but does anyone know how to/what to use,to remove the odd marks and discolouring of any alloy on the bike 
, esp round the swingarm etc? I am not too sure what to use. 
Help appreciated guys as I know you lot will have stripped your bikes down and polished the life out of them,so please, share the wealth!! Much appreciated, ta very much.. 
MJONESY wrote:i always use autosol on bare metal stuff, brings most things up a treat
). or ey, paintwork? autoglym?vtrbarmy wrote: On a separate subject, if you want to bring your paintwork up............
Not at all, much appreciated for all the input from everyone :clap:vtrbarmy wrote:Oh god, my pet subject - polishing and cleaning
Ok, there are a number of different products you can use, some for keeping the shine, some for removing discolouring, some for general maintenance.
If the alloy has oxidised "gone grey", then I use either Belgom Alu (get it from eBay),(already on the case) MAAS metal polish (brilliant stuff but not well known http://www.lastingshine.co.uk/acatalog/index.html) or Meguairs Motorcycle All Metal Polish. I've just done my hangers using MAAS and got a cracking finish without too much work. For removing discolouration, Meguairs Motorcycle All Metal Polish followed by Meguairs NXT All Metal Polish (for that extra shine) I've found gives best results. if though you are talking brown downpipes, then virtually nothing shines those (well a buffing wheel would), but they go brown very quickly again, so little point.
Belgom Alu is typically used by metal polishers after they have put a mirror shine on alloy, note, so if ever you use a polishing wheel yourself, this does a great job at getting rid of residual polishing soap and putting a good shine on alloy.So notedFor all of these apply use a rough cloth - something similar to a terry cloth will do - using circular motions. Little and often!
One you have acquired the shine you want (and/or removed the discolouration), finish off with meguairs NXT All metla polish (blue tub/green lid) to give that added sparkle, apply using a micro fibre cloth (got 3 of those) (little and often) until it has almost disappeared and then buff off with another (clean) mirco fibre cloth.
I do use autosol, but rarely, bit too abrasive for my liking - but for really stubborn marks, it works.
On a separate subject, if you want to bring your paintwork up, try Meguairs Swirlx (removes swirls in paintwork) or Scratch X 2.0 (for those nasty scratches) finishing off with meguairs motorcycle polish for an absolute cracking shine - again apply and buff off using mirco fibre cloths, little and often. If you have the time, rather than the Meguairs motorcycle polish, use something like Harly wax which is a pure number one carnauba wax for a really deep shine, gives a slightly deeper shine, but take a while longer to apply and is best used on warm days (whereas the Meguairs wax works in virtually any temperature)
For a quick was and polish, Auto Glym Aqua Wax, comes with 2 micro fibre cloths (I have some really good bottles of polish for final polish but will try some of the ones you mention to see how it looks),wash bike, dry off using one micro fibre cloth, as you dry spray on the aqua wax and buff off using the other mirco fibre cloth. Showroom finish for not a lot of work. The Meguairs motorcycle wax lasts longer (and you can always use Meguairs detailer for those "in-between polishes" shine if required.
And no I don't work for Meguairs, but I do like a clean shiny bike.....just that i find polishing quite therapeutic after a ong day at work, so often spend an hour or so just buffing up the paintwork or alloy in the evenings on the Storm or on my GSX1400 Suzuki (ooops can I mention that here
Sorry, rambled on a bit there......and went way past the original question.
That's an astounding gleam...FirestormMike wrote:Belgom.
Best stuff bar none.
Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me...Well done!!benny hedges wrote:or ey, paintwork? autoglym?vtrbarmy wrote: On a separate subject, if you want to bring your paintwork up............
tell you this - i 'found' a litre bottle of autoglym 'supreme polish' and i can honestly say it is THE best polish i have ever seen / felt in my life.
went over my new paintwork with it after tcutting and OMFG this stuff is the dogs.
i can see where it got it's name from lol - absolutely superb very deep shine, best i have ever seen liek evar :/
looked for it in frauds but couldn't see it - saw the aqua stuff etc but trust me, if you ever see this stuff do yourself and your bike / car a favour and give it a try - extremely good sh1t.
re solvol, what i do is get a short length of 8mm steel bar, cut a slot in it with a hacksaw, say 1 1/2" deep, and file a flat on the other end so it doesnt slip in the chuck, then tear off a 2" strip of cloth and slot it in the slot, stick it in the drill chuck and wind it in the right direction to make a fat polishing wad then go at it till it mirrors up.
when the rag gets dirty tear a bit off and expose a clean bit underneath.
to get at niggly corners use a wider strip of cloth and roll it in a taper - works really good and costs nothing
had people stop me in the past and ask where i got my casings and carbs chromed!!
learned since that mirrored casings are sh1t at losing heat so not really the best idea to polish the engine unless you just like to pose.
ed - i use the same slotted bar for gas flowing cyl heads & porting 2 strokes, with strips of linishing belt instead of rag - works very well, gets right inside where you usually can't reach, using different grade grits and finishing off with solvol ;) ;)
it never went out in the rain matey!!! feck me shinny bit goin streaky!! miss the bike but cant say i miss all the polishing!!! 
Nope! Sorry Mate, I don't believe youvtrbarmy wrote:Oh god, my pet subject - polishing and cleaning
Ok, there are a number of different products you can use, some for keeping the shine, some for removing discolouring, some for general maintenance.
If the alloy has oxidised "gone grey", then I use either Belgom Alu (get it from eBay), MAAS metal polish (brilliant stuff but not well known http://www.lastingshine.co.uk/acatalog/index.html) or Meguairs Motorcycle All Metal Polish. I've just done my hangers using MAAS and got a cracking finish without too much work. For removing discolouration, Meguairs Motorcycle All Metal Polish followed by Meguairs NXT All Metal Polish (for that extra shine) I've found gives best results. if though you are talking brown downpipes, then virtually nothing shines those (well a buffing wheel would), but they go brown very quickly again, so little point.
Belgom Alu is typically used by metal polishers after they have put a mirror shine on alloy, note, so if ever you use a polishing wheel yourself, this does a great job at getting rid of residual polishing soap and putting a good shine on alloy.
For all of these apply use a rough cloth - something similar to a terry cloth will do - using circular motions. Little and often!
One you have acquired the shine you want (and/or removed the discolouration), finish off with meguairs NXT All metla polish (blue tub/green lid) to give that added sparkle, apply using a micro fibre cloth (little and often) until it has almost disappeared and then buff off with another (clean) mirco fibre cloth.
I do use autosol, but rarely, bit too abrasive for my liking - but for really stubborn marks, it works.
On a separate subject, if you want to bring your paintwork up, try Meguairs Swirlx (removes swirls in paintwork) or Scratch X 2.0 (for those nasty scratches) finishing off with meguairs motorcycle polish for an absolute cracking shine - again apply and buff off using mirco fibre cloths, little and often. If you have the time, rather than the Meguairs motorcycle polish, use something like Harly wax which is a pure number one carnauba wax for a really deep shine, gives a slightly deeper shine, but take a while longer to apply and is best used on warm days (whereas the Meguairs wax works in virtually any temperature)
For a quick was and polish, Auto Glym Aqua Wax, comes with 2 micro fibre cloths, wash bike, dry off using one micro fibre cloth, as you dry spray on the aqua wax and buff off using the other mirco fibre cloth. Showroom finish for not a lot of work. The Meguairs motorcycle wax lasts longer (and you can always use Meguairs detailer for those "in-between polishes" shine if required.
And no I don't work for Meguairs, but I do like a clean shiny bike.....just that i find polishing quite therapeutic after a ong day at work, so often spend an hour or so just buffing up the paintwork or alloy in the evenings on the Storm or on my GSX1400 Suzuki (ooops can I mention that here
Sorry, rambled on a bit there......and went way past the original question.
