So in preparation for painting my old, dinged wheels, I wound up sanding/ steelwooling them down to bare metal.

Only problem is, after all that work, they kinda look good like this.

So, to paint (black with red rim stripes) or not to paint?

 

Not to paint. But just fair warning they do require a bit of upkeep to keep them really looking great. they do tend to oxidize more than I would like.

 

Eh... Oklahoma vs NYC... I'd paint them... Or you will spend as much time keeping up with polishing them as riding the thing...

 

Clear coat

 

Paint or powder coat the M'er F'ers

 

Smokin' - I got a OEM set that ,I striped down and ahd media blasted.. Then polished the outer lip with a Mother's polishing ball and mother's metal polish.. The lip of the wheels "GLOWS".
as far as the oxidizing... You could wash the wheels(when washing your bike) with Murphy's soap oil.. It has a wax base, so it would be like lightly wax coating the wheel..
When I wash the car, and truck,(which have aluminum wheels) this keeps any brake dust from pitting /or sticking to the wheels..IMHO..
works for me..