Weekly Wheel Cleanings?
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: OH
Weekly Wheel Cleanings?
I have the aluminum wheels on my 2010 Ultra Classic
The Owners Manual states:
"It is imperative that the wheels are cared for weekly to guard against pitting and corrosion."
How many of you clean your wheels on a weekly basis?
What do you use to clean your wheels?
Personally I use Blue Magic Metal Polish and it works pretty good, but takes some work.
The Owners Manual states:
"It is imperative that the wheels are cared for weekly to guard against pitting and corrosion."
How many of you clean your wheels on a weekly basis?
What do you use to clean your wheels?
Personally I use Blue Magic Metal Polish and it works pretty good, but takes some work.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
I would not share this except with a group of people that I think might understand but I clean them every time I ride - at a minimum a quick wipe down with Pig Spit or some other detailer.
If I do a wet wash I will use Shout, the laundry pretreating stuff. It is completely safe and mild but does a good job. If it is a wet wash after a trip and it is really dirty I will ratchet it up & use a commercial wheel cleaner according to the directions, that is safe for aluminum wheels. I rinse very well.
I have stock mag SG wheels with 20k on them and there is not a stain, spot or anything on them. They look new. I have used Lyndall brake pads from day one and this helps to reduce the amount of corrosive bake dust.
If I do a wet wash I will use Shout, the laundry pretreating stuff. It is completely safe and mild but does a good job. If it is a wet wash after a trip and it is really dirty I will ratchet it up & use a commercial wheel cleaner according to the directions, that is safe for aluminum wheels. I rinse very well.
I have stock mag SG wheels with 20k on them and there is not a stain, spot or anything on them. They look new. I have used Lyndall brake pads from day one and this helps to reduce the amount of corrosive bake dust.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,035
Likes: 0
From: Arlington, Washington
I rode my bike 3 weeks ago in the rain, parked it and forgot about it, went out to the garage a few days latter and have spots all over my rims and forks, man am I pissed! It's going to take me forever to buff those out, any suggestions?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,837
Likes: 50
From: usa
I ditched the stock 28 spokes on my Classic and installed the Ultra Limited chrome 28 spoke.It's a simple clean up when I wash the bike.I use the HD Tire and Wheel cleaner and everything washes off,no staining,and they look great.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 718
Likes: 1
From: Panama City, FL
Another process
I made the mistake of not cleaning my wheel regularly on my 98 Fatboy...and it basically ruined the wheels.
My Road King has beautiful rims...so I made it a point to just invest another hour in the process to clean the wheels while the bike is on the scissor lift.
So far after 1 year, they still look good.
My Road King has beautiful rims...so I made it a point to just invest another hour in the process to clean the wheels while the bike is on the scissor lift.
So far after 1 year, they still look good.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 497
Likes: 1
From: Wa. state
I wash wheels when I wash the entire bike , no set interval just when is is dirty enough. For the wheels it is whatever carwash soap is on sale usually a big jug of it, and for stubbron dirt/grease I'll squirt some degreaser on them after hosing them off with water. Degreaser also takes off the polish so then they will need polishing afterwards.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Nevada
Weekly cleaning is excessive. About every two weeks should be fine, depending on your riding habits. I wash my bike about once a month. I use car wash solution and a spoke brush to clean the entire bike. S100 cycle wash works well, too. After a ride I usually do a quick wipe down to remove bugs.