Clear coat aluminum wheels??
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- offcenter
- Posts: 508
- Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:10 pm
- Location: Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
- Motorcycle: 99 Gl-1500 SE
76 GL-1000
77 Honda Trail 90
Clear coat aluminum wheels??
The aluminum wheels on my 1500 always look like hell and are difficult to get shiny again.
Has anyone tried clear coating the wheels?
If so, what product did you use?
How well has it held up over time?
Has anyone tried clear coating the wheels?
If so, what product did you use?
How well has it held up over time?
George in Jersey.
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
- Bluewaterhooker0
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:27 pm
- Location: Tampa, Fl
- Motorcycle: 1997 Goldwing GL 1500 SE
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I have the same problem. I have actually polished mine to a beautiful nearly mirror finish with "Eagle One Never Dull Wadding" and "Mothers Mag & Aluminum" polish. The finish lasts until the first rain, at which point they start corroding all over again. I have tried waxing after polishing, to no avail. I recently had the wheels on my Ford Explorer 'powder coated' , or 'powder coat painted' because of the same type issues. That is a fantastic finish, that looks great, has no corrosion issues, cleans very easily, and lasts. That is the finish in the future for my GL1500 front wheel, as soon as it needs a new front tire. The tires do need to come off for the powder coat process. Find a powder coating vendor in your area and look at what he offers. I think you'll be impressed. I was quoted $75 to do the one bike wheel. There are a huge variety of colors available, in the silver range.
- offcenter
- Posts: 508
- Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:10 pm
- Location: Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
- Motorcycle: 99 Gl-1500 SE
76 GL-1000
77 Honda Trail 90
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Thanks. Powder coating sounds like a great idea.
But having to remove the car tire, the brake rotors and the wheel bearings doesn't sound so great! LOL!!
I was hoping for something I could do right in my shop.
Any other suggestions?
But having to remove the car tire, the brake rotors and the wheel bearings doesn't sound so great! LOL!!
I was hoping for something I could do right in my shop.
Any other suggestions?
George in Jersey.
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
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- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2014 6:22 pm
- Location: Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
- Motorcycle: 2001 GL1800A Goldwing
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I hate cleaning rims! My bike also get's washed when it rains (it sits in the driveway all season) or gets ridden in the rain
My solution was similar but something I could do myself. It does require removing the wheel, but not dismounting the tire.
I used plastidip (prodip.ca) and plastic coated the rims - front and back wheels. I used flat black so it doesn't show the brake dust. It also looks pretty good when the black rim meshing with the black tire.
3 seasons now and not cleaned once - look great!
Just have to be careful with rubber changes - a little touch up after is usually required.

My solution was similar but something I could do myself. It does require removing the wheel, but not dismounting the tire.
I used plastidip (prodip.ca) and plastic coated the rims - front and back wheels. I used flat black so it doesn't show the brake dust. It also looks pretty good when the black rim meshing with the black tire.
3 seasons now and not cleaned once - look great!
Just have to be careful with rubber changes - a little touch up after is usually required.
Lead, Follow or Get out of the way!
IBA 37676
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- MikeB
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- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade.
2003 - GL1800A
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
How about posting a couple of pictures of your Plasti Dip wheels?hondapotamus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:22 pm3 seasons now and not cleaned once - look great!
Just have to be careful with rubber changes - a little touch up after is usually required.
Here are a couple of my Powder Coated wheels: I had them done eight years and 80,000 miles ago.
MikeB
Tacoma, WA, USA
Tacoma, WA, USA
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- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2014 6:22 pm
- Location: Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
- Motorcycle: 2001 GL1800A Goldwing
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I'll have to make a trip to were it's stored and the lighting may not be so great in the very back of my friend's auto body shop...
I'll give it try though

Lead, Follow or Get out of the way!
IBA 37676
IBA 37676
- WingAdmin
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Were you in India at the time?MikeB wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:29 pmHow about posting a couple of pictures of your Plasti Dip wheels?hondapotamus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:22 pm3 seasons now and not cleaned once - look great!
Just have to be careful with rubber changes - a little touch up after is usually required.
Here are a couple of my Powder Coated wheels:
Front Wheel Powder Coated 02.jpg
Rear Wheel Powder Coated.jpg
I had them done eight years and 80,000 miles ago.

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- Motorcycle: 2014 Honda PCX150. Owned a GL1100 Interstate from '90-'91, stopped riding in 1994, back in saddle since 2014. Keen to get a GL1500 or GL1800.
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I had this exact problem on an E34 BMW 540i some years ago. The BBS-style wheels would be covered in black brake dust within days of cleaning. I solved the problem by fitting Akebono ceramic brake pads. Maybe, with enough demand, Akebono will look into manufacturing Goldwing ceramic pads.
Ex GL1100 Interstate rider. Aspiring GL1500/1800 rider.
