Wheel cleaning?

[Mark_h]

Any tips on removing inground filth on the wheel rims? Rear usually comes up nice with a bit of paraffin on a rag but its not working on the front. Any tips on cleaning up the slightly rougher surface?

[Sir Trev]

Paraffin or white spirit usually does the trick for me. Was looking at the wheel cleaner I have for the car yesterday and it specifically says do not use on bike wheels (reacts to the paint?) so that's not a suggestion...


How grubby are they? If it's just brake dust a solvent cleaner may shift it but I would have thought it would shift the coating too if used too vigorously. Any recommendations on a detailing forum perhaps?

[650]

Paraffin will cut through literally anything including super stuck on chain lube.


And as a future proofness from fling-off, invest in some Wurth dry lube. Used it year round for eons now and it's fantastic, no splatter and keeps your chain clean.

[DanSp]

WD-40, but Paraffin is cheaper!
I have used a watered down 'autoglym clean wheels' for ever, been fine on all previous bikes including my dads bikes and ive never had a problem.... Apart from my SV in which it did make the paint flake!

[Mark_h]

As per original post folks, Paraffin's not touching it. It always works fine on the rear which was a mix of lube and road sludge but it's not touching the front which is getting progressively grubbier over the years.

Anyone ever tried one of those steam cleaners that apparently make your bathroom surgically clean while you wave it at the tiles in a sexy summer dress?

I could try wonder wheels or similar but don't want to make matters worse.

[650]

If you can't shift it with paraffin (sorry, didn't read it fully!) then you're going into oxidisation territory. There are plenty of car related products available for this but they're designed to attack and thin out a top coat, so using them on motorcycle wheels might have a detrimental effect.


For the sake of around £100, I'd just get both front and back refurbed to a colour of your preference, or do a DIY job and whip the wheel off, sand it all back and spray it. It's not even remotely difficult and will take all of a weekend & a Monday for drying if you can mask off the tyre effectively and quickly enough.

[_Stretchie_]

Paging Dizzy Blonde

[Matt-EUC]

Autosol and some graft. It'll come up good.

[Sir Trev]

Autosol and some graft. It'll come up good.

On a painted wheel? Seriously?? Are you in league with your local paint supplier???

[Matt-EUC]

Never took the paint off mine.


Sent via the medium of interpretative dance.

[DanSp]

Have you tried WD40? Soak a patch and leave it for a few mins and then try to get rid??!


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[ophic]

I took my wheels off and attacked them with all kinds of products and a lot of elbow grease. The ground in dirt on the front wheel in the rough finished part just wouldn't shift for love nor money. The smooth bits came up ok.

[Mark_h]

I took my wheels off and attacked them with all kinds of products and a lot of elbow grease. The ground in dirt on the front wheel in the rough finished part just wouldn't shift for love nor money. The smooth bits came up ok.

I think I'm in the same place as you. Did you get as far as paraffin + toothbrush? My next weapon of choice will be brake cleaner + toothbrush as that seems to get everything off of everything. Then I guess ever more corrosive car wheel stuff until I completely bugger up the finish and need to strip and repaint anyway.

Just about to remove wheels to get new tyres fitted and forks serviced so opportunity to try from another angle. Don't really want to go down the strip/repaint process unless I really have to.

[ophic]

Yup toothbrush and brake cleaner, paraffin, wd40, special wheel cleaner etc. Nothing went through the paint or, in fact, the ground in dirt. Toothbrushes were a bit soft so I think I ended up with a larger and stiffer brush. Obviously nothing too abrasive.

I also had the disks off as they were being replaced anyway.

Now they've been back on a few months and I feel like I needn't have bothered as they're just as bad as they were before the strip and clean.

imho best solution - paint them matt black.

[punyXpress]

. . then how to get rid of weight adhesive?
Please.

[timwilky]

Having white wheels on the GSXR, cleaning can be troublesome. I ended up pinching the wife's cillit bang from the kitchen. Worked quite well but kept it away from the tyres.

[DanSp]

. . then how to get rid of weight adhesive?

Please.


WD40!!!


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[Bluepete]

Try Mr. Sheen! Honestly, it works.

Pete ;)

[Bibio]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Farecla-G3-Advanced-Liquid-Compound-500ml-Bottle-Car-Polishing-/130743825199?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item1e70f0732f

everyone should have a bottle of this stuff as its simply the best stuff for bringing paint back to life.

[Jason H]

Kerosene and a rag, keep it very much away from the tyres.

Easiest to do it whilst the wheel is off the bike.

