Painted Wheels???

I've been thinking about painting my wheels. Any suggestions? I keep polishing the aluminum areas on them now but in a few days they are dull and oxidizing again. Thinking about having them painted at work, black maybe. Are there any issues I may be overlooking(air leak, balace etc)?

If you polish them and then clear coat them that should cut down on the oxidation. I know that most of your aftermarket automotive aluminum wheels come clear coated to prevent oxidation.

You might try wet sanding the unpainted areas w various grits, then polish. I refurbished a set of cast alloy wheels. For the silver surfaces I used 400/600/1500 grit wet sanding paper, then I polished w BlueMagic metal polish which supposedly leaves behind a silicone film.

For the painted areas I used sand paper, wire wheels & dremel attachments to scuff up the old paint. I applied grease to the raised silver areas that I did not want painted, then sprayed them w engine paint. After the paint dried to the touch, I wiped off the grease w a shop cloth. Then I baked the wheels in a low temp oven to cure the paint (wheel bearing removed).
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Might be a bit much to ask but any close up pics?

Once they are painted, you have a never-ending lifetime job to keep them up. If they are aluminum, you might want to get them anodized.

Many new car wheels are clear coated with urethane, and you have to be very careful not to scratch them and also you can't use strong cleaners on them. In a few years, they look like crap. You should see my wife's Saturn wheels....:ohmy:

The paint is holding up fine & the polished areas are as well. It has been my experience that baking the parts in the oven toughens the paint. The DupliColor engine enamel comes in gloss, semi-gloss & low gloss. I chose semi-gloss.

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Whatever you paint with, first use a good "self etching" primer

The photos are the best I've got. The wheels were in poor condition - they're from an 80 550. I think they came out pretty good. But if your bike is super duper mint condition nice, then they might not pass muster.

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I don't prime parts that I expect to bake in the oven. Nor do I use primer w brake caliper paint or bar-b-que grill paint. I refurbished my front brake caliper several years ago w no problems at all & the paint still looks new - I baked it in the oven to cure it. I spray the back side of chrome parts w bar-b-que grill paint to deter corrosion - those don't get baked since it doesn't seem necessary. I checked an exhaust heat shield after a few years - the paint was still perfect & there was no tell-tale corrosion anywhere.

I forgot to add that on parts that I don't expect to bake, I use a rust converter prior to spraying the bar-b-que paint. It may not be necessary, though, since you're supposed to be able to spray barby paint over light rust. But I hate rust, so I go ahead & do it.