Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Washing My Bike

Stupid Question of the day! How do you guys wash your bikes?

I've had mine for a little over a year and haven't washed it yet. I'd rather ride. Just finished removing the air box, relocating the battery, re-jetting, de-baffled pipes, and new grips. I've also got a Corbin seat. Managed to spread some greasy fingerprints around so I guess it's time.

I'm thinking a bucket of soapy water and not too much hose. Any special precautions I should take?

Thanks,
Brian

Use the softest rag you can find. Leave the wheels 'til last.

foutianofyouth.com try there quick shine. no water, i can even use it on my windshield. it go's on and off like wax and it takes off, chain wax easily and when your done it leaves a real nice shine. use about a dime sized spot on a terry cloth rag and see how far it go's. i clean everything on my bike with it and have never left a scratch because of it. i start with the wheels and work my way up, works on chrome and paint and plastic like i said leaves a nice shine when done. about $10 a bottle but last a long time. other than that, waterhose bucket and a lot of scrubbing.

I use micro fiber rags.First I wash the bike with a good
carwash.Then I dry the bike with the micros changing frequently.Last step take the bike for a ride to get those last stubborn drops off it. By the way I've never put a drop of wax on it and it still looks great.

Take it to Keith's house.

Use S100 which is an amazing foaming cleaner and degreaser. Soren's bike went without a bath for years, and when you spray that on, then rinse it off with a hose, most of the grime rinsed away. I either use S100 or McGuires for my vehicles. S100 is a great deep clean and shine product, no matter which one I've used, pump or spray can. McGuires is my after each ride detailer, and the clay bar is good to get a smooth clean finish that holds polish very well. Black bikes, any imperfection shows.

Now if you want to really shine it up for a show, I prefer Mcguires clay bar to take the last of the imperfections and dirt off. Each ride I find more than a few bugs, I use the quick detail.

My excuse is that my time cleaning the bike is also my time to inspect it for potential problems. Kind of like preflight checks of planes...time to make sure there are no problems. A friend let us borrow his bike though, and it came back spotless. Kind of have a thing for clean.

Don't use liquid soap thats meant for dishes

The salt in it will bugger up your metalwork

Why do I insist on not making friends? I'm going to the european classic bike rally thing in clarksburg md next weekend and I hope to meet a few of you there. My bike is filthy where it should be and clean where it needs to be. Cleanlieness is next to godliness as they say and im an atheist so a dirty bike is happiness because that means I've been using it.

Use a quality "car wash" detergent, rinse with fresh water.

Compresed air blow down to remove all water , then wipe down with soft cloth and "Mr Sheen". Don't spray directly onto the bike, if it gets on the brakes, they don't like to stop.

Stays sparkling for ken ages, also makes it easier to get any bugs off, they don't stick as hard to the mr sheen film.

some dish soap don't. The stuff meant to go in washing machines does but most of the hand wash stuff dont. Sunlight don't dawn don't. Infact it will say it right on the bottle. Something like: contains sodium phosphate, or something to that effect. Dawn says on the bottle no phosphates. Any way point being I use dawn dish washing liquid to get geasy finger prints off. You dont need much. Then I use some kind of carnuba wax cleaning product, you know the kind. You get it from autozone no need for water cleaning stuff. You should read the bottle some of that stuff is not for glass, or chrome. Besides following the instructions is usually the best way to go with stuff anyway.
I don't wash mine often but when I do I make a nice fun time of it.

Simple Green and a sponge. Chamois dry. McGuires Mist n Shine with a microfiber cloth after that. Takes less time to wash the bike than my car.

Simple Green +1

A light touch of a 3m scrubbie will remove incipient rust as well.

Ted

About every other time I ride it, I rub it down with a slightly damp bath towel. Takes about 3 minutes. Wipe the paint first, then the chrome, last the wheels. I wash it completely about three times a summer with a hose and some car soap. Thats it.

I'm a heathen. Coin-op car wash with the wand. Hit the bug infested areas with pre-soak. Soap on the rest. "Try" to not hit the chain, air filters, electrical bits with the high pressure wand (actually I hardly ever pull the trigger on the wand). Hit the crusty bits with a non-scratch kitchen sponge ( the kind with the cloth-mesh, not the plastic scotch-bright pad). Rinse. Dry off with cheapo blue car wash chamois. No polish. Blow dry on the highway.

