what is the best cleaner for aluminum?

Careful prep is always important for a good job, it's not something to be rushed.
Might I suggest getting a set of "Case savers" for your bike. In the cash of a tip over or crash, they are worth every penny. www.fastfromthepast.com has a good selection.

I've been using this stuff lately. Works great.
Bombs Away

Like anything though...the correct polish is relevant to the state the aluminum is in when you start the job. The Bombs Away is awesome as a final cleaner / polish.

Polar_Bus wrote:

martin_csr wrote: Semichrome. Mothers mag wheel & aluminum cleaner. BlueMagic. Autosol. Maas. Metal Gloss. MetalWax. The last two are mentioned as being used in the aircraft industry. A ScotchBrite pad might be good to use if the oxidation is bad.

Do an internet search for Best Aluminum Polish.

I use Eagle One cast mag wheel cleaner and a scotch brite pad. Does an AMAZING job ! Be fore warned, there is a high concentration of acid in wheel cleaners ! Work a small area for like a min., then quickly hose off the cleaner. To prevent further acid staining, after I am done I rub the aluminum with penatrating oil. Here's some pics of my shiney clean GSXR frame after a day's cleaning :

That turned out great

As for cleaning Aluma-Brite the truck wash tank cleaner it contains hydracloric acid dont get it on anything you care about like yourself/painted sufaces it will clean your aluminum just spray on an hose it off easy --- then the fun begins with your fave polish I use Mothers

All of the products mentioned will do the job.
Here's one more. It's called Mr. Buffer. Can't buy it in stores in CA (probably toxic), but you can buy it online at www.mrbuffer.com . Works like them all, except maybe a little faster. Rub some on with a clean rag, the rag turns black,then buff it with a clean cloth. Rap the rag around a pencil to get between the fins.

seriously..I hate you. Each and everyone of you...those shiny aluminum(s) especially that dude with the alum frame..getouttatown with that thing

elbow grease..pretty much that alone will do it, even simple cheap fine brass wool (like steel wool)and wd40 same results. NEVR-DULL is pretty good too, but essentially the secret is hours of labor.

we can put a man on the moon, make a cell phone the size of a stamp and STILL there is no spray on wash off make it new aluminum something in a can??

shadetree1 wrote: As for cleaning Aluma-Brite the truck wash tank cleaner it contains hydracloric acid dont get it on anything you care about like yourself/painted sufaces it will clean your aluminum just spray on an hose it off easy --- then the fun begins with your fave polish I use Mothers

That stuff works great! Zep makes a version called Zep-a-lume. I cleaned inside the hull of an aluminum boat with that crap. Make sure you wear gloves and goggles. I would spray it on then use a nylon brush in a circular fashion, then just hose off.

First, I'd get me some of these:

cloth polishing wheels

Slap it on a cordless drill,then I get me some of this:

Jewelers rouge

These two make polishing mucho easier,and faster. When you see a black residue on the part you are polishing, stop and spray some carb cleaner to clean it off, let it dry and proceed. When the cloth wheel gets too black, just snip of the black part and proceed again. I try to find the largest diameter wheels,but various sizes are needed depending on circumstances.

EDIT: The link for the polishing wheels are for ones for a dremel. Find some larger ones, like 6 inches in diameter and around a half inch thick. I found em at a hardware store like Ace or True Value.

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I like Autosol