Anyone ever polished K75 rims?

[nh7robmw]

I have a late-model K75S with the three-spoke alloy rims which came painted from the factory; I'm wondering how big of a deal is it to sand off the paint and polish them to a glorious shine?:eat

Didn't Don's tricked-out S have polished rims?

Should I be able to do this with a detail sander, then some 1000 & 2000 grit sandpaper and finally some MAAS metal polish and some sort of small buffing attachment on a drill?

I think I want to give this a go when I install my new set of tires and just hope I'm not in for a whole lot more than I'm imagining. :nono

(Don't want to have the rims sandblasted as that would require bearing removal/replacement; something I don't have the skills for at this point. Same reason I wouldn't want to have them powdercoated, either---want to keep it simple and doable by myself if possible)

[deilenberger]

I have a late-model K75S with the three-spoke alloy rims which came painted from the factory; I'm wondering how big of a deal is it to sand off the paint and polish them to a glorious shine?:eat

Didn't Don's tricked-out S have polished rims?

Still does - current owner, a good friend actually enjoys keeping them shiny. I found it over a period of time to be a PITA.. These were originally done professionally and from memory - cost per rim was about $1,000.

Should I be able to do this with a detail sander, then some 1000 & 2000 grit sandpaper and finally some MAAS metal polish and some sort of small buffing attachment on a drill?
What was done to mine was somewhat more extensive. ALL the molding lines were first ground out, and the lettering, anything that stood above the basic surface of the rim - removed. Then it went through progressive steps of paper sanding down to where it could be polished. It was quite the project. I've seen one other K that had the same sort of thing done - but a bit simpler - they had painted the recessed parts of the spokes rather than polishing them. They only polished the rim surface and the outside face of the spokes (people with 3-spoke rims will know what I mean..)
I think I want to give this a go when I install my new set of tires and just hope I'm not in for a whole lot more than I'm imagining. :nono

(Don't want to have the rims sandblasted as that would require bearing removal/replacement; something I don't have the skills for at this point. Same reason I wouldn't want to have them powdercoated, either---want to keep it simple and doable by myself if possible)
Problem is long term maintenance. Aluminum does tarnish, and things like salt really attacks bare aluminum. That means to keep them looking wonderful, you have to do fairly regular cleaning and polishing. Since the dual disks in the front are in the way - best way to do this is to remove the rims, remove the disks and do it. PITA. I did try clear-coating them with some magic stuff (epoxy finish used by people who polish tractor-trailer rims) - and it just made a huge mess that I then had to clean off (and repolish the rim again.)

I'm actually quite happy with the rims on my R1200R - painted, with a good smooth finish that cleans up easily with some mild wheel cleaner. Sorta I had the bling and it took away from riding time for me.

[nh7robmw]

Thanks for your detailed reply, Don. I still may well give it a go. I'll do it myself, though---$1000 a wheel is too spendy for this penny-pinching Scotsman:D

Grinding down the molding lines and lettering is an interesting idea and I'm sure the smoothness thereafter made the polished results all the better.

I might go a sort of comprimised route---leave the innermost parts of the wheels painted and not polished where the discs hide them from view---if that is more feasible.

I'm well aware of the corrosion factor here where I live---it's the worst. Not a good place to have anything metal polished or exposed. That's why I ride a titanium bicycle (the only thing I don't have to worry about rusting away around here). I know I would have to really keep after it on a very regular basis. Keep a big supply of Mother's Mag Polish or Simichrome handy at all times.

I wonder if a good paste wax would help preserve aluminum?

Will let you all know here how it goes should I proceed (and will provide photos).