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Detailing TrimDetailing Trim by David W. Bynon Copyright (c) 2002 -- All Rights Reserved Trim is anything the manufacturer or you apply to your bike to enhance its style and appearance. It is trim that makes the difference between an otherwise plain-looking motorcycle and a sharp looking ride. Due to the time involved in maintaining trim, it is often overlooked. Over time, trim that is not maintained will become dirty, dull and worn, making your whole bike look bad. Well maintained trim stands out and makes the whole motorcycle look better. Common trim items include chrome exhaust, air filter covers, engine guards, lights, foot and hand controls, bags, racks, bars and seats. On classic and antique bikes, you might also have horns, leather straps, and fender ornaments. CHROME TRIM Chrome trim pieces are common on all bikes, antique, classic and modern. All chrome components, including handle bars, engine guards, and exhaust pipes should be polished and waxed regularly. As with polishing paint, use the least abrasive polish necessary to do the job. Chrome is plating is very thin, and it does not take long to polish through your chrome into the brass coating beneath. If your chrome is in good condition, clean the chrome with Dawn dishwashing detergent and use a light chrome polish to brighten and remove minor imperfections. The chrome polish I like most is Luster Pad and Luster Lace from Luster Care. Luster Pad is a polish impregnated cotton pad that works a lot like classic Never-Dull, but I think has a much better polish. Likewise, Luster Lace is a polish impregnated cloth strap that allows you to polish all the way around pipes and bars with ease. If your chrome trim is heavily rusted or pitted from rusting, use #00 or #000 steel wool with Dawn dishwashing detergent or an SOS pad to clean the chrome part; Follow with a medium chrome polish. To restore rusted chrome, I like to use Wenol. There are two grades of Wenol, one to remove stains and rust, the other to polish and brighten. Often, chrome trim will sit atop or butt up against a rubber seal. You may spend hours polishing and treating your chrome, only to have its beauty diminished by the rubber. For best results, when you polish your chrome, you must also clean and treat the adjoining rubber. I find that a small detailing brush or a soft toothbrush works best for cleaning and treating the rubber around chrome trim. Again, use a solution of Dawn dishwashing detergent and a brush to thoroughly clean the rubber. The Dawn dishwashing detergent will remove dirt, wax build-up and other grime. Flush thoroughly with water, dry and treat with your favorite rubber and vinyl dressing. As an alternative, you can use a product like Meguiar's #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Protectant to detail the rubber. Use a detailing brush to work Meguiar's #40 into the rubber and under the rubber to remove dirt. Allow the Meguiar’s #40 to sit for a while before buffing off the excess with a cotton towel. After cleaning and polishing your chrome and taking care of the adjoining rubber, you should seal the chrome to make your work last. Your normal wax or polymer sealant will work okay, but I like to use Luster Seal Metal Sealant. I find that it lasts much longer than a wax. According to the manufacturer of Luster Seal Metal Sealant, if you apply the sealant every 30 days, additional polishing of the metal will not be necessary. I think this is highly unrealistic. I use it on my chrome and polished aluminum trim three to four times a year, and it works fine. BLACK TRIM Most bikes made since the 1980s feature some black trim. Most black trim pieces are made of plastic, rubber, anodized aluminum, or satin black painted metal. All black trim should be regularly cleaned with good bike wash. If extra scrubbing power is required, use a toothbrush, paintbrush, or a soft detailing brush. Do not use a stiff bristle brush on black trim, as it will scratch. To keep black trim in good condition, it must be treated with a protectant several times a year. Depending on the material, there will be several different treatments. On smooth black plastic, you can use any vinyl and rubber dressing. For best long-term results, choose a vinyl and rubber dressing that contains U.V. protection. I use and recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant or Lexol Vinylex. On textured black plastic, use a vinyl and rubber dressing. If your textured black plastic is starting to weather, use one of the restoration products available, such as Eagle One Black Trim Restorer or Black Again Exterior Trim Restorer. These products are not permanent solutions for faded trim, but they last longer, make the trim darker, and adding a little more gloss than most vinyl and rubber protectants. If your textured black plastic is heavily weathered or faded, you can bring it back to life with a product like Forever Black, which is a dye system for black plastic and rubber trim. It's advertised as a permanent solution, but in my experience it will only last a couple of years if your bike sits out in the sun. Also, don't think that Forever Black is a replacement for vinyl and rubber dressing. It's not. After Forever Black cures, you still need to keep the trim protected and looking good with vinyl and rubber dressing. To maintain black anodized trim, use a non-cleaning wax or sealant. Anodized aluminum must be treated with great care. The coating is very thin. Even the mildest abrasives (polish and cleaners) will quickly scuff or remove the coating. The sun is a problem, too, as exposure to UV rays will fade black anodized trim. Painted black trim is often difficult to properly maintain. If you wax it, the original satin finish will begin to take on gloss. If you don't treat it, the trim will fade and become flat. The best solution I've found so far is to treat satin black trim with 303 Aerospace Protectant or Meguiar's #40. Both of these products have a natural satin finish, wipe off to a greaseless finish, and won't soften the black paint. Simply use a foam or cloth applicator and thoroughly buff dry after applying. RUBBER Rubber seals, hoses, hand grips and tires also need regular treatment. If you do not maintain rubber, it will become stiff, brittle and eventually crack or tear. Clean all rubber parts thoroughly three to four times a year. Treat all rubber parts with a water-based vinyl and rubber dressing. After coating, allow the dressing to penetrate for 10 to 15 minutes then dry with a clean towel. I use and recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant on all rubber and vinyl. It dries completely oil-free. BADGES Many bikes have badges or emblems sporting the manufactures' crest. These badges are easily cleaned with a soft toothbrush or detailing brush and soapy water. If the dirt is stubborn, use a higher strength cleaner, such as S100 Total Cycle Wash, Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity, or Stoner Xenit. Be sure to flush thoroughly with water after using one of these cleaners. After cleaning, protect the badge with a coat of wax or sealant. Remove any excess wax with a quick detailing spray and a clean toothbrush or detailing brush. LIGHT COVERS Plastic light covers easily scratch. After only a few months on the road, light covers will begin to show signs of wear. To keep light covers looking good, they must be regularly cleaned and polished. You can clean and polish light covers with the part on the bike, but I find it useful to remove the light covers at least twice a year. Doing so allows me to inspect the seal for wear, check for corrosion, and clean the painted or chromed area around the light. It also allows me to clean and polish the light cover much better than I could if the part was on the bike. Most covers can be removed with a Philips screwdriver. For thorough cleaning and polishing I use Meguiar's #17 and #10 Plastic Cleaner & Plastic Polish. To clean and lightly polish light covers while still on the bike (monthly), I recommend Plexus. LICENSE PLATE FRAME Your license plate and its frame should be removed from the bike at least once a year for cleaning, polishing and treating. You'd be amazed at the dirt that collects behind your license plate. A good time to do this cleaning is when you renew your tags. With the license plate removed, you can take it to a deep sink and give it a good scrub. After cleaning, give the plate a quick buff with a paint polish, then protect the plate with your wax or sealant. Clean and protect the frame, too. |
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