Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge 07 Alloy Wheels - how are yours?

Hi All,

I've done 1,300 miles ish since new on my America.

I'm happy to report the bike is fine and I love it every time I ride it.

Over the bank holiday I went on a charity run - here I am on the run :



Anyway, back to the point... I was cleaning my bike before hand as I'd used it a few times and not washed it!! (criminal I know! but I hadn't been out in the wet or anything stupid like that )

I noticed that the wheels have developed a kind of pitting on them and nothing I did would remove it. This has only appeared in the last month so I'm not sure whats going on.

Has anyone else suffered from this or are your wheels as good as new still?

Any comments or thoughts appreciated or any ideas how I can work it out.

I'm fast thinking of getting a replacement set of wheels and either getting them lacquered or powdere coated - any thoughts on that too?

Thanks all,

JC

JC, if you still have it under warrenty I'd get it back to the dealers.

Mine have a bit of pitting, nothing too bad... but mine is an 02.

I have the same wheels, I was informed by the dealer when I picked the bike up new that the wheels where alloy and not lacquered (they are painted between the spokes) and would take a bit of looking after and not to be bringing the bike back back and complaining after riding it through the winter
I have just over the same miles as you, although not out in salty roads.
I gave the wheels a polish with solvo for the first time last month, took about 1 hour, and it did make a remarkable difference to them, they where slightly tarnished but I had no pitting as you seem to describe.
I recon they do take a bit of looking after but are ok so far, they would look good powder coated black, especialy on a black bike.

Hi John you need to keep on top of them all the time especially in the UK, with all the salt on the roads. Even in the dry the salt is still there and will affect the alloy on the wheels. I use some stuff called mothers, but Solvol autosol is good for the wheels just a little too abrasive, but this might be a good thing if they are starting to pitt to clean it out..

3k miles on mine and the wheels have some oxidation on them. (Is that what it is?-a whitish substance)
Gonna have a good go at it when I get the chance and maybe see about sealing them with something. If I can expect it to happen regularly, I think I'd get them done (sealed, powder-coated) professionally. It's not something one expects on a 2007 bike.

the wheels on my 07 still look great.
4900 miles , I do wash it now and then, and garage kept.

Thanks for all the comments.

The thing is it's always kept in the garage, and I've only really left it "dirty" once. I say Dirty, I mean taking it out about 3 weekends on the trot in the DRY without washing and polishing it.

I used autoglym resin posih on the wheels after I'd cleaned them in the past, as I've done this on cars and bikes over the years and it has alwasy seemed to offer a good level of pretection which is whats confused me.

I'll have a go with autosol at the weekend, well next week as I'm out of work as of today! And see what I can do with them.

If not, then its down to get them poswer coated.

I'll try and get some pics and update you.

Cheers,

JC

My spokes look fantastic

Upgrade to the new chrome wheels is a solution I suppose. I'd like to do that sooner or later... first the pipes tho