screwed up chrome help
Club Member
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 11,619
Likes: 8,446
From: Inland NW
Like everybody said above, the "hazy" you are seeing is scratches. Replace it, or get over it. Many of us have learned that hard lesson.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 487
Likes: 269
From: Arizona
I did this exact same thing. My girlfriend's boot left some black rubber on the pipe. I tried to scrub it lightly with a nylon scouring pads. I thought they were pretty soft and should be fine. It ruined the pipe. I spent $70 on a new heat shield. I won't do that again.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,051
Likes: 161
From: Between Chicago & Milwaukee
Would have started with a wet Mr.Clean Magic Eraser then finished up with something gentle like Maguiar's Swirl Remover.
Might still be salvageable or as others have advised grab a replacement to put on or maybe hang on to for backup.
Might still be salvageable or as others have advised grab a replacement to put on or maybe hang on to for backup.
Last edited by Slash; Apr 13, 2023 at 03:21 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 17,684
Likes: 6,062
From: Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Look at this way, you learned a lesson on something easily replaced and reasonably priced to change. Now you reading these posts, it won't happen again........right !
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,531
Likes: 3,743
From: backwoods
Have you actually bought kroil yourself? Holy crap is it expensive. Used all over industry, but reason you don't see it in to many stores.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,002
Likes: 86
From: Charlotte Metro
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Dude, this post reminds me of a mistake I made a long time ago, on my first new Harley, a '99 FXSTC.
I was riding south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and when I stopped for gas, I noticed that quite a bit of oil had boiled over from the chrome horseshoe oil tank...I took a couple of those brown paper towels you see at the gas pumps and I wiped the chrome oil tank to get rid of the oil.. turns out those paper towels are made from coarse wood pulp, and wiping it across the surface of my oil tank caused multiple swirls and scratches...never could get rid of them.
I was riding south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and when I stopped for gas, I noticed that quite a bit of oil had boiled over from the chrome horseshoe oil tank...I took a couple of those brown paper towels you see at the gas pumps and I wiped the chrome oil tank to get rid of the oil.. turns out those paper towels are made from coarse wood pulp, and wiping it across the surface of my oil tank caused multiple swirls and scratches...never could get rid of them.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,191
Likes: 2,423
From: USA
A chrome finish is achieved by polishing. Raw plating is not that shiny.
So can you polish it to get back that smooth reflective surface again? Yes. But it will take work and time.
Is it worth doing compared to simply replacing it? Thats a different question.
So can you polish it to get back that smooth reflective surface again? Yes. But it will take work and time.
Is it worth doing compared to simply replacing it? Thats a different question.