Thanks for the info. I happen to have have a can of Rustoleum "Crystal Clear Enamel", which the can claims "Stops Rust"; on a whim I gave the handlebars a few light layers. The reflections were dulled but it kept a gloss, looking more like titanium than steel.

Why don't clear coats provide rust protection? It seems to me that clear coat is just paint without pigment - is that wrong?

Finally, I don't have anything around that I know to be chrome. How can I tell the difference between well-polished steel and chrome? For all I know this part is chromed! Does anyone have some close-up side-by-side images I could peek at?