Polished Rims.

First topic message reminder :

After having polished wheels on the previous bike(1200s)I decided to do my own on the new one (1250naked)What surprised me was how easy and how quick it was.It cost about $5 and took about 2hrs a wheel.Suzuki have done most of the work for you.If anybody wants to know how just ask.I will try to download some photo's but i'm new to the forum stuff(type with one finger and letters hide sometimes+

Gus, did you strip back the original paint under the inner sections that you have painted silver ? Or did you just spray over top. They certainly "Pop".

Took all the paint off .(no need to take tires off ) .Comes off very ,very easy with paint stripper .
Use a good quality masking tape to mask up for silver (or other colour )

Looks awesome

Think I should maybe clean my bike

gus wrote:Its a shame you have to put disks on the front wheel because it sure is pretty without them .

you could always go ala Captain America and do away with the front brakes Gus then maybe a stars & stripes paint job then maybe ................

That is one nice looking front wheel isnt it . Now if we just extend the forks, increase the rake .

Gus ercently showed Dingo1963 how to do this rim polish, who in turn showed me on my back wheel. I really like the results. I did make some changes to the process which I feel makes it easier and quicker when I did the front wheel. First, I used PVC electrical tape to mask the edge, I found it is more flexible around the spoke areas and holds on even when wet. Second, instead of washing the wheel after the first application of stripper, I used paper towel to carefully wipe down the rim (wear rubber gloves). Then reapplied the stripper to the stubborn spots, wipe down and then again if there are really stubborn spots, Once you are happy all the paint is gone, then wash the wheel using a scrubbing brush to remove any residual stripper in nook and crannies. This basically eliminated the entire sandpaper stage of the process and saved a bucket load of time refinishing the rim since the base alloy finish under the paint is very good. Remove the PVC tape and use some turps to remove the sticky residue left from the tape. Then some Autosol aluminium polish to bring it up nicely.

ThatOtherGuy wrote:Gus ercently showed Dingo1963 how to do this rim polish, who in turn showed me on my back wheel. I really like the results. I did make some changes to the process which I feel makes it easier and quicker when I did the front wheel. First, I used PVC electrical tape to mask the edge, I found it is more flexible around the spoke areas and holds on even when wet. Second, instead of washing the wheel after the first application of stripper, I used paper towel to carefully wipe down the rim (wear rubber gloves). Then reapplied the stripper to the stubborn spots, wipe down and then again if there are really stubborn spots, Once you are happy all the paint is gone, then wash the wheel using a scrubbing brush to remove any residual stripper in nook and crannies. This basically eliminated the entire sandpaper stage of the process and saved a bucket load of time refinishing the rim since the base alloy finish under the paint is very good. Remove the PVC tape and use some turps to remove the sticky residue left from the tape. Then some Autosol aluminium polish to bring it up nicely.

Pics please.

Yeah I cannot believe I haven't taken any yet. Doing the GS500 wheels this weekend, so will do a pictorial how to as well.

didn't get around to the GS500 wheels today, maybe tomorrow, but I did take some photos of the Bandit wheels.



You can see a small bit near the edge of the paint that was missed. This is why I prefer my method of dry removal and reapplication of stripper 2 or 3 times before a final wash down.










I like the look even if it means more regular cleaning, the look is worthwhile. Hopefully I'll get to the GS500 wheels tomorrow.

finally got around to doing the GS500 rims and then wrote this tutorial on how to with pictures.

Polishing Rims

I was recently shown how to polish my rims on my Bandit (rear wheel) and then I polished the front wheel using a modified and I believe easier version of the method. The following is my version of how to polish bike rims. I did the GS500 rims using this method.

You will need the following materials, most of which are shown in the photo below.
PVC Tape
Scissors
Roll of Paper Towel
Paint stripper & Brush
Small Container to pour paint stripper into
Dish brush
Rubber Gloves
Mineral Turpentine
Autosol Aluminium Polish and some rags

I would also suggest safety glasses, I wear reading glasses for work like this anyway.


First of all you need to remove the wheel from the bike. It is best to do this whole process with tyre on as you do need to manhandle the wheel and rest it on the ground. Far better to do that with tyre on.

Once you have the wheel off and brake disc(s) and/or sprocket drive removed, you should be able tape up the inside rim edge where you are removing the paint up to. You may need to clean the rim using some of the mineral turpentine. Example below of rim with tape. Make sure that when you apply the tape that you do not stretch the tape taut as it will shrink back and pull away from the rim, exposing the area you are trying to mask/hide.


Once you are happy with the application of the tape to the rim, put on the gloves and apply the paint stripper to the rim edge where you are removing the paint. Work you way around the rim making sure to get an even application of paint stripper. Only do one side at a time to avoid getting paint stripper on yourself. With regard to a work platform, you can use a wheelie bin if you do not mind standing. I found using a small stool so I could kneel more comfortable for my back.

You will begin to see the paint lift and bubble. Standing the wheel up, use paper towel to wipe away the paint/stripper, use liberal amounts of paper toweling. Keep working your way around the rim wiping it mostly clean. At this point you will see areas where the paint stripper did not penetrate. Apply more paint stripper as required, wait for the paint to bubble and wipe away using the paper towel. You may need to do this one or two more times. Using the paint stripper in this way avoids the need to use any other method such as sandpaper.

Once you have done both sides, it is time to rinse the wheel to remove any residual paint stripper. Wash the wheel using the dish brush and water. Dry the wheel using paper towel. Then use the mineral turpentine and paper towel to remove the residual glue from the PVC tape that is on the rim.

Now you can polish the exposed alloy of the rim with the Autosol as per the instructions. You should then get this result.

Front Wheel



Rear Wheel



On the bike





I think the result is outstanding and it really lift the bike. Sure it may be a PITA to keep it clean, but I can cope with that.

Excellent tutorial TOG. Well done.

Thanks,I realised I didn't take any of the paint lifting of, but I had gloves on and didn't really want to handle anything unnecessarily. Its not a difficult process, just fiddly at times, but it is rewarding.

Yep, looks good. Now all we need is a pic of the whole bike out in the sun with those rims shining at their best

Sun's is not quite shining, but some pics anyway

Now you just need to change the can

LAMs bike, intention is to leave it stock, though I have been tempted to mod it up, the only mod I'm thinking of is to change the throttle grip to an SV650 Gen 1, brings the powerband into a useful area of the throttle with a 1/6 turn instead of 1/5 the stock GS500 throttle has. Right now you have to really twist the throttle to get into the power band, the SV650 throttle cures that by all reports.

Looks good.
I see you have your Christmas lights up in the background, thumbs up to you

well done mate....looks great:D

Great write up. Now to polish the engine covers

Btw I reckon that front guard would look good on the Bandit. Any chance of a pic of it with the bandit if you ever remove it?

I have been looking for something less Batman for a while for mine.

madmax wrote:Now you just need to change the can

Don't change it, the standard pipe is louder and sounds better than anything else on the market. Probably because it is basically the same one they've had since 1991...

Best learner bike ever btw.