cleaning the bike

[R6markm]

hi guys, no this may sound a silly question, but what do u all clean ya bikes with!

is it just a soapy water then polish etc..just wondered coz i have only had the bike a short while and want to get it sparlkin for the summer, but didnt just wanna fetch the hosepipe to it!!

[Live to ride Ride to live]

hi guys, no this may sound a silly question, but what do u all clean ya bikes with!

is it just a soapy water then polish etc..just wondered coz i have only had the bike a short while and want to get it sparlkin for the summer, but didnt just wanna fetch the hosepipe to it!!

NO hosepipes matey, you`ll damage the grease/oil seals. Wash and wax a good investment, sponge for the bodywork, sponge for the wheels, A good rinse, followed by a silicon wax, I use purple helmet polish on my fairings, shiny they are, Motrax have brought out a similair product.

While your using sponges etc, you can get close to your bike, which in turn means you will see any issues that may pop up, paint chips to sort, etc....

Have fun...

[R1evad]

Just use proper motoring products that are designed for the kind of plastics and metal finishes found on todays machinary.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT USE WASHING UP LIQUID

It is about 20% SALT , so rubbing it in, or not rinsing off properly will cause more harm than good!

[chrissimmonds]

ive been taking mine to the local jet wash for two years!!!!!!!! WHAT A PILLOCK I AM!!!!!!!

[pert]

ive been taking mine to the local jet wash for two years!!!!!!!! WHAT A PILLOCK I AM!!!!!!!

I bought a power washer to clean my YBR125

Fecking thing blew the Yamaha stickers off the tail

[chrissimmonds]

NO WONDER THAT BAST@$D IN TEXACO LAUGHS HIS CO*K OFF EVERY TIME I ASK FOR A PLATINUM POLISH WASH!!!!!!

[TheSaffer]

Would you forgive her for using Washing Up Liquid ???

[ShoKz]

Would you forgive her for using Washing Up Liquid ???

i would

[yr58ffo]

I think I'd be hope for a good buffing once she's rinsed, but yes, YES, YES!!!

[ST3V0]

can i borrow her to clean my PC screen and keyboard ?

[Ttaskmaster]

NO hosepipes matey, you`ll damage the grease/oil seals.

I was gonna say something impolite, like 'bollocks', but I've recently been accused of extreme rudeness. So, I'll instead simply say that I disagree in the friendliest possible terms.

You can use hosepipes and even the local self-service jetwash (some Tescos have 'em). All our local dealers (including the branded ones like Honda, Yamaha and Triumph) hose their bikes off.

You do have to be careful around the seals and keep it on a low power setting, but they're fine to use.

However, don't try and power-blast every bit of muck off.

Use something like Muc Off. Scrub any large bits of crap, then spray down with COLD water.

DO NOT use hot water as it can help dissolve the salt and it will have an even easier job of getting into and rotting away your internals.

Dry the bike (or leave it in teh sun if it's a warm day), polish up any chrome with Autosol or similar, then coat it with ACF 50 (keep it away from the brakes).

Whenever you go for a blast, particularly in winter, hose the bike off and re-coat with ACF before putting it away, to help keep the salty badness at bay.

Would you forgive her for using Washing Up Liquid ???

NO.

Dozy fecking cow.... What's she doing even near my bike in the first place?

[cili]

I was gonna say something impolite, like 'bollocks', but I've recently been accused of extreme rudeness. So, I'll instead simply say that I disagree in the friendliest possible terms.

You can use hosepipes and even the local self-service jetwash (some Tescos have 'em). All our local dealers (including the branded ones like Honda, Yamaha and Triumph) hose their bikes off.

You do have to be careful around the seals and keep it on a low power setting, but they're fine to use.

However, don't try and power-blast every bit of muck off.

Use something like Muc Off. Scrub any large bits of crap, then spray down with COLD water.

DO NOT use hot water as it can help dissolve the salt and it will have an even easier job of getting into and rotting away your internals.

Dry the bike (or leave it in teh sun if it's a warm day), polish up any chrome with Autosol or similar, then coat it with ACF 50 (keep it away from the brakes).

Whenever you go for a blast, particularly in winter, hose the bike off and re-coat with ACF before putting it away, to help keep the salty badness at bay.

NO.

Dozy fecking cow.... What's she doing even near my bike in the first place?

I have been strongly advised not to use Autosol but something lighter and les abrasive..........starting from the yammi dealer to my mates........

[mervin]

can i borrow her to clean my PC screen and keyboard ?

Here borrow the puppy he will clean your screen

J Russell screen cleaner

[square box]

Cold water first, then car wash, then rinse off, tough spots muck off, then castrol polish and finally a good spray of FS365 in the winter. Have to do this every week in the winter or the bike will fall to bits!!!

Square Box.

[mervin]

I use a hosepipe but not too much pressure eh just want to rinse the muck off the bike not blow the thing into the next century

Merv

[Ttaskmaster]

I have been strongly advised not to use Autosol but something lighter and les abrasive

Not heard that one before......

Have heard about using tinfoil, though!

starting from the yammi dealer to my mates........

The tosser of a salesman at my local Yammie dealer told me not to store my gloves inside my helmet.

The road crap that sticks to the gloves then gets transferred to the inner padding of the helm, compromising the structural integrity of the polystyrene.

