Got a little corrosion on my lowers. I've seen it on other bikes. Must be common.

What's the trick? I know these things are clear coated. Can you hit it with polish?

 

Go chrome or powder. Polishing will not hold up.

 

IF yours are coated, the only way to make it right is to strip off the coating, then
polish up the aluminum. Like someone already said, it won't last long, and you
will have to keep up on the polishing to keep it nice.
Chrome or powder is a longer lasting fix.

 

Yea I plan on going with Chrome at a later date, but I'm looking to detail the bike in the meantime.

I'm not sure if they're coated or not, but I believe all were in 02. Won't see the bike until next Saturday. I don't want to break into the clear and make a mess of it unless I have to, not sure how its going to react to polish?

Anyone know the best way to clean?

 

Trying to polish them using a metal Polish will do nothing if they are clear coated and I am sure they are. The only way to do it it is to sand off the clear coat then polish. I did it on a bike years back and it is labor intensive.

 

I use Flitz with a toothbrush or one of the softer teflon scrubby pads, then a good carnuba paste wax to seal the pits were rocks, gravel and June bugs have pitted the anodizing. The carnuba wax lasts for the entire season unless you wash you bike with soap or detergent, then once the forks are dry, you have to rewax the leading edges. (soap cuts the wax, while salt oils just wipe off.)

This does not remove the pits. Small ones disappear completely and large ones become clean pits. If you do it more or less regularly, you don't get large pits.

Mostly once the forks are waxed, all I do is wipe it with a damp or wet soft cloth. I only rewax if I use soap on the entire bike.

If you have corrosion, then you need a buffing wheel as you have to resurface the aluminum. The coat it with clear coat, powder coat, paint, or wax.

 

Thanks guys that's some good info! I'll give it a try. Sounds like Chrome ones are coming sooner then later........darn!

 

I have used flitz metal polish with 0000 steel wool to get the clear coat off and made forks shine like chrome. It is a lot of work to get them cleaned up the first time. After that they required a little touch up with the flitz and a cloth a couple of times a year, but stayed pretty nice.

 

Saturday I'll give it a try and see what happens. Just want to clean it up a little. If I'm going to install Chrome lowers might as well install new springs. So I'll have to figure out which ones.

 

150 grit sand paper then the fine grit & follow up with metal polish then cut that with corn starch then a good quality wax should hold you awhile. There is a clear coat on the lowers