I've been polishing some of this stuff with rouge and a polishing wheel on my drill press and it's amazing how shiny you can make it.

The stock shifter rod is a good example. Dull as can be but looks like chrome when done. I've polished the front and rear brake disc bolts, the shifter peg bolts, seat hold down bolts, banjo fittings on the brakes, all I can think of right now but you get the point.

Yeh, Im cheap but heck some of the real chrome prices are ridiculous.

No need to post pictures, try it yourself...

 

lets see some pics anyway. I wanna see your good work! As far as chrome bolts being ridiculous, absolutely! That's why I use bolt caps, covers, stuff like that. Cheaper, and you can glue them on so they don't fall off.

 

I hear ya Johnnyiroc, I decided to go with covers on the rear wheel drive sprocket bolts. Those bolts are just plain industrial looking and even if I polished them they'd still look bad.

I'll try to post some pics that will show the contrast of before and after.

From what I've found the plating is thick and the rouge smooths out the plating into what looks like chrome. It takes a fair amount of rouge to do it though and it's messy.

 

Are you sure you have not polished the zinc plating off and are now just polishing raw steel that will rust with moisture?

 

I admire your effort but wait a month or so after they get wet a few times.

 

Better to buy some stainless steel replacements and polish those instead. Your nearest Fastenal store should have most everything and at darned good prices.

 

i did a few by putting the threaded part in my drill ,dip the head in some metal polish put a rag over it and spin it , it takes about a minute , mine still look very good about a year later

 

Try Hot Toppers, chrome caps. They are pretty inexpensive, and look great. I bought the whole kit for my Ultra that covers, engine, transmission, and primary. The kit also comes with extras that cover all the visible bolts on the floorboards and more. After installing my kit, there are no visible bolts that aren't capped. The kit was around $160 bucks.

http://www.hottoppers.com/productdetails.asp?id=274 The kit for 2009 and up Flh's.

www.hottoppers.com/kits.asp#chrome

 

After your bike gets wet, you will want to remember the website above, you'll need it.

 

With all due respect truckerdave, the polishing doesn't remove the plating, it just smooths and polishes it. Bare polished steel doesn't shine when polished.