Okay, okay, last Fall I washed it at home. Automotive grade detergent in a bucket with a regular sponge and the scrubber sponge for the bug-encrusted bits. Simple green on the wheels with a plastic bottle brush for between the spokes.

Came out pretty good. Still no polishing though.

dishwashing liquid will remove some waxs and oil ... eventually damaging the paint. .listen to them and use a good quality car wash liquid ..avail at any good parts house !

If ya wear rings or watch take them off.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used some car wash stuff that I had laying around. Covered the corbin with a trash bag, gave the bike a light squirt with the hose, bucket of warm soapy water with a microfiber mit that I had, then another light squirt with the hose to rinse, quick wipe down with a microfiber towel, then let the sun do the rest. Came out ok.

I'll be trying some of the suggestions next time. Looking for the quickest ways to make it respectable. I don't have much time to spend with the bike so when I do have the time I prefer to be riding not cleaning.

@FriarJohn I considered the carwash.

I'm a heathen. Coin-op car wash with the wand. Hit the bug infested areas with pre-soak. Soap on the rest. "Try" to not hit the chain, air filters, electrical bits with the high pressure wand (actually I hardly ever pull the trigger on the wand). Hit the crusty bits with a non-scratch kitchen sponge ( the kind with the cloth-mesh, not the plastic scotch-bright pad). Rinse. Dry off with cheapo blue car wash chamois. No polish. Blow dry on the highway.


+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Makes mine shine

Quick wash? Jack up the bike. Wash the wheels. Then wash up to the top of the tank. Minimal use of water. Keep the water from getting under the tank. Simple green on the frame if you must. Leaf blower to roll the remaining water off. (High pressure stream directed at the hole in the jugs cooling fin to flush that drain hole once or twice a year). Qucik wipe down then a 60mph blast of wind via the method.

To keep the grime at bay, a wipe down after every ride with Meguiars Quik Detailer mist. Use the now soiled rag to wipe off the mist that you apply to the wheel. Don't worry about getting the whole wheel. Chances are the next time you side stand it the wheel will present the unwiped portion. Got another five minutes? Take some Mother's mag polish to the accessable spokes nipples and rim.

The ultra easy way to wash the bike given that it is clean already, is to wipe it down after riding in a light rain. Side stand it, wait 10 minutes then using one of the wifeys towels you aren't supposed to use, wipe the light rain water off the bike. This is for the tins. Sometimes you may have to flush the grit off around the tail light and the swing arm. Use a small bucket of water for that.

Point? If you do a post ride wipe down your bike will never get to the point where you dread washing it.

P.S.: After you wash a bike the chain should be waxed straight away.

P.S.S: Cover the saddle? Why? The way I figure it is, "I don't cover it when in a driving rain or when it is side-standed at some mom and pop motel. Why cover it when I control the water and water cleanup?" Use a wet sponge rubbed on a glycerin bar (saddle soap) to clean the saddle and all other leather stuff.

Being a fairly short legged person, (also had a replacement right hip installed a couple of years ago),I have managed to put marks in my seat from getting on the bike while I have a gear bag on the pillion. The seat cover isn't cut or scratched, it just has marks. I've tried a couple of vinyl cleaners, but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?

Ted

I've already tried growing longer legs, that was a nonstarter.

S-100 and a hose, Meguiars on the tank and side covers. Simichrome for the ...chrome.

Last year I bought one of those foamball thingies that attach to a drill motor to clean the spokes, but it's still sitting on the shelf.

Honda Brite, a full wash, then a quick blown down with a leaf blower to quickly get rid of water (and spots). Then the Purple spray can stuff (used to be a Honda product). Old cotton socks is what I use.

Leave it out in the rain

In the UK we have a spray household polish/ cleaner by the name of Mr Sheen.
been using this since the 1970's and in all that time I doubt I've ever put water to a bike.
Not that thats much help to you in the States.

Al

I wash the bike with something called Miracle wash. It is a waterless wash and wax. Works good on paint, metal, plastic, & plexiglass. It works really good for cleaning my helmets.

If it is really dirty, like the lower part of the engine, rims, and spooks I us something called Metal Protector, which is a synthetic version of WD40. It cleans the rims and spooks really well and keeps them from rusting. The best thing for cleaning oily grim is a light oil like WD40. Just be sure not to get any of it on the rotors.

Once in a great while I will use chrome polish, but it is rarely needed after cleaning with Metal Protector.

Tom

S100 foaming spray+pressure washer, then I use a blower/vac to dry it off. S100 polishing soap for all the shiny parts.