Chrome--What It Is and How To Care For It

You Know You Like Chrome...But Do You Know What It Is? 

Almost everyone likes something shiny. Especially on motorcycles and other vehicles. So what is all the shiny stuff?

Chrome is actually a slang term for the element "chromium". But not all that is shiny is chrome. Or chromium. In fact, a lot of stuff that is marketed as chrome is actually polished aluminum.

Real chromium is a soft metal. It is the 24th most abundant element and is highly magnetic. It begins as chromatic ore, which is mined primarily in Africa and Turkey. Millions of tons are mined every year.

How Chrome is Turned Into Bike Parts

Since chrome is soft, it isn't used by itself. You won't find a solid chrome bike part. Instead, you will see chrome plating.

The most common metal to be chrome plated is steel, but other metals, such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel or brass can be chrome plated. Even plastic can be chrome plated.

There are two main types of chrome plating. Hard-chrome plating is used to make working parts for different machines, gun bores, molds, etc. Hard chrome plating is is a functional coating that is almost always applied to steel.

Decorative chrome plating (nickel chrome) is the stuff you see on fancy trim-work. All chrome is applied by electroplating. It is never painted on and metal parts are never dipped in melted chrome. Non-scientifically, electroplating means that an electrical current is used to get all that chrome to stick to your bike parts.


History of Chrome

Humans have loved chrome ever since it was discovered. It has been used ever since the 3rd century B.C. to coat weapons and armor, though the technique was different than what we know today. Still, after all these years, ancient weapons that were dipped in chromium oxide show little to no signs of erosion.

Electroplating with chromium was first done in the 1800's. The ore was mined at that time mainly for the colorful pigments it could produce.


Caring For Chrome

Sadly, not all chrome is high-quality. Cheap plating jobs over nickel can lead to fast erosion. A lot of this can be prevented with routine maintenance. And for bikes, keeping the chrome out of the weather as much as possible. (it only takes a pinhole sized hole in the chrome barrier to allow moisture to access the metal core.)

So what are the recommended ways to clean and care for chrome? There as many ways as there are people with chrome. Here are some top techniques for keeping chrome shiny without compromising the plated surface or making really ugly gouge marks.

1. Don't let chrome get nasty to start with. Clean it everything it starts to look dull or dusty.

2. When the dirt isn't bad, soap and water may be all you need. You can buff the water spots off with a soft cloth for high-shine results.

3. Use a product for cleaning chrome. This isn't necessary, but if you want to spend the extra money, some of the commercial stuff will help hold the shine a little longer. Turtle Wax brand Chrome Polish is a very popular choice. Bar Keeper's Friend, used most commonly for cleaning stainless sinks and bathtubs is also recommended. Always use a light touch with products like this, since chrome scratches easily.

4. Carnuba Wax--A lot of people like this product because it is very heat resistant. Meaning it can be used to polish the exhaust on a bike. Other say that it has to be a certain blend or else it melts and creates gunks.

5. Diet Coke and Tin Foil--This is for rusty chrome. Use a crumpled piece of foil dipped in any diet cola. Scrub rust spots lightly with the foil.

6. Diluted Vinegar solution or Glass Cleaner

Some people also swear by using steel wool on rust spots, but there is a lot of evidence that this only removed the symptom. The metal will continue to rust. Clear-coating is also a way to protect chrome.

In the shop, we have used Nevr-Dull, S100, wax, window cleaner, and of course, plain soap and water. In most cases, it all comes down to how stuck-on the bugs are when we start cleaning!

Other Information On Chrome 

Check out some of these sites for more about chrome types, production techniques and maintenance: 

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