Topic: How long does a polish last ?

[robdrobd]

How long will the polish job on aluminum parts last?

[FuZZie]

I'd guess until you stop looking after it.

[dave500]

every few weeks itll need another polish up to get that just polished look again,a lot depends on the weather like the humidity or rain and salt air etc,a bit of "Mr sheen wax"or similar makes it last a little longer applied after polishing.

[robdrobd]

Really? That often? That's a ton of work to just do it again in two weeks? If I polish a bunch of old cases from a barn find and leave the bike in my garage after I am done, will the cases eventually look like they did coming out of the barn?

[dave500]

yep.

[camelman]

You should get about one minute in a san Francisco fog...maybe less.

[robdrobd]

..but they can be clear coated after polishing, right?

[dave500]

if you want to,itll be a pain to remove it once it yellows or lifts,i think there are some good clear coats now though,i wont clear alloy.

[robdrobd]

After you polish with a wheel can the maintenance be done by hand with a rag and some polish every couple of weeks?

[dave500]

yeah that works fine.

[chewbacca5000]

robdrobd,

I think it depends on how much work you do before applying the polishing compound or paste.  I remove all the old nasty clear coat by wet sanding with 400 grit followed by 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit then I polish the covers with Mothers aluminum polish and micro fiber cloth.  My stuff stays nice and shinny for quite some time.

[rbmgf7]

Depends. I polished my engine covers to a near mirror finish on my KZ400. I'd rub a little Blue Magic on them once in a blue moon and they'd retain their luster. They never really tarnished from normal weather and riding but when salt is added, that'll dull them up real quick.

Same would happen to my polished aluminum wheels on the truck. Since I left them on all year, the winter would ruin the finish so I'd have to clean and polish them when it got warmer.

[scunny]

robdrobd,

I think it depends on how much work you do before applying the polishing compound or paste.  I remove all the old nasty clear coat by wet sanding with 400 grit followed by 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit then I polish the covers with Mothers aluminum polish and micro fiber cloth.  My stuff stays nice and shinny for quite some time.
+1 on the mothers, solvol autosol for the polish then mothers to protect.

[chewbacca5000]

Where can you get solvol autosol?  I tried it once just about the best.  Ran out, and I don't know where to get more.

[BobbyR]

Once you get them polished with rouge, you can rub some Mothers on it at the beginning and end of the season and they will be fine.  At a few years down the road you may want to hit them with the wheel again. In your part of the State unless you ride in the winter you will not get much salt on it.

[CoachDoc]

I started restoring my 550 17 years ago. The first cosmetic things I did were to polish the fork legs and the sproket cover, removing the clear coat and then going through all the stages of polishing on a wheel, etc. The job got sidetracked and put aside for all those years, but when I got back to it last Summer those parts actually still looked pretty good, and a quick hand buffing with Mother's had them looking GREAT in no time. Go ahead and polish up all that corroded stuff. You will not regret it.

[70CB750]

Thank you, gentlemen, I will be painting my hubs:)

[Danno]

so you know there is a wheel coating made by duplicolor if used sparingly protects ok I use a hybrid polimer on mine that stays cystal clear but will still peel from heat after about two years on parts that get hot up by the heads

[wedoo2]

I use both Never Dull, and that will last, and Honda Spray Cleaner and Polish. (under $10)  Try before you paint and maybe save some $$$

[Stev-o]

I covers were polished a couple years ago and still look great.  But, my K4 stays in the garage every night and is never ridden in the rain. 
Polish 'em, you won't regret it.

[MCRider]

You've heard all the answers, here's mine. The mirror polish will dull in about a month. Every 2 weeks or so, you can wipe them with Mothers or SemiChrome, just a little more than you would wipe the painted parts at a routine wash down, and get 85 to 90% back. You can leave it for a full summer and lose 40%. At that point you'll never get back to mirror with hand polish. But you'll get back to 80%.

IMO you'll never get back to the original degraded finish, unless you leave them un touched for roughly the same amount of time.

Assuming you loved it enough to polish or have them polished, you'll love it enough to wipe it occasionally and keep it fresh looking. Wipe them after a wash to remove water spots. Polish when you can.

I wouldn't put anything on them except polish. No clear.

I'm assuming you actually ride the thing in all kinds of weather, wash/and wipe it down occasionally.  If you're babying it, better results.

[GammaFlat]

"How long does a polish last ?"

For me it's a life time.  Two of my great grandparents were born there (I am part Polish). 

[Bob Wessner]

Until the next rainy day.

Since I don't ride in the rain, it is an opportunity to spend some otherwise quality with the bike. 

[Magpie]

A good rainy day is: a cold beer, a dry warm place, good music, a SOHC4, a jar of Blue Magic and a box of soft cloths. 
Cliff.

[72500john]

amen to that!!
merry christmas!