Bushtec trailer detail help

[Motorman]

Greetings everyone! Haven't been on the forum in a long time....so long that I could not use my original name because I forgot my username and password (or it was deleted for lack of use). Anyway...

I am going to detail my motorcycle and the pull behind trailer. The bike is a 2018 Honda Goldwing Tour and the trailer is a Bushtec. The question I have right now is how to fix the rims. I will post pics as I go.

Now just need to figure out how to get a picture of the wheels posted...

 

[Motorman]

Figured out how to post it! Im the MAN

What I need help with is how to clean the rims to get the discoloration off. And then how to coat it to prevent it in the future. The trailer is always kept in the garage except when we travel with it (which is usually a couple times a year). I believe they are aluminum rims.

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Edited: added details

 

[Motorman]

These are the before pictures of the trailer. It had lots of scratches and was in rough shape. It had sat in the garage for a couple years with no use recently. I did not do anything with the wheels yet but once I figure out what to do, I will do that then. Hoping someone here can help! Want to make it ALL look brand new! :dblthumb2:

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And here are the after pic. I washed it, used a little Blackfire bug and tar stuff and a pinnacle bug sponge. Then I clayed it with pinnacle clay lube and clay bar. I then used the Megs DA microfiber kit (300 and 301) with a Griots DA. I used IPA to get everything off for final wax. I then topped it with 2 coats of colinite 845. I still need to work on the bra and black cover for the cooler.

Any feedback would be appreciated! Always trying to learn and get better! Thanks for looking!

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And finally here is the table of most of the products I used

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In the next few weeks will be the bike!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Wow!

Nice turn-around. Trailer looks GREAT!

Was looking at your picture of the products used and that you asked for tips....

Noticed the handle was on your Griot's Garage polisher. Not a game changer but I have 20+ Griot's polishers in the Autogeek garage as I use these to teach 8mm free spinning orbitals in my classes. I don't think a single polisher has a handle on it.

The handle kind of looks cool but what I know is by placing your hand directly on top of the head of the polisher not only do you have better control of the polisher but you also don't tax your forearm muscle as much. The further your hand gets away from the polisher the more muscle and energy it takes to control and work the polisher.

If you look at this picture - there's one GG6 with the handle on it and I keep this handle on this one polisher to let all the students in my classes test it out as compared to no handle and then test me as to if what I say about the handle is true or false. It's all about learning - I use everything as a teaching moment.

FWIW

Looking forward to your bike detail pics.


Also - for anyone reading this thread into the future - if you can simply remember your username or e-mail, any of the Mods or Admins can help you bring your account back to life. We don't delete accounts simply because people don't use them. Technically it's against the forum rules to have 2 accounts.

 

[Motorman]

Mike, thanks for the tip!! I will take the handle off and give it a try. I know it gets in the way some times too. Might really be helpful to not have the handle for the bike!!!

Do you have any advice for the rims on the trailer. They have gotten pretty discolored/tarnished over time and I don't know what I should use. Thats the last piece I need to make the trailer look brand new for the road trip.

Now my last dilemma is whether to use WG deep gloss 2.0 or collinite 845 on the bike. :dunno:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike, thanks for the tip!! I will take the handle off and give it a try. I know it gets in the way some times too. Might really be helpful to not have the handle for the bike!!!

It's just an option. Once in a while I meet someone that likes the handle or likes the handle but also slides their hand INSIDE the handle and places their hand on the head of the polisher for more exact control.

But yeah - most people I know remove the handle and never look back.

Do you have any advice for the rims on the trailer. They have gotten pretty discolored/tarnished over time and I don't know what I should use. Thats the last piece I need to make the trailer look brand new for the road trip.

From this picture you attached....

1. It looks like there are chips in the outer lip of the rim? If so - if this trailer were mine I would either,
2. Clean them up as good as I could and apply some touch-up paint to the chipped areas.
3. Clean them up as good as I could and just live with whatever results achieved.
4. Replace them with some new rims that look cool.
5. Take the rims to an expert wheel repair company and let them deal with it.

Kind of out of my area of expertise except for what I listed above.

 

[Motorman]

[/QUOTE]




From this picture you attached....

1. It looks like there are chips in the outer lip of the rim? If so - if this trailer were mine I would either,
2. Clean them up as good as I could and apply some touch-up paint to the chipped areas.
3. Clean them up as good as I could and just live with whatever results achieved.
4. Replace them with some new rims that look cool.
5. Take the rims to an expert wheel repair company and let them deal with it.

Kind of out of my area of expertise except for what I listed above.


[/QUOTE]

Believe it or not the structure is perfect. No chips or dents. It is all discoloration. I even called the company and they had no suggestions. :dunno:

 

[SWETM]

Great work!

The little trailer shined up awesome.

First I would check so the wheels is clearcoated aluminum. A little cotton pad or a wax applicator and a little of D300 on it. Gently wipe it back and forth and see if you get any black greyish color on the pad. If just dirt and they are clearcoated. I would use the bug and tar remover or a dedicated tar remover. It can be some kind of tire dressing that has discolored the wheels. Tar remover is useally good to desolve this. Next step would be a wheel cleaner. Then you can clay it and polishing it like you would do paint. You can also test with a cleaner wax/ AIO. As they useally is heavy with solvents to deep clean the clearcoat. I like to chemical cleaning it to get it as clean as possible before claying and polishing anything. So you don't creat more work to polish or compound if any mess would be done. If you notice that the discolored part wont be effected by this. It can be that it has seaped into the clearcoat. And then it's touch up or to get them really nice sand blasted and refinished. But hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

 

[Motorman]

Great work!

The little trailer shined up awesome.

First I would check so the wheels is clearcoated aluminum. A little cotton pad or a wax applicator and a little of D300 on it. Gently wipe it back and forth and see if you get any black greyish color on the pad. If just dirt and they are clearcoated. I would use the bug and tar remover or a dedicated tar remover. It can be some kind of tire dressing that has discolored the wheels. Tar remover is useally good to desolve this. Next step would be a wheel cleaner. Then you can clay it and polishing it like you would do paint. You can also test with a cleaner wax/ AIO. As they useally is heavy with solvents to deep clean the clearcoat. I like to chemical cleaning it to get it as clean as possible before claying and polishing anything. So you don't creat more work to polish or compound if any mess would be done. If you notice that the discolored part wont be effected by this. It can be that it has seaped into the clearcoat. And then it's touch up or to get them really nice sand blasted and refinished. But hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

I did that after cleaning it just now (to make sure it was clean) and it comes back black/gray. How does that change up what to do?

 

[SWETM]

Then you can polishing with a metall polish and a polishing cone/ball for bare metalls. Mothers Mags and Aluminum polish is a great product. Flitz is another brand that is great. This can help but aluminum is porous so it can be needed something more. You can use Carpro TarX as it's non corrosive and based on citrus solvents. Spray on a clean and dryed surface for maximum effect and after some dwell time you can lightly aggitate it with a mf towel or something like that. Before it's drying on you you rinse it off very thoroughly with water. If you see it do some on the spots it can be necessary to do a couple of more applications. You can use other brands of tar removers but make certain that they work on bare aluminum.

To get the wheels easier to maintain I would look at haveing them painted. On AGO you have Würth that has paint that is great to DIY. Something that has been popular is to Plasti-dip them. There you have a lot of colors and effects you can DIY it. From factory paint looks to almost anything like cameleont and a lot effects.

 

[Motorman]

Just ordered a polishing ball and some flitz! Will give it a try once it arrives and post some pics. I also got Wolfgang Metal Sealant to coat it once its polished.