Hi everyone, I have a 06 Ultra and my stock rear rim isso dull. I cant get it to look like the front rim. Has anyone noticed this on their bikes. Is this a bad rim or just need to use some kind of different cleaner. If anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it. Thanks to all who respond.

 

TO fix this problem I just Powder Coated them. now I just hit with water hose.

 

Polishing it will be needed to get it to shine like the front.

Both my old rims were filthy , pitted and dull. I cleaned them and then sanded them with various grades of sandpaper from 100 to 1000. After that, just polished them with some Flitz and they look like new polished aluminum. a lot of work but worth the effort when I'm having a jack 'n coke and staring at them in the garage.

 

Polished mine with a good aluminum polish when new and have not had to touch them in the last 2 yrs.

 

I just pee on mine.

 

Bombs away and a little elbow grease

 

I've had good luck with mothers alum polish.....and never dull.

 

I clean mine once a year with 2000 wet dry paper with S100 polish

then touch ups with the S100 mid season

 

If you want great results in 5 minutes per wheel do this.

Use a die grinder with a 4" buffing wheel. (Hardware store)

Usually the 4" buff wheel will come with a bar of tripoly compund. (Looks like brown chalk)

Put the bike on a bike jack so you can spin the tires.

Spin the buff wheel on the tripoly and hit the wheel.

It will polish it about as fast as you can go.

I have been polishing alluminum for years and can tell you there is no easier way.

The best hand polish is by far semichrome!

Like some of the other guys have said, you may need to use some 2000 grit sand paper (wet) to knock out some pits etc. If you do this then using the buff wheel and tripoly makes finishing it out 100 times easier.

 

I plan to avoid this scenario and just bought some polished & chromed cast wheels from ARI. Now I can simply removed the hard bags, wash it down, and give them a quick wipe to get em nice and shiny again. Pics are in the touring section. Check Chromed FLHX Wheels.