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I haven't done rims with this epoxy clear coat but...
I have reconditioned hazed plastic headlights to near new. I did them 7 months ago and they still look great.
I did them in the vehicle; masking and covering took the most time. ( I regret not covering the windshield. It took 3 months to wear off the micro dust that the breeze layered it with.) I was skeptical about sanding the headlights with 400 grit before application but I did and have zero regrets in that regard. This stuff bonded right into the scratches, they totally vanished and they really do look like new. Not sure about adhesion to a polished rim.
It is very tough stuff but I'm sure tire changes could damage it. Maybe feather it thinner near the edge where tire tools hit to minimize this impact.
With a bit of research you can find the various gloss levels that are available.
A special note on this stuff. It contains some cyanide compounds. (Probably making it unavailable globally..
)
I did my project outside (mid summer) with a respirator and face shield.
I have reconditioned hazed plastic headlights to near new. I did them 7 months ago and they still look great.
I did them in the vehicle; masking and covering took the most time. ( I regret not covering the windshield. It took 3 months to wear off the micro dust that the breeze layered it with.) I was skeptical about sanding the headlights with 400 grit before application but I did and have zero regrets in that regard. This stuff bonded right into the scratches, they totally vanished and they really do look like new. Not sure about adhesion to a polished rim.
It is very tough stuff but I'm sure tire changes could damage it. Maybe feather it thinner near the edge where tire tools hit to minimize this impact.
With a bit of research you can find the various gloss levels that are available.
A special note on this stuff. It contains some cyanide compounds. (Probably making it unavailable globally..

I did my project outside (mid summer) with a respirator and face shield.
- SIDECARRICH
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Just had my front rim powder coated gloss black, looks great on white 99SE with 165K+, I think as other chrome goes to hell it will be black too...lolhondapotamus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:47 pmI'll have to make a trip to were it's stored and the lighting may not be so great in the very back of my friend's auto body shop...I'll give it try though
SIDECAR RICH
- minimac
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Removing the tires and bearings can be a job, but having the wheels powder coated is well worth the hassle. The finish is amazing and it stays that way, with very little maintenance.
- SIDECARRICH
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I bought a spare set of rims on Ebay for $50 each, this way had next to no down time as when we're in Florida the wing is our only ride, and with the sidecar we like changing bearings often, and not knowing we couldn't leave them in place for powder coating because of heat it worked out well.
SIDECAR RICH
- kputer
- Posts: 8
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1980 GL1100 avatar
1986 GL1200I
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Here's a crazy idea, why doesn't Honda just Powder Coat in the first place. Especially for what the new wings cost. Any new bike come with coated wheels?
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- Posts: 14
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- Motorcycle: 2014 Honda PCX150. Owned a GL1100 Interstate from '90-'91, stopped riding in 1994, back in saddle since 2014. Keen to get a GL1500 or GL1800.
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Everyone's addressing the symptom, but not the cause. Why don't Honda, or one of the brake pad suppliers, just make ceramic pads for the Goldwing. If enough motorcyclists contact one manufacturer then it may just prompt them to act, at this point they don't even know about our gripe.
Ex GL1100 Interstate rider. Aspiring GL1500/1800 rider.
- MikeB
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Eliminating the brake dust would help a bit, but what does a guy do about road film, salt, and de-icing compounds that are put on the roads that eat the aluminum and steel on our bikes?Ralf_CT wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 1:42 amEveryone's addressing the symptom, but not the cause. Why don't Honda, or one of the brake pad suppliers, just make ceramic pads for the Goldwing. If enough motorcyclists contact one manufacturer then it may just prompt them to act, at this point they don't even know about our gripe.
MikeB
Tacoma, WA, USA
Tacoma, WA, USA
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- Posts: 14
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:24 am
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- Motorcycle: 2014 Honda PCX150. Owned a GL1100 Interstate from '90-'91, stopped riding in 1994, back in saddle since 2014. Keen to get a GL1500 or GL1800.
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
True, my mistake, here brake dust is our main issue.
Ex GL1100 Interstate rider. Aspiring GL1500/1800 rider.
- Big Red 94
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I was thinking of getting my wheels chromed. What are peoples thoughts on that for my GL1800. I am about to get my cylinder heads and front engine cover done, as they are going off, so to are my wheels and I thought, Chrome... are there any bad adverse effects for doing this other than cost
- MikeB
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2003 - GL1800A
Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Having the rear wheel chromed should be a relatively simple process. The front wheel is a different matter.
There are no wheel bearings on the rear wheel but the front has machined surfaces where the bearings reside.
I had initially wanted to chrome my wheels too. I did a little research and found that the chromer's had no way to prevent the bearing wells from being chromed.
The bearing wells are pretty close tolerance machined surfaces. In order to install the bearings and seals the chrome has to be removed. When I asked others that had chromed their wheels how they installed the bearings, they said that they had to grind out the chrome to fit the bearings and seals.
