>>1278557>How hard was it to polish the aluminum like this? It looks cool.I have done it to a few of my bikes over the past 20 years. You need to use chemical stripper goo. It is a smelly messy labour intensive job. And takes about 2 full days depending on paint they used and primer / etch: These vary wildly. The last bike i did was my merida road bike and it took a solid 2 days. Its just 1 litre of stripper goo and lots of steel wool. Apply - wait - rub - repeat. You will need a dremel with small wire brush for the welds.
Once the paint is off its very easy. A proper buffer wheel is a superior finish but is at least another day of labour and then there is sealant. Your finish will oxidise. Do not bother with clear paint they will all end in disaster. if you want to keep the hard work perfect in rainy climates silicon ceramic sealants are available but expensive.
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/zoop-seal-is-no-more.750729/>>1278640>metal polishMeh. After years spent polishing what i settled on was once the paint is off just rub it with cheap soapy fine stainless steel wool pads and water. I just give my steeds a 15min rub down every couple of months and they stay mirror shiny, maybe more if its been raining.
TLDR: polished aluminium: money for goo + huge amounts of elbow grease, then requires a bit of TLC to stay shiny.