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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Washing my bike
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Message started by Z on 06/10/11 at 07:07:49

Title: Washing my bike
Post by Z on 06/10/11 at 07:07:49

ok Here's a real Noob question. ;DI have never scrubbed my bike. I have hosed it off but never down and out gave her a good cleaning. :-[Yes, I'm lazy. SO what do you recommend to scrub her off with? Do I need to wax her too? What about her chrome parts? Do I need a special cleaner for those? Are there any bits that I should make sure not to get a lot of water in? (Yes, I know the gas tank. ;D)I have the day off and was thinking that I should really get my bike cleaned. It's pretty bug gutty. :-?

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by splash07 on 06/10/11 at 07:59:48

You want to make sure to keep water away from a few parts, first thing I do is remove the battery. You will also want to aviod the electrical connections and terminals, one option is to wrap them in electrical tape or something if you are worried about it. If you are still running the stock air box then there is not much else I would worry about but if you have removed it (like me and many others here) you want to cover the air intake and the crankcase breather. I use mother's polish on all chrome and aluminum and waxing the tins (tank and fenders) is probably a good idea. Good luck and have fun

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by verslagen1 on 06/10/11 at 08:09:45

remove battery? :-? really? never touch it myself.

spray can of engine degreaser on the engines dirty bits.
pressure wash the entire bike after
dry
polish if you got any.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by jef.savage on 06/10/11 at 11:38:03

There is certainly no reason to remove the battery to wash the bike. Low pressure water can be used anywhere on the bike to rinse although I woudn't direct it at the air filter. I've read warnings about high pressure water near the wheel bearings. I also use degreaser on the engine/tranny and chrome polish on the chrome. And wax on the painted surfaces will protect them as well as look good.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by Serowbot on 06/10/11 at 11:44:41

I use dollar store spray-on car polish... on chrome, paint, engine, everything...
Oh!...... 'cept the sheepskin seat cover... ;D...

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by kimchris1 on 06/10/11 at 11:47:17

I use a Turtle Wash and Wax each time I wash my bike.
Perhaps use this, once you give her a good washing.
It makes washing her easier as well as gives her a nice
shine..
Their are lots of different polishes and cleansers on the
market. As for the chrome, I also tried the tin foil in soapy
water. That seemed to shine the chrome nicely.. :) kim

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by Sunchasers on 06/10/11 at 12:54:26

I had an "oldtimer" motorcyclist tell me once to wash the whole bike using Murphy's Oil Soap, few cap fulls in a bucket of warm water and to rinse with garden hose without sprayer. Always worked well on my 1500 Intruder years back. (It cleaned and conditioned all the rubber nicely too)

I haven't washed my Savage since this winter (by hand in the garage) after doing the oil plug leak fix. Amazing how clean the bike stays without oil leaks and using a half cover at work! ;D

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by WD on 06/10/11 at 13:23:41

Mine gets rained on. Clean enough.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by dv8savagerider on 06/10/11 at 17:09:30

I use simple green to wash the bike, hose it off with garden hose and after drying it use lemon pledge on the tins to polish it. For any hard to remove grease I use spray on oven degreaser/ cleaner and just rinse right off. For rust spots on the chrome I use the folded up tinfoil technique with warm soapy water and it comes right off without marring the surface. Hope this helps :)

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by Z on 06/10/11 at 17:22:58

Thanks everybody! I had the husband pick something up while he was out and I left it up to him to decide what. :-/ He brought back these wadding type wipes that you rub over your bike and then buff off. It's supposed to be a cleaner and polisher in one. It shined up the tins nice and got a lot of grime off of them (judging from the stuff on the buffer rags) but it really wasn't what I had in mind. :-/ I still have bug guts on my forks and frame. It took them off of the headlight and turn signals ok but didn't do much for the backs of the lights. My engine still looks gunky too. :-/ I think I need to find a professional detailer. I really would rather ride than clean. :-[ ;D

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/10/11 at 19:12:30

Dont shoot water at the fork seals, clean the forks gently, keep dried bug guts off the part that dives into the seals, every day.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by ralfyguy on 06/10/11 at 22:18:51

607F797E63645565556D7F73380A0 wrote:

Dont shoot water at the fork seals, clean the forks gently, keep dried bug guts off the part that dives into the seals, every day.

+1 Very important!

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by bill67 on 06/11/11 at 08:49:21

Harley makes a good Aerosols spray cleaner and polish that works good.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by WD on 06/11/11 at 14:12:28

You can buy that at any bike shop, for a lot less money. It is just repackaged S100 cycle cleaner. Go to an indy shop and see if they carry Pig Snot. Same idea, better surfactant.

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/11/11 at 14:24:20

5A490D0 wrote:

You can buy that at any bike shop, for a lot less money. It is just repackaged S100 cycle cleaner. Go to an indy shop and see if they carry Pig Snot. Same idea, better surfactant.

Pig Snot

&, LIke the real thing, its all natural & edible,, Yummm Yummm!!!

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by Boofer on 06/12/11 at 17:03:46

WD-40 is a good bug remover in a pinch. A little squirt and rub with one of those orange colored plastic dish pads. Just keep it off of anything you don't want slick. I spray my auto bumper covers before I wash them. By the time I get my suds and rags rounded up the bug guts are any easy wipe off. ;)

Title: Re: Washing my bike
Post by Boofer on 06/12/11 at 17:08:23

BTW, Somebody told me to use paste shoe polish on my sidewalls to make them black. Thanks. Rode 100 miles in a light drizzle. A good test for the first time using it. Thanks a bunch! :)