I suppose that is an option if you are not too terribly concerned about bearing concentric in the wheel.
If you take that path, then now you have an area of chrome that is lifted from the aluminum where corrosion can start. Once the corrosion starts, it is there forever.
There is also the price of having the wheels chromed. When I was pricing things out I found that it was between two and three times the price to have the wheels chromed versus having them powder coated.
With all the above in mind, I opted for Powder Coating. Much cheaper than chrome in so many ways.
There are no wheel bearings on the rear wheel but the front has machined surfaces where the bearings reside.
I had initially wanted to chrome my wheels too. I did a little research and found that the chromer's had no way to prevent the bearing wells from being chromed.
The bearing wells are pretty close tolerance machined surfaces. In order to install the bearings and seals the chrome has to be removed. When I asked others that had chromed their wheels how they installed the bearings, they said that they had to grind out the chrome to fit the bearings and seals.
I suppose that is an option if you are not too terribly concerned about bearing concentric in the wheel.
If you take that path, then now you have an area of chrome that is lifted from the aluminum where corrosion can start. Once the corrosion starts, it is there forever.
There is also the price of having the wheels chromed. When I was pricing things out I found that it was between two and three times the price to have the wheels chromed versus having them powder coated.
With all the above in mind, I opted for Powder Coating. Much cheaper than chrome in so many ways.
MikeB
Tacoma, WA, USA
Tacoma, WA, USA
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
When I got my 2010 GL1800, I purchased a coating to apply to the wheels before they developed any corrosion. It is a clear resin coating that you just wipe on. I took the wheels off to make it easier to apply. It has worked great, although I admit to keeping it garaged and it has low mile (17k). It is called EverBright. There is a cleaner and coating. It is still available.
- kputer
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Hey MikeB, I'm checking on powder coating options in Lansing. One coating shop said they would have to bead blast and it won't look polished with a clear coat. What did you have to do to get the nice finish I see in the pictures? Did you polish you wheels first? I understand I'll need to remove front wheel bearing, no problem but did the powder coating get in the bearing seats as well? attached a current picture of my front wheel.MikeB wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 2:05 pmHaving the rear wheel chromed should be a relatively simple process.
sic
When I was pricing things out I found that it was between two and three times the price to have the wheels chromed versus having them powder coated.
With all the above in mind, I opted for Powder Coating. Much cheaper than chrome in so many ways.
Thanks, Keith
- MikeB
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
What I did was remove the bearings and seals. Cleaned the wheels so that there was no oil or grease on them. Then took them to the Powder Coater's.
I reminded them that the bearing areas and mounting points for the disk brake needed to remain un-coated. They had done many many motorcycle wheels in the past and knew exactly how to proceed. They recommended clear coating over the color coat and I agreed.
Their prep included bead or sand blasting of the wheel. I can only assume that the color coat and then clear coat took care of and imperfections made by the blasting.
The wheels as you see them have been only cleaned with a little Simple Green and a terry cloth towel over the years. No polishing is needed.
The Powder Coating is much like a normal paint job only it is baked in an oven and is considerably more durable. Take a look at this site. they can explain it much better than I can. http://kitsappowdercoating.com/benefits.htm
I reminded them that the bearing areas and mounting points for the disk brake needed to remain un-coated. They had done many many motorcycle wheels in the past and knew exactly how to proceed. They recommended clear coating over the color coat and I agreed.
Their prep included bead or sand blasting of the wheel. I can only assume that the color coat and then clear coat took care of and imperfections made by the blasting.
The wheels as you see them have been only cleaned with a little Simple Green and a terry cloth towel over the years. No polishing is needed.
The Powder Coating is much like a normal paint job only it is baked in an oven and is considerably more durable. Take a look at this site. they can explain it much better than I can. http://kitsappowdercoating.com/benefits.htm
MikeB
Tacoma, WA, USA
Tacoma, WA, USA
- kputer
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
Thanks MikeB, so did they do a color coat (silver) first? I thought it was clear coat on bare wheel but this makes sense.
- MikeB
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
It is a silver looking paint. They called it Class II.
MikeB
Tacoma, WA, USA
Tacoma, WA, USA
- Bluewaterhooker0
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
I assume your powder coat guy is going to paint the wheels first, then clear coat. That's what I had done to my Explorer wheels, and they came out great. There were several versions of silver paint available. They range from a basic metallic silver to a metal flake silver, and any other color you might desire. Mine were bead blasted as well, and you can't tell in the finish.
- Wildwilly018
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Re: Clear coat aluminum wheels??
My rims have always been a mess on my gl1500. I keep the rest of the bike polished, but never take the time to get the rims looking better. I have at times took it into hand wash carwash and just used degreaser spray on rims. Will have to look closer at some of these ideas.