Eroding alloy on wheels

[1olbull]

After 5 years the wheels on my bike still have a great finish and polish up easily with Purple polish. Environmental issues obviously a factor.

Or perhaps outdoor storage!

 

[Jag]

High humidity, near the coast, and huge swings in temp,During the winter cause condensation in my garage. That why my r3 is in the basement for the winter. Problem solved!

 

[1olbull]

Read a lot of posts here about this and it still puzzles, as in WA I've never had the problema!

 

[DavidR3R]

I ride my Rocket all year round and my wheels look like s$it most of the time. My bike mechanic suggests using scotch bright on them so will give that a try and I use a good quality metal polish to bring up the shine and put a protective film on.

When I get some spare cash I intend to have them painted to avoid the grief! Hmmm gloss black or a bright silver...

 

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

You would think being made in Britain they would be made weather proof.

 

[DavidR3R]

You would think be made in Britain they would be made weather proof.

My Triumph dealer said the Roadster wheels aren't coated so just bare aluminium where there's no paint

 

[cr0ft]

Yeah, I don't think the Touring rims are coated either. There's a fair bit of riding in the rain and stuff going on where I live and mine were pretty iffy at the end of season one, and looked hideous by season two, especially the rear that gets all the spray from the road and the front wheel. Oh well, putting her on a lift every few months and hitting the rims with a buffing ball won't be that big of a deal. The only annoyance is the giant brake disc in the rear, ****ed hard to work around.

 

[mexican]

Read a lot of posts here about this and it still puzzles, as in WA I've never had the problema!

mine corroded within the first 2 years, powder coated them black and that was my happily ever after

 

[TRIIICK]

I destroyed the shine on my RK spoke rims using S-100 and harsh cleaners and there was no bringing them back. I use Simple Green on all my bikes now.Much easier to maintain too.JMTC

 

[cr0ft]

I destroyed the shine on my RK spoke rims using S-100 and harsh cleaners and there was no bringing them back

Well at least billet aluminium can always be rescued, even if it may take sand paper and a fair bit of elbow grease in extreme cases. But I've seen videos of people starting out with wheels that never were polished and then grinding those down successively with decreasing grit and finishing up with a polish and ending up with a mirror shine.