chroming alloy

[pommie]

all my bike is polished alloy, but same story, i'm sick of polishing, whats my choices on chroming of some kind, i have looked in to the electromold, plating, but it seam i may have to sell a kidney to pay for it.
any ideas?

Thanks Pommie

[Large]

Have you checked out clear powdercoating? or a clear topcoat?

"If it doesn't go, chrome it"

[gibbo]

Apparently you can clear anodize over polished alloy. I haven't seen it so don't know what it looks like.

[alfiestorm]

I am faced with the same dilema so i have decided I am going to paint everthing i have polished and be done with it

[Rocket]

I have alloy engine covers chromed on a couple of bikes and have no problems. It wasn't that expensive either.
The chromers tell me that you can sometimes suffer porosity with alloy and a couple of my covers have tiny imprefections. but unless you're a trainspotter, you'll never notice.

Some bench experts have also told me that chrome sometimes doesn't stay on alloy but one of my bikes had covers done about three years ago and they are still perfect. That's not to say they are incorrect, it's just not been an issue for me.

One thing I have noticed with the stuff I have had done is that because they have to polish the covers before they dip them, if the guy is rough with the polishing and gets an uneven finish on the alloy, then it will show up when it's chromed as not a perfectly flat surface. But that's hard to notice unless you're right up close. Also if your cover has words cast into it like the "SUZUKI" on the GSXR covers, they can't polish right inside the letters with their machines so the finish there isn't perfect. But I can live with that. It still looks pretty good.

I'm with you pommie, polishing is a mugs game. With chrome you just need a cloth and some Mr Sheen if you are really keen.

[Hillsy]

I've had a few engine tuners tell me that they won't use powdercoating or chrome on engine covers as it retains heat more than polished / painted. I don't know how true this is, but they seemed pretty set on this. Probably not such a big factor in watercooled engines, but with a highly tuned GSX / GSXR motor this might have some relevence. Just my 2 cents worth.

[latheboy]

i had chrome everything on my holden 6 red motor and fuck it got hot and stayed that way .. put the normal parts back (painted items)on and it was fine .. chrome is gay for engine parts .. but it is shinny