He also happened to be selling a far more expensive brand of lid, which featured a guard against this.

Clearly the rest of the road crap and petrol fumes that my helmet gets exposed to is a different grade...... Like having the "wrong kind of leaves" on the train line, I suppose.......

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

Not heard that one before......

Have heard about using tinfoil, though!

The tosser of a salesman at my local Yammie dealer told me not to store my gloves inside my helmet.

The road crap that sticks to the gloves then gets transferred to the inner padding of the helm, compromising the structural integrity of the polystyrene.

He also happened to be selling a far more expensive brand of lid, which featured a guard against this.

Clearly the rest of the road crap and petrol fumes that my helmet gets exposed to is a different grade...... Like having the "wrong kind of leaves" on the train line, I suppose.......

I'm not goiing to comment on the tosser bit, he may well be , but the inside of your lid is far more suseptable to nasty agents like the sh1t they put in Desel and Petrol than the outside. it will destroy the important bit of the lining (the bit that stops your head hitting the hard shell), or make it brittle, try getting some fuel and putting it on some expanded styrene foam - you'll see what I mean. The outer shell is protected by the paint work and outer glaze, so it's not realy affected.

So, why not put your gloves in your lid? well you will get these agents on your gloves in small amounts, and puting your gloves in your lid gives a raised chance of these agents being transfered to the inside of your lid.

Personally I don't ever put my gloves inside my lid, firstly for the reason above, and secondly as I don't really want the other crap off my gloves (animal sh1t, dead things, water etc) rubing off onto the bit that sits against my bonce.

Mind you, to say there is a lid that protects against this is a bit dubious, I mean, how can it? does it have a plastic liner? I think this might well be crap!

As for washing, MuchOff and a pressure washer. Been doing it for years and I've never had a problem with any bearings or oils seals, I just don't subscribe to this point of view. In the bad old days, yes, there were issues as the seals only prevented egress, but we're talking about the times when stuffing boxes were still common place. Modern seals are build and designed for high speed use in wet weather, so as long as you aren't pointing the end of the washer, point blank at the seal you'll not have a problem. Then again, my bikes are normally covered in mud rather than road film/salt - and pressure washing never gets road film off.

Car wash, incidentally has a high salt content by the way, as do most cleaning products, and until bike manufacturers wake up and start to give us some better quality equipment we'll all have to endure the corrosive reality of having a bike, which is made worse if you use warm water.

That ScottOil stuff (forget it's name) is OK for nutralising salt, but it's not as robust as ACF50, after all this stuff works on boats and planes, so to my mind it's the best protection we hav.

Well that was a good rant, feel much better now..........

[G-man]

Would you forgive her for using Washing Up Liquid ???

She missed a spot.

I don't use water on my bike. I spray on wd-40, wipe off. That's it.

[Ttaskmaster]

I'm not goiing to comment on the tosser bit, he may well be

Well, he had a feel inside my helmet and, would you believe it, he could feel degredation.

Guess I'd better buy one of his expensive lids then.

Thank god he's a professional, learned fitter of complicated Plug & Play manufacturer's parts......

Yes, I'm sure my lid is susceptible if you put loads in, or maybe spill some petrol.

But with the amount of crap that comes in through the vents and open visor anyway, I don't think putting my gloves inside the lid is much of a worry. Besides, isn't it also susceptible to all the hair products and general atmospheric crap that my head picks up when it's not in the lid?

Sounds a bit like the potential for a mobile phone to blow up a petrol station....

try getting some fuel and putting it on some expanded styrene foam - you'll see what I mean.

Oooh, Napalm!!!!!!

and puting your gloves in your lid gives a raised chance of these agents being transfered to the inside of your lid.

I'd be genuinely interested to know what the percentage of increased risk is.

Mind you, to say there is a lid that protects against this is a bit dubious, I mean, how can it? does it have a plastic liner? I think this might well be crap!

Clearly, you're also a man very much in need of a stupidly expensive helmet.

It just so happens, I know a place that sells them........

and pressure washing never gets road film off.

It does to!!!!!!

Muc Off and similar does help, though!!

Car wash, incidentally has a high salt content by the way,

Mine doesn't.

Comes directly from the same Clean Water source as that which you drink.

I work for a water utilities company. I have to know what goes where, y'see.

That ScottOil stuff (forget it's name) is OK for nutralising salt, but it's not as robust as ACF50,

FS365, innit?

Some say it's better than ACF.

I just have 2 whole cans of ACF to get through before I even consider the FS, though.

Then again, different things for different bikes.

Autosol works fine on my chromey crap, so I will continue.... not that I bother polishing it that often anyway

[Slippery When Wet]

First of all R6markm, once the gritters come out the R6 goes in the garage and the Thundercat comes out for the daily commute (R6 then is just for sunny weekend blasts)

However if you have 1 year round bike .....

Once salt hits the tarmac, hose the bike down with cold water after every ride.

I use spray clean products for fairings etc. (all ones mentioned so far are fine)

I also douse the engine and pipes in duck oil on a weekly basis when the weather is bad, although I suspect FS365 smells a little better

As an aside ... for those with carb'ed bikes, get yourself some Silkolene Pro FST (dry fuel additive)