Over the weekend I had my tire off to get new tread put on and to remove the scares that last winter riding had made on them. The process was to use wet/dry sand paper in 600g, 1500g, then 2000g. I then used the drill and buffing pads with a cleaning compound and then a polishing compound. The final step I used was to apply the Everbrite Protecta Clear coating on the freshly cleaned aluminum. This is the first time I have used the product and was real pleased with the turn out. I have no experience concerning how long it will last. The research I did before I decided to try the product was positive and was the main reason I decided to try it. The coating is suggested to last a couple of years leaving the same shine to the polished part as when you first applied the coating. Instead of needing to polish or apply wax through out the year. It is said that all is needed is some soap and water to clean the area the coating was applied and the same shine is still there as when you first applied it. That sounded nice to me. You can do some research if you are thinking about protecting your parts if you wish.

Below are the pictures after the cleaning and applying the coating to the rim. I did not have pictures of the rear rim before I started the sanding process so I put in pictures of what the front rim looks like which is similar but not as bad as what the rear rim looked like. Prior to sanding I did attempt some less harsh metal cleaning products but they did not get deep enough to remove the marks on the rims.

Items used for the cleaning and polishing of the rim.


Prior to cleaning




I tried to capture the pictures below in the same angle and light which is almost impossible so the pictures are not as telling as what I has seen in person.

After the sanding process.



After the buffing and polishing process


Then the final pictures after 2 coats of Everbrite Protecta Clear coating applied.


I also applied it to the outside exposed aluminum on the sprocket. Here is a picture of before the coating and then one after on the sprocket.





The protective coating made no difference to the shine that I had on the rims prior to applying the coating. The result was I could not tell visually that I had the coating on the rims but I can feel it on the rim when I ran finger along the rim. The other part was that after running my dirty greasy finger along the rim there was no evidence I had just done so. Normally I would be reaching for a rag to wipe the smudge off with. Next I will be cleaning the front rim and adding the coating to it. When I get around to polishing my lower forks I will be protecting them with the Everbrite product also. I ride year around and I hope this works and protects my rims from the harsh winter roads coming up. I will report back on it performance after time. If you have any polished aluminum that you might be concerned with it is worth looking into but do some research first.

 

Nice job and recommendations. I took the easy way out and had mine (3) chromed.

I, and likely others, will be interested in how the stand the test of time...and grime.

 

Nicely done. I wanted to add something about aluminum, use a #0000 steel wool and a decent aluminum cleaner. I like Gords.
EDIT: http://www.gordsaluminumpolish.com/tipsandmsds.html ... http://www.gordsaluminumpolish.com/motorcylepage.html

 

Thanks


Easy but not cheap I am guessing.


I will post on the durability for sure.


I have used steel wool previously to polish items. Usually in succession like the sand paper 00, 000. then 0000. I did not do it on this application because as I was researching products and clear coats it seemed to be a consistent warning about using steel wool and the chances of getting particles of it trapped under a clear coat product. So I stayed away from it even though I too think it does an excellent job and is easier to use on contoured surfaces.


The instruction form Everbrite were very well written and they stressed the importance of prepping the area the coat was to be applied in order to get proper adhesion. So I followed their steps closely and didn't skip any of them. The process they have can be seen on their website. What was unusual was the email I received from them seemed personal (All though I am sure it is a canned email) and they wanted to see if I had any questions about how to apply the product or anything else they could help with.

 

Very informative thread.

 

I think I am going to powder coat my wheels on my Low Rider so I don't have to deal with it. Probably gloss black then red stripe them..

 

Just some photos of the front wheel when I was doing it. This time I applied a coat of the Everbrite to the painted mag portion of the wheel. The front turned out a little better then the back.














See you in the spring for a report on the rims.

 

Just wanted to note that I went back to the steel wool method vs wet dry sand paper on the front tire. I was easier to use and follow the contour of the rims. I used the 000 & 0000 steel wool plus the rubbing compounds and some aluminum polish to finish it off with. I did do a very thorough cleaning of the rims prior to applied the Everbrite product to try and make sure there would not any small pieces of steel wool left on the rim. Only time will tell if I got them all.

 

Is the Everbrite a wipe on product, or how do you apply it?
Thanks!

 

I like the look of polished aluminum more than chrome and you can bring back the shine when it starts to dull