Buffing FXDF wheels
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 35
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From: NH
Buffing FXDF wheels
My two year old Fat Bob is about a month from winter layup and I'm tired of looking at those dull wheels. I clean them when I wash the bike but they're bare aluminum and I need to buff them a bit to get them like new. How do you guys do it?
The small 16' wheels with dual discs or a disc and a pulley are really hard to get to. My hands get torn up working in there. Should I pull the wheels and discs off the bike? I have a couple of those Mother's *****, but I'll get polish all over the brake discs.
Maybe I should wait till the tires need changing next year and buff them then. Maybe add a clearcoat or just have them painted. What color goes with candy orange?
The small 16' wheels with dual discs or a disc and a pulley are really hard to get to. My hands get torn up working in there. Should I pull the wheels and discs off the bike? I have a couple of those Mother's *****, but I'll get polish all over the brake discs.
Maybe I should wait till the tires need changing next year and buff them then. Maybe add a clearcoat or just have them painted. What color goes with candy orange?
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,097
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From: Huntley, IL
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 2,554
From: UK
I know how you feel - FXDF wheels are a pain in the *** to clean. Luckily I have black ones, so just need to knock the dust off and they look fine.
To polish the aluminium ones though, I'd wait until you have the tires off to be changed, take the brake discs off and then polish them up properly. Definitely clear coat on top so you don't have to do it again for a long time. Or get them powered coated instead. Black should look good against the orange.
To polish the aluminium ones though, I'd wait until you have the tires off to be changed, take the brake discs off and then polish them up properly. Definitely clear coat on top so you don't have to do it again for a long time. Or get them powered coated instead. Black should look good against the orange.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,279
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From: Union Bridge, MD
My 09 wheels are pretty stained up (lack of maintenance). There are a couple of local shops, Wheel Worx and Ye Old Wheel Sop that will clean them up and then clear coat them. I think the clear coat is the key to keeping them nice. If that is too expensive I'm going to buy a buffer and keep them polished along with the other polished parts on the bike.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 329
Likes: 108
From: North Alabama
Clear is definitely the way to go if you want to maintain polished aluminum and don't have easy access to the surface with the wheels on the bike. Polish them, clear coat them, then put a good synthetic wax (or sealant) on the clear. Maintenance will basically be spraying them off occasionally with water.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,384
Likes: 12
From: Out on Deranged
Man, I'll tell you the easiest way to clean those mags up with is a small ******'s power ball. It attatches to the end of a drill and you can use whichever aluminum polishe to get them clean. ******'s alum polish already has a coating built in. I polish the mags once a year and during riding season all you have to do is pressure wash them and they come out all chrome-like sparkly clean with very little effort. I have had the same bottle of ******'s and the first powerball I bought back in '09 and still have plenty for the next couple of years. IMO anything else is overkill and a waste of money.
Before anyone asks : No i do not work for ******'s!
Before anyone asks : No i do not work for ******'s!
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 35
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From: NH
I have two of those Mothers *****, so I considered using them for this. But I'm afraid I'll get the polish all over the brake rotors and then I'll have braking issues. Do you have a technique to avoid that, or do you just clean the rotors after?
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polishing these wheels blow, i have done the lips on several sets, what a nightmare, even with a full size buffer... but here are some pics of soem of the fat bob wheels we have done if that helps you decide what to do
we also do a contrast cut that comes out pretty wicked
we also do a contrast cut that comes out pretty wicked
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,384
Likes: 12
From: Out on Deranged
Actually my biggest worry was smearing the tires and making them look bad! But the stuff washes off nicely! Crisis averted!
