Not that I recommend polishing anything, here are some instructions for doing a motorcycle, but you will get the jist.

It is by no means difficult just time consuming. If you have some spare time this winter you can have your frame looking like a mirror. Not sure how in-depth you want this so I will give you the general idea on what you can expect and you can feel free to ask any more questions in the future.



Remove all the bodywork from your bike including the tank. This will save expensive plastic from any accidental slips of the sand paper. Before you remove the bodywork take note of what parts of the frame are actually visible. No reason to polish something that will not be seen. Then start with 220 grit sand paper to remove the anodizing from every where that you want to shine. What is important is to go always in the same direction with the sand paper strokes. Try to go with the existing "grain" of the metal. Removing the anodizing is a long pain in the *** process. You will have no finger prints left after polishing. From 220 comes 320 to remove the scratches left from 220. I recommend wet sanding all the grits. Wet sanding will help to keep your work area clean and it makes a big difference with the higher grits. The grit sequences I use are as follows: 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and if needed 2000. Doing the whole bike by yourself with a good part of everyday dedicated to it will take just over a week. If you don't mind investing some money into this project buy an orbital sander. This will greatly reduce the polishing time and wear on your fingers. When you have completely removed all the anodizing and pits, redo 220 by hand to remove all the swirls left by the sander. If you decide to use the sander only use it for the first grit. The only "trick" involved is not to get into a rush to complete it. I really can not stress this enough. If you do not completely remove the scratches left behind from the previous grit you will always have scratches visible. When ever I think I am finished with one grit I always go over that same area again one more time with a fresh piece of paper to ensure I have all the scratches out. I recommend to keep using the same piece of paper until it is smooth so you are using it to gradually remove the scratches left from a fresh piece of paper.



I have seen people who have tried to clear coat a polished frame with little success. I am not a painter but the way it was explained to me is that the polished frame is now very smooth. Special paint is needed so that is will actually stick. The ones I saw painted looked very dull. If you have any success with this I would appreciate any knowledge gained. Up keep of a polished frame is not difficult though. I use a metal polish called "Mother's" but I have used a product from Europe called "Wenol" that was also good. When I get caught in the rain I just dry the frame and swing-arm to prevent any drops leaving rings when they dry. And when I clean the bike I just go over the bike with the metal polish to bring back the mirror shine.



I hope this babbling letter helps you. Time for me to go grab another beer and check out some more bike web sites. I hope that you do polish your frame and swing-arm. I believe it adds to the pride of ownership. Plus it is great to see the look of other people when they see your bike. Best of luck to ya!