Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories wash/wax/polish

Hey all,

I hope this is the correct thread for this- I'm a new rider and new TBA owner and wondering if anyone can recommend some good wash/polish/wax products for paint and chrome- I just completed the MSF course and have taken my first "on the road" rides and now I want to baby my baby with the right stuff. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

I use Maguires wax wash by hand...windex and news paper to clean the chrome...then simicrome to polish it

Hi Travis,

Congrats on the new bike!

I will second Meguiar's. You can get their products in the local auto places and they work great!

i like pig snot, very easy on and off and leaves a great shine

Frank

pro honda spray cleaner and polish. easy and the best.

Welcome,

I have used the Honda stuff and I agree it is great. I have also used S100. My neighbor uses Mother's and his bike is "wow" but he'll spend 3 plus hours cleaning it. IMO, the cleaner the bike, the less it is "ridden". My bike is very clean, but I am not a fanatic.

Ron

Meguire's or Zymol, I believe. And I've used Blue Job on pipes before to pull of the blueing. I'll have to try some other chrome polish though, because it takes a lot of elbow grease. I'm also excessively anal, so I remove the Triumph tank logos, instrument cluster, and rear seat when I wax so I can get all around it!

Thanks everybody, I'll give some of this stuff a try and do the TBA proud!

Travis

The suggestion about removing the tank badges, rubber backing, and console is a good one!! You'll NEVER get the wax out of the little corners around the badge.

Try a very soft toof brush for the hard to remove wax lines

My favorite - a 2 stroke backpack or handheld leaf blower for a power chamois

First get a Sears bike lift, you will be amazed at the ease of washing a bike on a lift. Then get a package of 48 cotton terry cloth towels at Home Depot.
Use any good spray on wheel cleaner for spokes, rim and hub, don't get it on the paint.
Wash your bike with Blue Coral automotive shampoo, it has a surfactant to reduce water spoting. Rain-X made a great one, but I can't find it anymore ( not the one with wax beads).
Dry the bike off with the cotton towels and wax paint and chrome with Maguires Classic, use the cotton towels.If you get wax on the black rubber parts use Armourall cleaner.
Use Armourall protectant on tire side walls and any rubber bits that look like they need it, remember to wipe off excess. Do not use Armorall protectant on the seat or grips, you'll slide off the bike.
As always read directions on product labels.
Once a year I wax the tank with the Triumph marque off. If you keep a good coat of wax on the bike you can park it out in a steady rain for a couple of hours, put her in the garage to drip dry and towel off the excess, she'll look brand new.
Also. I use Binswinger glass cleaner and a cotton towel to remove dust, then do a quik wax.

I'm a Meguiars wax & polish fan. I don't like their quick detailer and use the Eagle brand Quick Detailer, it just seems to go on and come off better. To be honest, I primarily use the quick detailer, wax maybe once a year.

Over the last year or so, I have been using "Quick Shine". It is a genuine 100% waterless cleaner that does an absolutely awesome job.

Soren

Anyone try using the Mother's powerball on the chrome or spokes? Was thinking of trying it because I'm really lazy.

Here's my combo, which I have been using on my 05 Speedmaster, as well as my 05 MINI Cooper S:

1 Thin coat of Klasse All In One Cleaner (gets the dirt and particles off the clear coat), Buff to shine.
1 Thin coat of Klasse Sealant Glaze (fills in the small scratches, and really builds a good foundation for your wax)
1 Thin coat of S100 carnuba wax, which, when buffed, will bring out a shine you might never have seen on your bike.

The Klasse stuff is good for about three months, but the S100 only lasts about three weeks to a month. So, if you want some "easier" polish that doesn't require some good ol elbow grease, I suggest going elsewhere.

I got this combo from a friend of mine who competes in concourse car shows, and he wins. Try it out, you won't be let down. To be honest, I applied this to my MINI when I brought her home from the showroom floor, and I think it looked better after the Klasse and S100 than brand new... so I had to do the same with the Triumph.

Regarding the wax in the spots that are hard to reach, I use cotton swabs for those areas, along with those cotton pads that you can get in the makeup dept of Walmart or KMart.

Gluck, and get ready to watch the clouds roll by in your paint!

Mike

Travis,

First of all welcome to the site.

All good stuff I like Meguiars wax & polish. While you at the store get yourself a "Power Ball" fits onto a power drill and is great for polishing rims (spokes) the under frame and the front of the motor. It shapes it self to the surface and can get into the nooks and crannies.

I use Q-tips and Back to Black for all the fine detail work and brake calibers. I love baseball (Red Sox)and I can clean my entire bike stem to stern in nine innings.

Welcome to the forums.

The only time you need to wash her is when she lets you ride her in the rain. In between downpours, use a spray on wipe off polish/cleaner like Meguire's. Use Maxims Chain wax for the chain. Clean the front of the bike after every ride. Doesn't take long and it keeps the rust at bay. The fork shrouds will spot rust. The rims are best cleaned by lifting the bike. Stay away from simple green as it is not good for metal.

now that I've said that, I do use simple green on the rims. Spray with simple green, rinse, wash with turtle wax car wash solution, rinse, spray with Meguire's, wipe off.

Use kerosene to remove tar and road grime on other areas of your ride. Kerosene is paint friendly too. When ever you remove the tank, wax it! Wax the exposed frame too. The beauty of Meguire's is that it will not leave tell tale signs of wax. Tooth brushes are made for canuba wax removal in tight areas.