Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Motorcycle cleaning tips

It's officially spring, all the northern bikes are coming out of hibernation and the southern ones may need some TLC as well. What are your favorite cleaning techniques?

Personally I'm a bit on the lazy side. I like my bike to look good but I'd much rather ride it than clean it. I typically put it up on the bike jack, spray it down with some of the commercial bike or car wash spray (in the shade) wait a few minutes then hit it with a power sprayer. If anything is left I hit it again. I try to never actually rub anything that is dirty. Avoid the chain, bearing seals and electrical parts with detergent and high pressure water. Then I take a leaf blower to it to remove the water before I get water spots. I then hit the chrome with a microfiber cloth with chrome cleaner and the painted parts with a good wax or equivalent and another microfiber cloth. The windshield and lowers get a once over with a polish made for them. I toss the cloths into the laundry before I use them again. The entire evolution takes less than an hour. Then I take it for a long ride and cover it with bugs and dirt again.

What do you guys do?

Ive got the bugs and dirt part down pat still working on the rest of the ordeal.

I use a Phillips SoniCare on Lola

Probably covered before and elsewhere, but I am search challenged... Cleaning high dollar motorcycle face shield? Use the high dollar reccommended cleaner? $16 for little bottle? anything cheaper, effective and not harmful to optically correct face shield? Thanks for any insight.
PS: Never knew what was meant by head buffeting in the wind before I got a helmet that did not 'buffet'.... Seems to let me ride faster, not sure it is a good thing, hehehe

pressurized salt water seems to be very effective. It is mildly abrasive and the brine is able to get into any and all places, no matter how inaccessible they might seem to be.

plus, if you are having a margarita while cleaning the bike...

Dear Angus PT,
Don't clean your face shield with Windex or other chemicals. The high dollar Lucite specific stuff is best, but if you can take it off, any MILD soap and warm water won't hurt the polymers. And cloth is better than a paper towel.

I've never washed a bike in my life.
Over here we have a general household spray called ' Mr Sheen.'
I've used this for 30 years.....quick wipe to make sure I'm not rubbing grime into the paintwork. Then wipe off then again...job done.
Most of my bikes,if traded in,havd then been advertised by the dealer as being ' a credit to the last owner.'

My cousin has often given me crap about how much cleaning I do to my bike. But honestly, I LOVE my machinery and somewhat enjoy doing the cleaning. I find it a little theraputic. I'm not anal about it. Most every day I ride I spend about TWO MINUTES wiping the dust off the chrome and paint parts with a dry "microtowel". That is enough to keep it nice looking for awhile. In the summer, I give it a bath with weak soapy water about every two weeks, using a mitt and drying it off with a towel. I can guarantee you that all my bikes look as good as when I bought them. In the meantime, my cousin's bikes look like they need to go to the junk after a couple of years.

After a ride, I give a spray and wipe with "water-less wash" to get the bugs off.I also use "Mr.sheen" on the paint.I normally carry a couple of hand/face refresher towels like you get from fast food places in my gear.They work well to get insects off my visor on my fullface helmet or my sunglasses if I'm wearing open face.When stopped during a ride.

Step 1: Stop by local store and pick up a 6 pack of your favorite brew.
Step 2: Place said brew in small cooler and add ice.
Step 3: While brew is chilling park bike in semi shady spot near a water hose.
Step 4: Get a comfortable camp or lawn chair and place cooler next to it. May want to grab as snack as well.
Step 5: Have wife or girlfriend get dressed in their most comfortable bikini. (This is very important so as we don't have any metal or hard plastic buttons close to painted or chromed surfaces)
Step 6: Have said wife or girlfriend fetch appropriate bucket, wash cloth, microtowel, mitts, wax, etc.
Step 7: Sit back in most comfortable chair, crack open a cold one and give directions as needed.(You will find in some instances these directions will take longer to understand than others, if this happens refer back to step 1 and make it case.)