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Autos & Motorcycles | December 7, 2009

Product test: Comparing three aluminum polishing products

Thomas Bachur's photo
Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner

Three Aluminum Polishes Compared for this Article                                 (Photo: Tom Bachur)                        

Anyone with a passion for older motorcycles understands the challenges of keeping aluminum parts bright and shiny.  Left unprotected, aluminum quickly loses its shine to oxidation.  To counter this, manufacturers utilize clear-coat to seal the aluminum and protect it from oxidation.  While clear-coat does a good job of keeping aluminum bright, eventually, the clear-coat will yellow from age, or become pitted or stained by brake dust, corrosives or cleaners.

There are numerous polishes sold that boast being the “best” at keeping aluminum bright.  Having a passion for older motorcycles, I think I’ve tried almost every aluminum polish on the market.  I felt it would be interesting to compare three different aluminum polishing products that I’ve found to be effective: Mother’s Aluminum Polish, Master Formula 2-Part Metal Polishing System, and Knob Polish.

Mother’s Aluminum Polish
Mother’s Aluminum Polish is the most well-known polish in this comparison.  It has also been my favorite for some time.  Mother’s can be purchased at most auto parts stores and is easy to use.  Mother’s Aluminum Polish is applied by hand and does an excellent job of shining aluminum that is not highly oxidized or stained.
 
Master Formula 2-Part Metal Polishing System
I purchased this product at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show last year.  This product claims to work on “aluminum, chrome, brass, stainless steel and more.”  This system is also applied by hand.  To use the Master Formula, first polish the metal using the metal gloss.  Once hazed over, remove the metal gloss with a clean cloth and apply the sealer gloss.  When the sealer gloss has hazed over, buff to a high shine with a clean cloth.  I’ve used the Master Formula 2-Part Metal Polishing System on aluminum and chrome and found it easy to use.  It provides a shine similar to Mother's on aluminum that is not highly oxidized or stained.  Master Formula does an excellent job on chrome!
 
Knob Polish
Sold on the “Time Rider Shtuff for Bikes” website, I became aware of Knob Polish when a member of my owner’s group tried it and raved about it.  Shortly thereafter, I received an email from Vance Lane of Time Rider asking if I was interested in trying a few of their products.  The testing performed for this comparison was my first experience with Knob Polish.  Application of Knob Polish can be performed either by hand, or using a buffing wheel.  Instructions from Vance indicated that Knob polish provides incredible results when used with a buffing wheel, which is how I tested Knob Polish.
 

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Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner

Tom's an avid rider, a Motorcycle Safety Instructor and an editor of the "Super Magna" discussion forum. Tom's been "riding Baltimore" for over 25...

Comments

  • Mary Baker 2 years ago
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    I'm looking forward to seeing your comparison results.

  • Patty Davis 2 years ago
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    Timely - we will need aluminum polish soon. (SOMEONE is trying to talk me into doing the polishing - not going to happen but I will be happy to tell him which product to buy.)

  • Capt. Phillips 2 years ago
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    This stuff is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I use it in the marine service industry. As you can imagine, salt water plays havoc with any metal. Our company (Nauticare Marine Services) uses Knob Polish on Brass, Bronze, Chrome, Aluminum and Stainless Steel with stellar results that last in the hot Florida environment. The other feature we like is that it is non-caustic with all natural ingredients. You can quite literally eat this stuff with no ill effects. In the boating world we need something we can use without impacting the environment and Knob Polish fits the bill nicely.

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