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How to clean white wall tires.

  • Fred77
    July 2, 2014 3:01 AM PDT
     You guys may already know this , but I just discovered a great way to clean and brighten my white walls on my Road King. I use 0000 steel wool and dish soap. Now my riding buddies have stop giving me crap about my white walls.
  • Lucky
    • 5420 posts
    July 2, 2014 4:09 AM PDT
    I always used dish soap, with a little bleach and a stiff fingernail brush to clean mine. Then I went to black wall tires and Now I use puddles to clean them :-)
  • RevBigJohn
    • Moderator
    • 16870 posts
    July 2, 2014 5:35 AM PDT
    Westley's Bleach White is what I have used since I was a little kid working on customs with the "cool guys" (my term for my dad and his bunch).
    It also works on the sidewalls on my Converse high tops, but don't get any on the canvas because it will leave bleach spots. :-)
  • RexTheRoadDog
    • Moderator
    • 19067 posts
    July 3, 2014 1:11 AM PDT
    White Walls, We don't have no Stinkin White Walls....ha
  • Jimmyacorn
    • 1855 posts
    July 3, 2014 2:34 AM PDT
    What he said........   
  • StBobber
    • 2 posts
    July 5, 2014 7:40 AM PDT
    Lucky wrote...
    I always used dish soap, with a little bleach and a stiff fingernail brush to clean mine. Then I went to black wall tires and Now I use puddles to clean them :-)













    I prefer extra muddy puddles. It allows the tires to exfoliate properly.   
  • wheels
    July 10, 2014 9:24 AM PDT
    Leave them on the dealer's rack and get you some tires that don't need special cleaning!
  • BailOut
    • 1 posts
    July 10, 2014 1:19 PM PDT
    wheels wrote...
    Leave them on the dealer's rack and get you some tires that don't need special cleaning!

    Yep

  • Fred77
    July 16, 2014 1:54 AM PDT

    I'm having a hard time believing you all clean your bikes with mud puddles. That's kind of sacrilegious amoungst Harley owners.

    As far as white walls are concerned, I like the look on my Road King Classic.

  • Lucky
    • 5420 posts
    July 16, 2014 2:57 AM PDT
    We're just messing with you. They do look good on your bike, I just personally don't like anything that requires extra cleaning on my bike... All black, very little chrome, black wall tires and black rims.
  • Seakers
    • 1161 posts
    July 23, 2014 5:34 PM PDT
     I liked the look of white wall tires as long as they were not on my bike.
  • blurplebuzz
    • 3006 posts
    July 25, 2014 5:02 AM PDT
    I love the look of whitewalls on certain rides, on other scoots it looks plain silly Its a throwback retro look,which I always enjoyed.I think the Road King looks good with them on,its worth the hassle keeping them clean.

    stay safe & enjoy the ride
  • pcdoc54
    July 25, 2014 5:09 AM PDT
     I loved the look of the white walls on my new bike when I got it, I still do but keeping them white is a pain in the behind!



    Soapy water doesn't do it ... didn't try bleach but I guess I'll have to give it a shot.

  • JOJOSCHUL69
    July 25, 2014 8:07 AM PDT
    I'm told it can't be done. So let me know if you find a cure. We just got a set and want to fix any smudges quick
  • 99Savage
    • 2 posts
    July 25, 2014 11:09 AM PDT
    Way, way back-in-the-day those that had whitewalls told me they cleaned them with SOS Pads. Did they work?
    I don't know, I never had whitewalls
  • Fred77
    July 25, 2014 3:52 PM PDT
    SOS pads would work the same as steel wool and dish soap. I just didn't have any SOS Pads.
  • azkidtx
    August 4, 2014 2:13 PM PDT
    I have one on the back of my Shovelhead chopper. And I use degreaser. It is a shove after all. LOL!!
  • Coley
    August 5, 2014 12:28 AM PDT
    This also works really well, try the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. This little sponge works well on a whole list of things. From tires to shoes, counter tops, bathroom shower and tub and so on...
  • joe99870
    August 5, 2014 8:50 AM PDT
    These are some good ideas! I need to remember this for next time
  • joe99870
    August 5, 2014 8:50 AM PDT
    These are some good ideas! I need to remember this for next time
  • Snakechrmr
    • 84 posts
    August 5, 2014 9:12 AM PDT
    Lucky wrote...
    We're just messing with you. They do look good on your bike, I just personally don't like anything that requires extra cleaning on my bike... All black, very little chrome, black wall tires and black rims.


    I'm with you, Lucky.  I got a lot of friends with tastes and bikes different from mine.  Each love their bike's look as much as I do mine.  But my bike's a rider.  Ridden almost daily in all kinds of weather and spending more time to keep it shiny just wouldn't be practical.  Besides, when I close my eyes and imagine a Harley it's low, narrow, black and chrome.

    That said I am looking at buying a used Road King this winter to build for the Euro Harley Rally next June.  But it'll have blackwalls.
  • matt23i
    • 13 posts
    August 18, 2014 8:48 PM PDT
    I used Westleys Tire Bleach with the help of scotch brite pad.
  • PhantomUltra2003
    February 12, 2015 11:21 AM PST
    You might try WD40. sounds strange but does work.