How wet is too wet?

I'm a proud new owner of a pearl white '06. This is my first scooter. My new ride has dirt dust from the previous owner EVERYWHERE

This kind of "nook and cranny" dirt makes me want to remove the fairings and blast the entire bike with my hose and spray nozzle before I spend hours detailing this beautiful example of technology.

If anyone has a link to preferred cleaning methods I would really appreciate it.

Otherwise what should not get wet? For me a part of the process of making this bike my own is removing the history of dirt and grime from it's past!

Thank you!:smile:

 

yodasmile Congrats! I wash mine with a pressure washer, only when is really dirty. Most of the times I use a hose, one of those thin wheel brushes(perfect for those small+hard to reach places), a bucket, and soap. I'm carefull not to overspray the exhaust, and the lights.

 

I'm not sure that you have to worry about getting anything wet. If you leave the fairings on, I wouldn't worry too much if using a hose. If you do decide to use a power washer, I would recomend staying away from the gauges, lights, and electrical connections.

 

welcome to the site Gunzer! excellent choice on the '06 Pearl White VFR!!!
as far as washing goes, I typically use high pressure to hit the front-end plastics only, just to knock off the bugs. then I clean the rest with soapy water and a rag/sponge. then it's all rinsed with low pressure. i would definitely stay away from the dash/controls with any high-pressure water. just my opinion of course. hope that helps.
cheers,
Jeff

 

LOL , the title has me saying depends how hot and sexy she is?

on the other side, I only use pressured water from a hose to back flush / wash the bugs out of the radiator, everything else is hand cleaned with a wet towel. then use the Honda spray polish to give her that nice shine

 

Same here lol

Good one RVFR:ncb:

 

I always slip a plastic bag over the end of the exhaust. You may want to look into a warm air dryer like they use on dogs after a bath. Very good for getting all the water out of the cracks and crannies.

 

Hoser

I drench the bike without regard or worry. No problems but, then again, I am a hoser :canada:

 

I was thinking the same thing but I am a gentleman.........:lie:

Well, about the bike. I worry about nothing when it comes to water and the bike. I ride in it year round, wash the bike probably more often that most. I use water out of the tap with Car Wash Detergent, and literally drown it with the hose to rinse it off. I do nothing to prevent water from getting into the exhaust. But maybe there is a reason I am unaware of that says it would be wise to cover the pipes.

For the bugs on the front. If I get covered with them, which is often when you commute every day, I lay paper towel over the front and spray windex on the towel and let sit for about 5 minutes. This softens the bug guts really good, and they wipe off with ease. Then wipe it clean with a clean towel

 

I'd stay clear of the exhaust, guages, and the air intake. Other than that, hose her down. Take her out for a good ride right after the wash, just to dry everything out.

 

So....What is the issue with the exhaust? So far I have not encountered any problems but I don't want to encounter them in the future either. The gages seems to hold up very well. No signs of any problems with them and as I said, I commute year round on the Wet Coast...and I mean wet. I think it would be a bit of an effort to get to the air intake but I would have to agree that too much moisture would probably be detrimental to the bike. I ran my car into a swamp in my younger years and it just did not like that. Went for a swim on that one bit that is another story indeed.

But please, comment on the exhaust for me.

 

A little H2O in the exhaust wouldn't be the end of the world if you go for a quick ride to dry it out. I just wouldn't want it sitting in there for very long. 6 gen bikes have stainless exhaust, so rust isn't a very big deal, but a steel exhaust system could rust right out if water was left in it. I just try to keep water out as a general rule.

 

I see. It wouldn't stay sitting in mine for long though but I see what you mean. Same holds true for cars for that matter. Cars that are driven for a mile or two to and from work are infamous for having their mufflers rot out. They don't warm up enough for the condensation to burn out of the pipes and they just rust a hole in the mufflers. My wife's car has that problem.

Boy... I am sure glad they have spell check on this thing.

 

Pick up a bottle of S100 at your local dealer, spray that all over the bike (QUICKLY, mind you stuff is hard to remove if you let it sit) and rinse it off with water. Keep the stuff out of your radiator, non painted (porous) plastics and rubber. That may sound terribly inconvenient, but the stuff works miracles.

 

I use some of that bug wash stuff spray on let it sit.. and soap sponge bucket the whole thing.. dry it then i use PLEXUS on the entire bike i love that stuff..

 

what exactly is plexis

 

for pressure washers resist the urge to spray them at the the point where the axles meet the wheels, other wise the wheel bearings may be damaged.
high pressures can force water into the bearing and lube out.
otherwise all the above sounds good.

 

It is properly spelled "plexus" It is a plastic cleaner and polisher. It is a nice product and give a good luster to the plastics on your bile, Especially anything dark in colour. Here it comes in a spray can.

 

fantastic i shall look for this plexus.

 

pressure washers are good for dirt bikes, not street bikes.

the potential for water damage and corrosion is lots higher with pressure, so just use a regular hose and soapy water.

some "professional" type cleaners can permanently stain the alloy parts if not flushed immediately with water; i still have frame spots from one use of S-100 3 years ago........

it's always good to dry and re-oil the chain after washing