Best alloy polish?

I've tried afew products and still come back to Solvol.Belgom Alu got good reviews and seemed promising the first time I used it but after a while it seperated into water and thick cream goo, and i couldn't get it to re-combine and had to bin it.

There's no real short cut. Solvol and elbow grease are as good as anything.Not sure if Solvol is different to it used to be.

Ian

Previously ian_goodhall wrote:

I've tried afew products and still come back to Solvol.Belgom Alu got good reviews and seemed promising the first time I used it but after a while it seperated into water and thick cream goo, and i couldn't get it to re-combine and had to bin it.

There's no real short cut. Solvol and elbow grease are as good as anything.Not sure if Solvol is different to it used to be.

Ian

Hi Guys, I agree with both of you, I don't think Solvol is anywhere near as good as it once was. Todays stuff seems much more watery and when applied doesn't seem to achieve the same creamy consistency as it once did. I have wondered if the Solvol I was buying (mainly from ebay or auto jumbles) was in fact counterfeit like a lot of cheap but branded stuff is these days. Similarly with the Belgom, it works great at first but as it ages, it seems to seperate out into watery liquid and sludge. Which you thencan't re-mix due to the small bottle neck. I suppose you could decant new Belgom into an airtite container which would allow you to stir it up to re-mix it when it eventually goes off.I have tended to take the engine and primary covers off once every couple of years or so and buffed them up on the buffing wheel. This process is very effective at maintaining a good shine if a little tedious.I would be interested to hear what other people usebut I don't believe there is any free lunch with keeping bikes shiny.

Cheers, Big Alan Clarke, Shenstone branch sec.

I'm an ex Harley rider and as such something of a polishing expert. The best alloy polish by far is 'Mothers' it is not as harsh as Solvol and produces superb results.

The old Solvol was pretty effective. One tube has lasted me over 5 years and there's still plenty left.

the solvol autosol of years ago was the only polish which would remove the exhaust blueing,better than todays,autoglym metal polish is good,bit pricey tho

Makes a big difference what type of cloth you use.Anything man made is rubbish, heavy soft cotton or towelling is best.Follow up with acoat of Gorrila snot!!.

What the hell is Gorilla Snot?

I guess buying polish from a Harley shop would be a good idea, ss the seem to be shinyest bikes on the planet.

Its a very good wax polish!!.

About twenty years ago, I bought a box of twenty Solvol from Maccess (I see they went bust last week, they used to be fantastic for Champion plugs and Commando oil filters)...I still have three tubes left so haven't had to work with the new stuff yet but I can think of no chemical product that hasn't been subjected to EU rules intended to save the planet but which really only have the effect of giving a commercial advantage to factories in China.

To be honest, once alloy has deteriorated, it really needs a good buffing on a wheel to seal the pores and give a basis for building up a new shine.

Previously ian_goodhall wrote:

I've tried afew products and still come back to Solvol.Belgom Alu got good reviews and seemed promising the first time I used it but after a while it seperated into water and thick cream goo, and i couldn't get it to re-combine and had to bin it.

There's no real short cut. Solvol and elbow grease are as good as anything.Not sure if Solvol is different to it used to be.

Ian

Have you tried T-cut paint restorer ?????

Hi, just finished an afternoons polishing , Still finding autosol the best , but the cloth makes a vast diferance. found that a cotton is best for applying ,i use a tea towel. and a softer cloth for final buff. have also used fine wire wool with autosol for deeper cleaning.

Previously david_hatton wrote:

Hi, just finished an afternoons polishing , Still finding autosol the best , but the cloth makes a vast diferance. found that a cotton is best for applying ,i use a tea towel. and a softer cloth for final buff. have also used fine wire wool with autosol for deeper cleaning.

I would not recommend using wire wool as it is possible to get very fine bits of wire embedded in the aly and then it goes rusty !

'I would not recommend using wire wool as it is possible to get very fine bits of wire embedded in the aly and then it goes rusty !'

A nylon pan scourer instead, perhaps?