my polished aluminum is pitting. What should I do

Hi all I had my aluminum side covers polished 2 months ago. Today I went into the garage ( first nice day after all that rain) to take a ride and There was a film on the aluminum. I wiped it off and theres black spots in The aluminum. What the F---k is this!! I tried to rub it off and it's not working WHAT SHOULD I DO??

Most of the parts are bad casting that have pits anyway, but not really any good way to keep it polished up that I've found. You can wipe it down with a thin coat of wd40 or use some wax, but both take away a little of the shine.

Don't feel alone here, Mk3 same, crap casting with small pit holes that are small black dots.
Try metal polish then a good car paint polish over to seal it.

sammy2chins said:

I tried to rub it off and it's not working WHAT SHOULD I DO??

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Ride more, polish less, if thats you're only complaint with a commando you ain't doing to bad.

Polishing just clears away all the surface oxide from the aluminium exposing nice clean fresh stuff metal that then corrodes twice as fast. To keep the shine longer you need to protect the surface afterwards. Normal aluminium polish like Solvol/Peek etc claim to have some protective element built in but the stuff professionals use on polishing wheels doesn't necessarily leave much protection on the polished surface.

I always found the timing and gearbox covers to be very good quality and would keep a shine nicely, the primary is nothing like as good and pits easily, never have got a mirror finish on that and have given up trying.

If I polish the primary with a metal polish I end up with black spots over it where the polish and aluminium oxide lodges in the pores. After polishing I wipe down with some solvent to clean out the pores, cloth comes away very black and then apply a general purpose wax type polish to the cases. Motorex protect and shine is also pretty good stuff for keeping the corrosion at bay and cleaning the pores - this is sounding like an acne treatment advert.

Thanks All . It just pisses me off when I spend $500 to get everthing polished and a few weeks later it pits.. I care about how my bike looks If it runs great it has to look great!!!

Here are a couple of threads addressing this in more depth...

My own solution is featured in the first thread down about half way. You gotta decide how dedicated you are going to be and start a program of keeping up your polish job. Not many of us are going to spend 500 bucks to have somebody else do it very often. Once I get mine polished I then rely mostly on a fine film of engine oil and road dirt to keep my apperance up to par. 8)

more-aluminum-stainless-polishing-t4969.html

polishing-aluminum-t4916.html

Some have sprayed on or wiped on silver "chrome" paint then wipe off in hopes of leaving dark pits filled with lighter mostly silver make up. Buff out of course. I've tried it and didn't seem to get the knack of it or wrong paint, as still looked like I neglected my care of neat good running bike or being too cheap to dedicate a separate polish area and equipment or buy all new stuff. I've give rusted rim a silver paint wipe and a buffing to see if it actually helps or just highlights a scab over area.

Just got back form Lake ofthe Pines. Shineola on green grass next to blue water in direct noon sun - to melt ya right down to a sparkling puddle. Many ridden too not just show queens which some were but glad of it for their other world sense of reality. All bikes judges had to be ridden 20 miles and back before selected.

I stored some RGM hi polished Al yokes in shed in rag wrap in a knap sack inside enclosed work room, to see condensation areas that stained surface white dippled and no amount of polish wheel will remove. Only backing up to sand paper might. Oh most the surface gleamed with the best of em, but it looks as if someone squeezed on em or laid a sweaty arm across them. I had waxed them prior to put up but had rubbed it to shine again so may have shot self in toes doing so.

I've just about convinced myself to give up and clear paint over Al to give less distracting dullness longer vs the pitting and tarnishing oxidation of polished imperfect surface.

I suspect next couple Commando generations subject line will be how to plate back on the amounts we and next generation removed to get some vain gleam back. That is if gasoline not out lawed first and Commando are all silent show queens.