How to Polish Aluminum Motorcycle Rims
Your motorcycle is your pride and joy, and you want it to look its best. Nothing is a bigger turnoff than a big, flashy bike with tarnished, splotchy-looking aluminum rims on the wheels. A little bit of buffing compound and a lot of elbow grease can bring an impressive shine to the rims of your wheels. You can then enjoy the admiring looks as you drive down the street in your motorcycle.
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Things You'll Need
- Needle-nose pliers
- Breaker bar
- Soft towels
- Soap
- Water
- Buffing compound
- Soft canvas cloth
Instructions
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1
Remove the wheels from your motorcycle, so that you can reach all parts of the rims. Pull out the metal pin holding the lock nut with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Then use a breaker bar to loosen the lock nut, turning the breaker bar counter-clockwise until the nut loosens enough that you can lift it off. Take off the wheel and put it aside. Take off the other wheel the same way.
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2
Remove surface dirt from your rims with a soft towel and regular soap and water. Rinse the towel in clean water and wipe it around the rims to rinse off the soap, then dry the rims with a dry towel.
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3
Spread a dime-sized drop of buffing compound on a soft canvas cloth. Rub it onto the rims, moving your hand clockwise in small circles.
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4
Take a clean canvass cloth and wipe off all the polish from the rims. Dry the rims with a clean towel. Buff the rim using another clean towel.
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5
Add a second, third, or fourth coat of polish, as described in Step 3, until you reach the desired shine on your rims. Remove all the polish after each application of another coat. Allow the rims to dry in-between coat applications.
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6
Put the wheels back on your motorcycle in the reverse order of the procedure described in Step 1.
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Tips & Warnings
Put a little buffing compound on a toothbrush to polish hard-to-reach areas on your rims.
References
- Photo Credit steel disk of motorbike wheel image by Oleg Mitiukhin from Fotolia.com
