, frame, all the exposed electrics under the seat and such. When I lived in Minnesota I remember roads being a dusty gray all winter from the ice & snow melt chemicals. Never rode the bike after the first snow, then didn't ride until a few rains washed away the stuff on the road in the spring. I got a cheap bike for the winter, not sure there is such a thing as a cheap trike. Maybe a very used bike with a tow-pac kit.

 

[msocko3]

I AM amazed! I mean, seriously, how was I supposed to know about unprotected aluminum wheels? First bike for us ever, and now this. Never had issues with all the car wheels I've had. It reallllllllly would have been nice if our sales guy had warned us how unbelievably easy-to-damage those wheels would be. Our guy rides his every day in the winter.

Like I said, first time out in somewhat "moist" weather. Kinda busts the stigma of Harley's being so much of a "brute." I've kind of found they are pretty much on the delicate side, and half the stuff you accessorize with goes on with sticky tape! Always something not working right, getting out of kilter, it seems like. God help us after the warranty is up. I just hope I don't ruin the rest of the bike in the next 6 months, doing something else wrong I didn't know about.

I'll call the street department and find out what they put on the roads here. I thought it was "beet juice." They promoted doing that to cut costs here. (And here, I thought a saltwater aquarium was hard to keep going. That's nothing compared to a HD.)

A Harley is like any other brand, it requires the proper care and maintenance, some brands require more preventative maintenance than others with Harley being one of them. I'm sure the salesman you dealt with has signs of damage on his bike, some people don't worry about it while some do. I've always averaged 10,000 miles a year on my bikes, rode in lots of rain and some snow but no road chemicals on the roads since the snow was early and lite. Every bike I traded in got top dollar on the trade and didn't spend much time on the showroom,

The usage of beet juice is only a small amount of the deicing mixture, they only add a max of 25% beet juice to the calcium chloride mixture to lower the freezing point a little bit more.