cleaning up

i have a 79fx that i am restoring i need to now if any one has a good crome clearner keep the ruber down ty

Chrome don't get ya home

I like Semi-chrome, Mothers or the cute little thing that does my detailing. Believe me it is worth every little penny.

Wenol

Mothers is good but for my money Wenol works wonders. It polishes chrome to a gorgeous shine with no scratch or swirl marks, and works great on aluminum, brass, copper and any other metal you want to shine to a deep rich luster.

Easy off oven cleaner

Hey I found a great cleaner for chrome and not so ellusive boot rubber. Easy off oven cleaner. Clean the pipes cold. Spary it on let it sit and wipe. A couple of applications for the hard to get rubber but works very very well. Hope it helps. Skully

Blingmaster

Hi,

I detail bikes on the side and use a product called Aluminator by Blingmaster to clean up stained aluminum and follow it up with Flitz liquid polish. Flitz is my polish of choice as it is safe for all surfaces. The Aluminator makes polished aluminum look like chrome. Another great product is BlueJob and works well on removing boot rubber. I always have a pack in my detailing bag. Some other well noted products are Never Dull, and the others already mentioned

Cheers,

renagde1

Good Input

To All,

I never used the Mothers stuff. I got the Flitz ball and the small 3" ball for the rims and other places on the bike. Just as soon as it gets warm enough to detail outside again I am going to give them a try. Question; on the Power ball; what is the life span of that thing? The Flitz ball is said to only last 10 washings?

Happy New Yeas,

Renegade1

Polishing

ChuckTX,

Thank you for the reply. I do everything by hand but can see the need to use the flitz or power ball in tight spaces on rims and spokes. I spend anywhere from 6 to 8 hours detailing a bike and more depending on the level of neglect his as taken. Speeding up the cleaning process on the wheels can take away a good hour off that time. I have some felt wheels, felt bobs, and clay bars but have yet to use them. As you mentioned, the mess cleanup could be a pain, plus the added issue of keeping safety in mind as not to ingest or in some cases absorb the crap we are using to stripping off the metal.

In closing, I appreciate your response and input. Be well and ride safe.

Cheers,

Renegade1

Followup to Detailz

ChuckTX and HotRoadKing,

I appreciate your feed back. The 6 to 8 hours I spend are on other bikes and like you, I spend more time on other bikes then I do on mine. I have found that the S100 cycle cleaner, S100 Chrome sealant, menzurna polish, and paint sealant work great and keep my scoot looking great for up to 6 months. About all I do is wash mine with distilled water and apply another coat carnauba wax. Menzurna has a cycle wash that does not strip off the sealants that are already applied. Yes I would rather be riding mine as well so I cheat. The neat thing is that if I do mine in the late winter/early spring I am good for the whole riding season.

Looking at the whole detailing issue, I like to educate the owners on how to properly clean a bike. ChcukTX, you paint bikes so you know what it’s like to see a really cool looking bike look its best. I feel much the same way and try my best to educate the owner on the proper way to maintain that look. To many times I will find a rider use a product that either scratches the paint or stains the metal, especially polished aluminum. Like wrenching, "One must use the right tool for the right job." The same applies to detailing. I friend of mine in Georgia has a pretty cool site (http:/www.chopperdeatiling.com) that I use for reference and technique. He has his approach and I have mine. Where he works on high end choppers, I work on production bikes mostly. We both use Pimp Stixxx and they take detailing to a new level. I can hit spots on a bike that make it look better then showroom.

HotRK, like you I am a Road King owner and like most riders love what my buddy has nicknamed the Road Queen saved for another story. She's a 2004 RK Classic in Smoke Gold and Black. The white walls are a chore to keep up and well as the spoked rims. Scott at CD got me in to using the Flitz and he also supports the use of Semichrome. I use the Menzurna intensive polish in it's place but have used it in the past. Again check out his site as he uses a no water approach on his bikes. I want to try both the Flitz ball and the Power ball to see which one I like best. I will be sure not to put to much polish on it. Being stationed over seas has its limitation on the products I use. I envy your ability to just rush down to the local store and be able to buy this stuff.

I will sum this up my saying, “We love our rides and sticking our faces in the wind." How we treat our rides is an individual preference. Some paint and customize while I specialize in breathing life back into them. I get more joy and satisfaction hearing a client say, "Where's my bike?" when they show back up to pick it up. The best we can do is help each other out and trade info as we are doing hear to help others achieve ideas and techniques to keep their rides in tip, top, shape both mechanically and appearance.

OK, I will post short posts from this time forward and side line the long stuff for private postings. I am off the soapbox now. Be well and watch the ice.

V/R

renegade1

Re - Log Posts

ChuckTX and HotRK,

I appreciate all your help and time. As for the big business I only work on American bikes stretched out over three different clubs. I hope to branch out this year to the Korean bikes as they have a very large biker community over here. I have ridden with a couple of the Korean clubs and the scenery over here is breathtaking out on the east coast. Getting there is a trip as we have a good number of mountains between here and there complete with a bunch of turns and switch backs. Some routes make that stretch of road back in the states they call the Dragon's Back look like the Lizard's back. Add Korean drivers taking you out just adds a whole new level of adrenalin rush you don't get to experience back in the states.

Wrenching on your own Bike!

I am getting there slowly but surely. Cosmetic stuff I do myself but when it comes to the engine I leave that for the qualified grew. My brother is a Harley tech in Ga. I am getting there slowly but surely as I add more tools to my tool chest. I think that is key to being a bike owner to cut down on the cost of ownership. Contrary to popular belief, everyone that ride a HOG does not have deep pockets. I have a buddy over here that is good at that stuff so I have him monitor me when I have wrenching to perform on my scoot. I would love to get school trained but I would have to side step my current job for a year.

I will cut this post short. Until we chat again, be well and ride safe.

V/R

renegade1