Is it possible to make the chrome on a neglected rear wheel shine again?

[Brent Herridge]

Billet polish is different. Obviously chrome and aluminum are very different too. I've never used chrome polish on billet. Its so much harder you'd expect it's much more abrasive.

 

[No H2O]

I'm using it on chrome, doesn't shine as nicely as the mothers white paste either

 

[1 B.M.F.]

That master formula is the bomb very little rubbing but that being said the more you rub on and off and back on the better it gets I haven’t sealed mine yet with the sealer because I want to get it the best it can I’m doing one side of my bike with Master Formula and I’m going to do the other with mothers BILLET on the other and see what is better then I will seal the whole bike with master formula Sealer

 

[mjsk9]

Bought Master formula polisher and sealer kit (two separate bottles). $40, and you don't get that much of it so it's expensive.
Finally had a chance to tackle that rear wheel yesterday and it works much better than mothers chrome polish.
The side of the wheel closest to the viewer is the polished side, the farther side is unpolished. The picture doesn't really show the difference as much though
View attachment 71033

Like 3 others (Tim, Mr. Wright and SB03chopper) have mentioned re chrome vs. aluminum, the pics looks to me like the wheels are billet and not chrome?

 

[No H2O]

Like 3 others (Tim, Mr. Wright and SB03chopper) have mentioned re chrome vs. aluminum, the pics looks to me like the wheels are billet and not chrome?

I'll have to get a magnet and see, they look chrome esp the front gets really shiny but now I need to confirm

 

[roadie1389]

You have polish Alm wheels. Use a billet polish and patients.

 

[HMAN]

This stuff made my oxidation on triple trees and fender struts really shine and trust me I’m not the polishing type but it did so good I went and did my whole bike just haven’t figured out how to do fins on engine

liferider got ya taken care of. Works fantastic too.

 

[mjsk9]

I'll have to get a magnet and see, they look chrome esp the front gets really shiny but now I need to confirm

Let us know what you find out. As Shannon said "The fastest way to find out if the are aluminum or chrome, is to rub it with aluminum polish. If the rag turns black, it is aluminum."

 

[No H2O]

so I feel like an idiot, I was at the shop today to pick up a battery and the motorcycle tow guy took one look and said that's aluminum, a highly polished aluminum compared to the other aluminum but still not chrome and said I should be using aluminum polish (and of course chrome polish on chrome).

I never thought aluminum could be that shiny.

 

[Wayno]

The best stuff for cleaning up/polishing chrome to a high luster is this stuff, it also removes fine and deep scratches simply apply in circular motion with microfiber cloth until the area is perfect. Repeat process for deeper scratches. I had somewhat of seep scratches on my belt guard from removing side cover and this stuff completely removed them and it also makes the chrome really shine. Non abrasive product.

 

[No H2O]

The best stuff for cleaning up/polishing chrome to a high luster is this stuff, it also removes fine and deep scratches simply apply in circular motion with microfiber cloth until the area is perfect. Repeat process for deeper scratches. I had somewhat of seep scratches on my belt guard from removing side cover and this stuff completely removed them and it also makes the chrome really shine. Non abrasive product.

View attachment 71068

and it looks like it can be used on both polished aluminum as well as chrome so only one thing to buy, thanks for the tip

 

[Mikeinjersey]

Looks like billet to me. I use a product called White Diamond metal polish. I apply it with a rubber glove on so it stays moist. I keep working it until it gets crazy black then I buff it off with a soft cloth. In my opinion Billet polishes up way nicer than chrome. I've used Mothers as well and it works great also. The glove is the trick to using less product. A bottle or jar of polish will last twice as long than if you apply it with a cloth.

 

[Wayno]

Looks like billet to me. I use a product called White Diamond metal polish. I apply it with a rubber glove on so it stays moist. I keep working it until it gets crazy black then I buff it off with a soft cloth. In my opinion Billet polishes up way nicer than chrome. I've used Mothers as well and it works great also. The glove is the trick to using less product. A bottle or jar of polish will last twice as long than if you apply it with a cloth.

Interesting where did you learn this glove technique? And the glove doesn’t allow for use of less product when in fact it’s the glove that helps remove imperfections and replace oils into the aluminum, if your going to throw other peoples ideas and processes out there you should probably know all the facts before trying to explain them. And where did you hear that billet polishes up better than chrome next you’ll say it has a deeper and richer look than chrome which is again someone else’s words and opinion

 

[pknowles]

Interesting where did you learn this glove technique? And the glove doesn’t allow for use of less product when in fact it’s the glove that helps remove imperfections and replace oils into the aluminum, if your going to throw other peoples ideas and processes out there you should probably know all the facts before trying to explain them. And where did you hear that billet polishes up better than chrome next you’ll say it has a deeper and richer look than chrome which is again someone else’s words and opinion

 

[1 B.M.F.]

 

[Sven]

... when in fact it’s the glove that helps remove imperfections and replace oils into the aluminum...

I'm going to throw in my disclaimer about 'I know jackshit about polishing'. But it's all about a 'chemical reaction'? Common sense examples:
Soap: Cuts/dissolves oil from the skin.
Gasoline: Is a detergent and cleans grime off the hands.
Moving water: Grand canyon like; dissolves just about anything.
Vinegar: Throw in an aluminum carb in that solution = Chromed polish-like aluminum thru the looking glass.
Oxygen: That chemical you cannot create or destroy in a bottle.

Glove technique: Not porous like fiber gulping product between those cotton briefs bullshit. You're bullshitting right?
When I get out of the shower, I oil back up LOL

 

[1 B.M.F.]

I put methane in a bottle when I was a kid and unleashed it on my mom!!! She wasn’t happy when I told her the smell was from a fart. Pretty sure I wasn’t the first one to try it but I’ll take credit for it. If I use a rubber glove I’m not copyright infringing from mike in Jersey?? Sorry mike. I send you some $$ just so waynos not mad at me for using your idea.

 

[Ray]

You have polish Alm wheels. Use a billet polish and patients.

I thought I had rubbed my finger prints off completely once .

 

[Sven]

I feces you not, scrolled thru things you can uses besides the obvious, meaning, strawberries clean chrome. Is that the feces or what? I don't wanna rub it in, but it doesn't leave an oily residue.

 

[No H2O]

I use this stuff called Master Formula very little rubbing the more you use it the better it does lol

Been using the Master formula, it's very good at extracting dirt.
However when I try to remove the dirt via towel or microfiber, the dirt just gets re-packed into the metal so it takes quite a bit of doing to get the loosened dirt off the surface.
The metal polishes list Blue Magic and the Mothers white paste seem to "soak up" the dirt and once dried you just wipe the dried flaky stuff off.
So I think the best plan of action is to use the Master formula for the situations that the other polishes can't handle.