WHEELS-paint or polish?

stirlinggaz · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Karma :

hi all,
currently "restoring" a 1992 mito.
its gonna take me while to get it done, so times not really an issue.
neither is cost, as i got the bike cheap enough & it doesnt "need" much doing to it.
its just "cosmetically tired"
the coating on the wheels had started to peel off.
so i attacked them with a pressure washers to remove any loose paint. (see 1st pic)
now i dont know whether to
A :give them a few coats of hi-build primer & then paint/lacquer.
B : give them to a professional to be shot blasted & powdercoated.
c : get the old "paint" removed & attempt to polish the bare metal up.

the spokes on the rear wheel come apart & i have just given it a rub with steel wool & i think it could be polished up,what do you think? (see pic 2)

obviously option B would be the easiest, just hand them over, pay the money & the wheels come back like new.
but im not known for taking the easy option, lol
i quite fancy the idea of polishing them up, then maybe coat with clear lacquer.
having never done wheels before, im looking for opinions/experiences.
done plenty of other painting before, with aerosol & gun. (i have a compressor & hvlp gun) but not on wheels.
& i've done some polishing before. (removed anodised coatings & polished up to a nice shiney finish) im just not sure if it will be worth it.
cheers,
GAZ

SW Motech Shop UK · Scooby Slapper Joined: 22 Nov 2004 Karma :

Unless you want to spend a large amount of your spare time rubbing autosol into the wheels dont get them plished. My Bandit 1200 has polished wheels and engine cases and it is a nightmare. Moisture in the air messes them let alone actually riding it near water. Stick to painted wheels mate. Always looks nice, easy to clean.
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ms51ves3 · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Karma :

Get the spokes and hub powder coated and then polish the rim. This way you won't have to remove the tyre and it gives you less polishing work.

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

Of course you will have to remove the tire, power coating is baked on at about 300 degrees Laughing

I would power coat it for the best results but you will have to remove the tire and bearings. You will have to get new bearings Which will be £20 according to wemoto. Plus getting the tire removed and refitted then it will be about £120 to get the wheels power coated. Don't forget to powercoat the sprocket carrier too.

It's not cheap but the finish will probably be better than standard.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

ms51ves3 · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

Holy shit the wheel comes apart Shocked

My bad
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

ms51ves3 · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Karma :

You only had to look at the second picture to see that Rolling Eyes

stirlinggaz · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Karma :

hi,
sorry, should have elaborated....
the wheels are cast,& dont actually come apart. (just the 3 spke "covers")
theres tyres on them, though they probably need replaced, so i could remove them & get them powdercoated but this seems too easy an option & also means around £120 to get the wheels done & even more for a set of tyres.
the 3 spokes have removable plates, why they come off i dont know., but you cant seperate the 3 spokes from the hub or rim.
i removed one of the spoke covers, purely to see what it looked like under the paint.
the paint comes off fairly easy & i think i could get the metal to polish up, which would take a fair bit of effort.
i realise that, if i did polish them, it would be a nightmare keeping them shiney, but would clearcoating them work?
cheers,
GAZ

mad4it028 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Karma :

i polished the whole wheels on my zx6r took ages to do and was a proper night mare to look after once it was done never again
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/mad4it028/IMGP0870.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/mad4it028/SDC11362.jpg
DONT DO IT NOOO DONT!!
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stirlinggaz · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Karma :

hi,
what method did you use to remove the old paint?
those wheels look ok to me.
cheers,
GAZ

mad4it028 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Karma :

i used nitromorse they look ok yes but you wouldnt beleave the work it took to keep them that way not worth it in my opinion but hey live n learn Thumbs Up

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always looking to buy bikes crashed ,unfinished projects,none runners pm me
currently riding kawasaki z1000 only bike ive ever loved