Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Got any tips and tricks for BMW R1200RT/R1250RT owners? feel free to share them here.
Post Reply
009jim
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 1:39 am
Bike Model and Year: 1200RT - 2012
Has liked: 21 times
Been liked: 2 times
Australia

Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by 009jim »

I have factory alloy wheels on my RT. They appear to be a light grey painted finish. I've been cleaning the wheels starting with slightly soapy water which removed dust and grime. Then I used a rag lightly dampened with some turpentine to easily remove tar spots. Then things got more difficult. I still have some "stains" which I was able to have limited success with a conventional auto polish. Anybody got ideas to remove the remaining marks / stains? I suspect these have resulted from bugs gizzards that were left on the surface for too long.
Excellence
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2022 8:19 am
Location: Aberdeenshire
Bike Model and Year: R1250RT 2021
Has liked: 25 times
Been liked: 29 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Excellence »

Fwiw - my advice would be don't try to keep them in mint condition. Doing that may well involve removing some of the overpaint protection thereby exposing fresh and less well protected paintwork to further damage and each time you really put the elbow grease into it the deterioration rate will probably accelerate. My wife reckons every time she washes my favourite jumper it gets dirtier quicker and started looking tatty really fast.
Don't sweat it.
If it looks nice and clean - that'll do.
Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear! Good luck.
009jim
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 1:39 am
Bike Model and Year: 1200RT - 2012
Has liked: 21 times
Been liked: 2 times
Australia

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by 009jim »

Excellence wrote: Thu Apr 20, 2023 7:43 pm Fwiw - my advice would be don't try to keep them in mint condition. Doing that may well involve removing some of the overpaint protection thereby exposing fresh and less well protected paintwork to further damage and each time you really put the elbow grease into it the deterioration rate will probably accelerate. My wife reckons every time she washes my favourite jumper it gets dirtier quicker and started looking tatty really fast.
Don't sweat it.
If it looks nice and clean - that'll do.
Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear! Good luck.
Good advice - I agree!
User avatar
exportman
Posts: 287
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:57 pm
Bike Model and Year: R1250RT 2023
Has liked: 6 times
Been liked: 40 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by exportman »

If you want to spend your time cleaning a bike sell the RT and get a HD :-D
User avatar
ald71
Subscriber
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:01 pm
Location: West Yorkshire UK
Bike Model and Year: R1250RTLE 2020
Has liked: 6 times
Been liked: 6 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by ald71 »

Hi,
AutoGlym alloy wheel cleaner did a good job on my RT when I got it. The wheels had been coated wit ACF 50 which had gone hard and very dark and crusty, a couple of goes with the cleaner and an old tooth brush got them up to scratch.
ald71

BSA 175 Bantam 1960 Ish
Honda CD175 1972
Suzuki GT550 1974
Suzuki GT750 A 1975
Suzuki GS750 1977
Suzuki GS850 1979
Kawasaki ZZR1400 2010
Kawasaki ZZR1400 2013
BMW R1200RSSE 2016
BMW R1250RTLE 2020

8-)
User avatar
Steve398
Posts: 694
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:41 pm
Location: West Sussex, UK
Bike Model and Year: R1200RTLC, 2018
Has liked: 261 times
Been liked: 219 times
Isle of Wight

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Steve398 »

I’m from the ‘keep them clean’ camp… :lol:
When I first got the bike the wheels were not great but some car wheel cleaner removed the brake deposits, then it was a wash after each ride.
TBH I haven’t noticed any staining on the wheels after this regime.
User avatar
Doctor T
Posts: 1626
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:21 pm
Location: west sussex
Bike Model and Year: 2007 R1200RT SE
Has liked: 879 times
Been liked: 230 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Doctor T »

Mine are flaky and cruddy. Stops me worrying about keeping them clean
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering.
User avatar
Steve398
Posts: 694
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:41 pm
Location: West Sussex, UK
Bike Model and Year: R1200RTLC, 2018
Has liked: 261 times
Been liked: 219 times
Isle of Wight

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Steve398 »

.Deleted
frogor
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:53 pm
Location: Perkiomenville PA
Bike Model and Year: RT1250 2021
Been liked: 3 times
United States of America

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by frogor »

Hydrogen peroxide is a very effective bug body remover. Spray a bit on bug remains, wait a couple of minutes, wipe off the mess. Works quite well on windscreens or any area that collects bug remains, Keep it in a dark container, as exposure to light will quickly turn it into plain H2O.
User avatar
Doctor T
Posts: 1626
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:21 pm
Location: west sussex
Bike Model and Year: 2007 R1200RT SE
Has liked: 879 times
Been liked: 230 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Doctor T »

Hydrogen peroxide is also great for making bombs. Baby wipes are brilliant for getting bug from the screen and helmet visor
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering.
Capt Sisko
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:25 pm
Location: Shropshire
Bike Model and Year: R1250RT LE - '18
Has liked: 6 times
Been liked: 54 times
Great Britain

Re: Cleaning Alloy Wheels

Post by Capt Sisko »

I've used Autoglym Engine & Machine cleaners and got good results.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001AZE5WS? ... tails&th=1
Post Reply