J

[Bibio]

Kerosene is called paraffin here in the UK.

[Jason H]

Haha, so they are indeed. I'd never put the two together in my head. One I use for fuel in jets (and tractors) and heating homes, the other I use for lamps and camping stoves. The clear seperation of roles in my head couldn't comprehend them being the same.

All the same, should work to clean the wheels no matter how bad. Soak the rag, and let it really soak throught the crude.

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[andrewsmith]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Farecla-G3-Advanced-Liquid-Compound-500ml-Bottle-Car-Polishing-/130743825199?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item1e70f0732f

everyone should have a bottle of this stuff as its simply the best stuff for bringing paint back to life.

Use it! Brilliant stuff, yearly on the bodywork and use the polish once a 6 months and bikes clean.

. . then how to get rid of weight adhesive?
Please.

This stuff is brilliant, get used for everything sticky at work. Did my wheels the other week and worked a treat (Clas ohlson sell it) http://uk.hg.eu/products/show/id/571/sticker_remover

http://uk.hg.eu/userfiles/product/image/medium/13968848959530230.jpg

[Mark_h]

Problem is me an Ophic are so damn hard the dirt on our bikes has taken note and is so damn hard trusty Paraffin and brake cleaner isn't touching it. Need better suggestions.

[Tomor]

Sandpaper

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[Bibio]

so what your actually saing is you want a lazy man's spray on wipe and hose off kind of thing... well your in luck.

i have started using ALDI's XS alloy wheel cleaner and all i can say is it's blooody good. dont squirt it on the wheel but instead squirt it on a paint brush and loosen all the grime. then use a bucket and sponge to wash down. i have tested on a painted and a powdercoated wheel and all is fine.

[Mark_h]

so what your actually saing is you want a lazy man's spray on wipe and hose off kind of thing... well your in luck.

i have started using ALDI's XS alloy wheel cleaner and all i can say is it's blooody good. dont squirt it on the wheel but instead squirt it on a paint brush and loosen all the grime. then use a bucket and sponge to wash down. i have tested on a painted and a powdercoated wheel and all is fine.

Well I'll give it a go and if it works there's a beer in it for you should you ever be passing these parts!

[Matt-EUC]

I've used M.E.K. before. Jason should be able to tell you more about it. Aircraft engineers bathe in the stuff.


Sent via the medium of interpretative dance.

[Phoenix22]

Little & often is the key here. I clean mine after every ride. Sometimes just a bit, sometimes quite a lot. Long term it works well, 65K and it's still like new.

[Matt-EUC]

The biggest killer is the hot brake dust. So wiping it off regularly makes sense.


Sent via the medium of interpretative dance.

[650]

There is, of course, a simple preventative measure to stop all this.


Soap and water - one a week. Hardly back breaking work/effort.

[Jason H]

Tell that to my rear wheel!!

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[Mark_h]

There is, of course, a simple preventative measure to stop all this.


Soap and water - one a week. Hardly back breaking work/effort.

I have little time enough to ride. It gets washed from time to time but this is 10 years accumulation of grime that did not respond to usual techniques.

[dizzyblonde]

Paging Dizzy Blonde

Problem is me an Ophic are so damn hard the dirt on our bikes has taken note and is so damn hard trusty Paraffin and brake cleaner isn't touching it. Need better suggestions.


I'm having trouble with the ZZR14's front wheel. The ground in brake dust and stuff is so ingrained I just can't shift it....with ANYTHING! The wheel looks absolutely horrendous! Beautiful Marchesini wheels under there somewhere. 8-[
I haven't yet used this under the kitchen sink






http://images.esellerpro.com/2152/I/101/91/lrgDoktor_Power.jpg


The daft thing is, we had the tyres replaced a couple of months back, I should have done them then. Didn't even need any weights put on them either, for all the crud that's sat on them, they're absolutely perfect :p

[cabra]

A spray bottle of car "alloy" wheel cleaner - very cheap in Lidl from time to time! I said "alloy" because they are all painted anyway.


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[DJ123]

Any tips on removing inground filth on the wheel rims? Rear usually comes up nice with a bit of paraffin on a rag but its not working on the front. Any tips on cleaning up the slightly rougher surface?

I've got a good alloy wheel cleaner that works well. I also have a clay kit which should aid in removing the grime. PM/message me if you want either bringing over.

[Heorot]

I've always used Wonder Wheels on my Impreza. I drive it hard and only wash it once a year in the spring so the alloy wheels are caked with burnt in brake dust and road crap. Wonder Wheels shifts the lot. £9.99 from Wilcos.