I was detailing out my 2016 SB earlier, and noticed my spokes look like they sat in the acid rain for 10 years. I polished some but quite a few are beyond saving. I'm so pissed! I keep my bike CLEAN and have rarely been stuck in rain. It's always in the garage.

I like the spoked wheels and now have to look into options. I'm wondering what I can do. Maybe see if anyone make replacement spokes that are powder coated or something. This sucks that I have to deal with this in under a year and half's time. ARRGGHH!!!

 

Any chrome spoke bikes I have had always rust quickly. A good set of stainless spokes work well, they just don’t shine like chrome.

 

An option you could consider while you decide how you want to handle your wheels long term, would be to cover the spokes with spoke wraps. I covered mine just to change up the look and these wraps have held up very well and still look great. I have removed a few of them to check the spokes and the spokes are not showing any signs of corrosion so I know they don't trap water.

They're inexpensive, and could buy you some time while you determine what you want to do...

 

Keeping spokes clean is one thing, but living near salt water you have to put a good coat of wax on them. Along with the rest of the exposed metal finishes on your bike.

 

+1 with living near a salt water environment and on shore winds bringing in the salt air further inland. The idea about stainless steel spokes is a good idea but I've also seen stainless corrode, just not as fast. HD spokes used to be zinc plated, don't know what they are doing now. Polishing may have compromised the zinc.

 

Join the club. 07 Street Bob here. Always had a clean bike and spokes. Now, living 3 blocks from ocean certainly has left its mark. Spokes are so rusty brown. I have used steel wool and lots of elbow grease which helps. As soon as I get it clean this time I'm gonna coat it with a good aluminum polish.
But when I need new rubber and have the wheels off, I'm gonna cut the spokes off, powder coat the rims and add new stainless spokes. That's the cheapest and best way to get new wheels!

 

The bike is only 2 years old, hard to believe. Do you have a rug or some kind of vapor barrier under your bike or does is sit directly on concrete. How about a picture. Can u try some light steel wool and windex to clean them up? My 2012 spokes look like new. I wax them once a year. Pita. Good luck.

 

No barrier, I just park in the garage. I'll try that and the shoe lace product I found in another thread. Once clean, I may very well try the spoke wraps. I bought my bike in August of 16 and have only put on 4600 miles. I keep it meticulously clean. Honestly must be some **** quality chrome.

Down the road, I may try to find some decent lowrider wheels and powder coat.

 

Do yourself a favor and put a rug down. Moisture flows threw concrete especially in Florida with the sea level thing I would think.

 

+1 on the Spoke Coats. Put them on mine last year. Love all the options. Doing the rear while still on the bike is a PIA, but worth it. http://www.spokecoatsmx.com/motorbikes.html