I had some time to clean up the bike on Father’s Day. I used Meguiars NXT wax. That stuff really works. Check out the reflections in the tank. I thought the front end was especially cool. What kind of wax do you use?

 

Man, that looks beautiful. Love the paint job too! I use Mothers California Gold for the big wax jobs and Lemon Pledge for the in between, quickie clean ups.

 

wish I could find something that worked that good on vivid black...I just can't seem to get rid of the swirls

 

I also use the NXT wax it works great on the frame too!

 

Same here, NXT! For the quick wipe downs I use Lucas slick mist.

 

Meguires tec wax 2 gets my vivid black almost there,but nothing will beat that back to a factory shine without a machine, some water+sandpaper and professional TLC,and then it will only last a while. perhaps this winter,every second year or so!

 

Although the label says "wax", NXT 2.0 is actually a synthetic sealant. Good stuff regardless. After polishing I use Jetseal 109 sealant followed Collinite Insulator Wax 845 or Marque d' Elegance 915 to soften the artificial plastic look some sealants add and soften the shine with carnauba.

TL

 

I have been using the NXT on my vivd black with great results. No swirls in mine. Make sure it's dust free before you apply.

 

Harley Swirl Remover to start, then Zaino Brothers.....I can't describe how good that stuff makes paint look.....its amazing....quick cleans I use Griots Garage Speed Shine.

Meguiars is my backup though.....loved it then I read about Zainos on the forum here.

 

I've polished hard clear coats, soft clear coats, sticky clear coats, single stage paint... you name it. Harley's Vivid Black is the most miserably, soft I've ever encountered. Even after you get it 2, 3 or 4-step flawless brushing up against it or using anything but the softest, plushest (and expensive) microfiber is gonna leave a mark.

You've got two choices to make swirls disappear, abrading the surface with a polish to reduce the surrounding clear coat to the same level as the bottom of the swirls, or you can fill 'em with a glaze, which is a temporary fix. Since Vivid Black is so miserable to get perfect I do both, polish to the best I can get it and then glaze. Follow with a Last Stage Protection, sealant or carnauba wax, then roll it out into the sun and tear your hair out when you see what looked perfect under artificail light isn't as perfect as you thought. D'OH! =:-O

Polishing by machine, dual action-orbital or rotary, gets the best results, machine polishing on a motorcyle is tough due to the small size of most surfaces. A small 3" orbital like the one's offered by Metabo or Griot's Garage work well but just don't have enough ooomph to correct severe swirls. You might as well hand-polish and put some passion behind your pad.

Although I use professional-grade detailing products that aren't generally available just anywhere, there's a number of over-the-counter products available at most auto parts stores to make Vivid Black look pretty darn good. Generally avoid cleaner/waxes. Most products that try to do two things do neither very well.

This may tend to sound like a Meguiar's commercial I don't necessarily endorse or use their products exclusively. In some catagories there's better stuff out there. But for consumer-grade products available OTC at Wal Mart or most auto parts stores they're good products reasonably priced.

Meg's Swirl-X is made to remove mild swirling. Color-X is a more aggressive polish if you need oxidation removal to restore color and clarity. The original Scratch-X was a good, mild polish but it's been superceded by Scratch-X 2.0 that's much more aggressive and leaves micro-marring that needs a milder polish to remove.

As mentioned, NXT 2.0 Tech Wax is an excellent, high shine, long lasting LSP. Meguiar's #26 Yellow Wax is an excellent carnauba.

Believe it or not, your H-D dealer has some pretty decent products. Their Swirl remover and polish that comes in a black tube is good on Vivid Black, it frequently needs multiple applications to achieve desired results as it's very mild abrasives. I've often suspected this to be rebranded original Scratch-X, it looks and works the same. Their S100 carnauba wax is actually made by P21S in Germany and rebranded.... a high-end, expensive wax that's about half the price with the S100 label. S100 Total Cycle Wash and the wheel cleaner are rebranded P21S products as well. The S100 Polishing Soap is excellent on wheels and aluminum without the black grunge that most good polishes leave while you're working them. All good stuff and much cheaper than the P21S equivalents. When serious aluminum polishing is necessary Meguiar's Mag and Aluminum polish or red Wenol does the trick.

However, the secret is less in the products and more in tools and technique. Using anything but the softest microfiber on Vivid Black and you'll be putting in more swirls as fast as you remove them. The good stuff isn't cheap and rarely found at Costco or Sam's Club. Some high-end detailers spend 8 bucks or more for a single 16 x 16 MF towel for finishing work on a Rolls Royce or Ferrari. That isn't necessary for the average Joe as there's some decent enough stuff around at more moderate prices. Target carries a Vroom brand microfiber that'll do the job and Pep Boys has some soft, absorbent MFs for a good price as well. You need plush soft MF or foam applicators for product as well. If you drop one you don't shake it off... you pitch it or set it aside for washing. Microfiber needs to always be washed separately as everything it encounters clings to it and is impossible to pick out. Use MF that isn't absolutely clean and once again, you're going to put swirls or even scratches back into the finish. MF washes up nice in the washing machine using warm water and regular detergent. Dry on lowest or no-heat and they're as good as new. DO wipe the residue ring out of the washing machine before the wife or SO puts her finery in there or you risk getting strangled with your own microfiber! Don't ask how I know this.....

If this all sounds obsessively ****-retentive, it is. It's the only way to keep any black finish looking it's best. Preventing those swirls in the first place is a lot easier than polishing them out. Do NOT wipe dust or anything else off black with a dry rag... microfiber or otherwise. You may not see the defects you're imparting immediately but they add up. Use soft microfiber and a quick detail srpray to wipe down the finish when it's not dirty enough for a wash. Meguiar's new Ultimate Quick Detailer is the best I've ever used. The polymers lift and suspend the dirt away from the finish so it won't mar as you wipe it off. It beads nice as well.

When the sled needs a wet-wash use soft microfiber mitt or towels and a high-lubricity detergent. Meg's Gold Class Car Wash is one of the best OTC soaps around, many high end detailers use it rather than the high-price overrated stuff. Dipping into a soap bucket full of contaminents for more suds is a no-no with black. The pros use two buckets, one for soap, one to rinse out their mitt or rag and get the grit off it before reapplying soap. Reserve a cruddy old rag for those gritty parts down low and wheels and do the paintwork first. Do NOT use those plastic-webbed bug sponges! Wet a towel and lay it on severely bug-encrusted surfaces and let it sit for a while to soften up the bug guts. They'll wash right off with little rubbing or abrasion. Tar can be removed quickly and easily with Stoner's Tarminator or many other mild solvents available OTC.

The more you touch black the more chance you'll leave swirls that accumulate over time. Blowing off water with a leaf blower or Shop Vac blower leaves very little left to wipe off with microfiber plus it gets water out of the nooks and crannies. A refresh with a spray wax leaves a just-waxed finish. Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Wax is the best spray wax I've ever used.... even superior to most of the incredibly high priced sprays the pros use.

Yes, it's obsessive. Yes, it's a lot of work. Riding or driving a black anything is if you want to keep it looking the way black is supposed to. That IS the reason you chose black in the first place, isn't it? Black isn't a color, it's a part time job.

Now that your Vivid Black sled is gleaming better than the day it left the factory you can enjoy every spec of dust and every bug it attracts. Hey, don't blame me.... you're the one that bought black!

TL <---- the obsessive-compulsive detailer guy