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chrome or powder coat?

1576 Views 12 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  CP 109
i was thinking of getting my wheels chrome plated and i met this guy who said my wheels would look great powder coated in a black mirror finish  . any opinions  ? too much black?   
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I bet the polished would look good...especially against the chrome thats already there....Dark wheels on it would make it more aggresive.

Does anybody know how much it would cost approx to have wheels polished ? I'd do it in a hearbeat . I've seen them done and it makes the bike look more
$$ . That fat rim would look trick polished.
i would love to get some chrome rims. would it be cheaper to have these diped or get aftermarket rims ?
I got a quote of 1000.00 for chrome plating both wheels i would assume that if and when after market chrome rims come out that they will be a hell or alot more then 1000.00
i've been reading up on this. our wheels look smooth enough to make polishing an option. the pros and cons of each: chrome anodizing is a harder finish, more mirror like, and lasts longer; but, it adds weight. adding a little bit of weight on a wheel affects performance more than any other place on a bike (affects angular momentum). polishing is harder to do, and the shine is not as mirror like unless a perfect job is done. but, it doesn't add weight. they also need to be repolished every now and then (couple of years) to get the brightest shine back.

as for powder coating, i've never seen them with a black mirror finish, only colors that don't shine that much. i'd be interested to see it.

i saw quotes as low as $50 for chrome anodizing car wheels. i imagine polishing will cost much more because of the time involved (considerable). found a complete motorcycle wheel/frame polishing kit for $150, but you have to do all the work.

i'm going to shop around town to get some prices come monday.
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What I think would be sweet on a black bike would be Black chrome. If they do such a thing.

I thought getting my wheel chromed on my silver but chrome has to be sparkling to look good IMO and I dont how hard it would be to keep chrome wheels looking nice.
G
If you decide to chrome your stock wheels just be careful as they are made in a casting process that leaves small granular pores on the wheel. Chrome has a hard time sticking to that to say the least. And if its not done by a really qualified person I would be reluctant to do it.

Here is a link to someone that we have used as well as a lot of other folks with good results:

Mike "the Handler" http://www.gatewayxtreme.com/

Tell him that I said to call.
hi , guys . a couple of years ago I had a Yamaha Warrior that I polished some parts on .Yes it is labor intensive , but it is cheap and if you take your time it really looks good . I think that's what I'm going to do to my wheels ,,, after riding season is over ( I'm slow and don't want to waste prime riding weather).
chrome would be awesome i don't think powder coat will look as good would have to see to be convinced
I'm having mine mirror polished then clear coated at the first service.
Hopefully it will be easy to maintain and keep clean.
Will let you know how it goes
That is very very high for chromed wheels. We sell wheels by the pair for 700.00 delivered to you and that is based upon exchange.
We are just now getting into other models of bikes but have been providing a full chrome exchange program including wheels and every other part for the Honda VTX now for over 2 years.
We do Harley, Mean Streak, and Warrior wheels fairly often as well as general chroming.
Looks like you guys have a nice board here.
Thanks Mike (Handler)
www.gatewayxtreme.com
[email protected]

sixshooter said:
I got a quote of 1000.00 for chrome plating both wheels i would assume that if and when after market chrome rims come out that they will be a hell or alot more then 1000.00
x_caliber50 said:
What I think would be sweet on a black bike would be Black chrome. If they do such a thing.

I thought getting my wheel chromed on my silver but chrome has to be sparkling to look good IMO and I don't how hard it would be to keep chrome wheels looking nice.
There's a place in Cal that does the black chrome, from the site it looks like nice work. Sorry can't remember the link, but if you do a search for black chrome wheels you should find it. They had several pics to view.

Aussie109 said:
I'm having mine mirror polished then clear coated at the first service.
Hopefully it will be easy to maintain and keep clean.
Will let you know how it goes
Check with the person who polishes your wheels, I been advised never to clear coat the polish. I have never clear coated any of my polished parts, and the upkeep was not bad. It is still more work to keep up than chrome though.

CP
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