Bent

I need a radar detector I can move easily and quickly between three bikes. Any recommendations besides get rid of two bikes? BTW, house, nice plane you got there. The instruments kind of resemble a VFR... :lol:

Jason, you are da man! Looks like you'll be the one to catch up with at the Gap soon. I just have a plain ole VFR....

Hey Phantom, I'll answer your questions backwards. I don't know what's on the frame of a 4th Gen. so can't answer that one with facts. Haven't met one live and in person. I've only had a VFR for a few months but have had other go fast bikes long ago so it isn't taking long to get used to riding the VFR. Anodizing comes in many processes for different results, so won't take a lot of time in going into the details. Brite Dip is generally for aluminum that is polished smooth and bright first (takes special alloys), then cleaned super clean, dipped in an acid tank and electricity shot through the rack and parts on the anodizing rack. That means, anodizing is an electro-chemical process. Brite Dip creates a clear surface of aluminum oxide (one of the hardest materials on the scale) and protects the aluminum surface partly by closing up the pores on the aluminum surface and partly by sealing the aluminum from outside influences (corrosion). Anodizing isn't a coating or plating but rather a change in the properties of the surface of the aluminum to a pre-determined depth. Depth determined by time in the tank, or other factors that essentially add up to the same thing. It's a great process but, like anything else, can be abused. I'm going to hunt around for polished anodized wheels. The polished CNC wheels we see on Harley's are brite dipped or they wouldn't be shiny for long. So, there have to be places to do my wheels!! I've been in management for quite a while now in custom heavy vehicle manufacturing and assembly (shoot me please) and not the engineering function any more or I could get it done myself. Hope that helps.

There are many mis-conceptions, mis-understandings in this thread. I have worked in the aluminum industry, metal fab., and metal processing industries most of my long career. This may be a long post. First, the entire wheel is cast, not just the spokes. The inside of the spokes are rough because Honda chose not to polish them out smooth....read, Honda makes cheap aluminum wheels that look cheap compared to other bike brands, one of which is sitting in my garage. Paint DOES NOT adhere to anodizing. The wheels are not anodized underneath the paint. I have worked around anodizing for years and the anodizing process is for the purpose of protection and appearance. It is a very expensive process done correctly. Paint only adheres to aluminum after the BARE aluminum has been through a chemical conversion coating process. Some people are apparently doing a good job of removing the paint and polishing whatever alloy Honda is using. Unless the polished surfaces are either clear coated or "brite dip" anodized, the exposed aluminum WILL pit and corrode in time. The more pollutants and chemicals (oil, water, dirt, brake dust, etc.) the aluminum is exposed to, the faster the surface deterioration. Follow up polishing periodically will offset this. When I find a place that offers polished wheels, including the spokes, that then brite dip anodizes the wheels, I'll buy a set. These places probably exist, I just don't know of them. Call me full of shit if you want but I have designed different alloys for different applications, designed and managed a huge anodizing line that was the most state of the art line in the world at the time and understand the process better than most people involved in anodizing anywhere. I have equal experience with painting aluminum and other metals. This is not for the purpose of tooting my horn ( I've about had enough of messing with metals) but for the purpose of clearing some mis-understandings. My VFR has the stock wheels with the stock shameful quality paint job. The paint is even cheap and is hiding some very poor quality castings. I would very much like to have a fully polished set of VFR rims for my ride. I would ONLY buy rims that are fully polished then brite dip anodized. Clear coating will work until the coating is dinged with rocks, scratches, etc. Then the aluminum underneath will corrode in time. It's all easy if money isn't a factor. :rolleyes: