How Do You Wash Your Bike?

I'm glad I'm not the only person who washes his bike after every ride. LOL

 

I would be careful washing a bike as all the seals might not keep water out. I believe in very selective waxing cleaning the wheel off- but not take hose spraying the whole bike I don't think is a good idea.:grief:

 

I don't think I would worry too much about that. The 105,000 or so miles on mine is about 70% in the rain at freeway speeds. Haven't run into any issues that way.....yet.l

 

70% in the rain, that is amazing, no rusty chain,. I have officially ride in the rain once so far in 500 miles. I guess I really need a rain suit. This vfr is a really strange bike to me-so unlike my old r6 Yamaha-its much better.:torn:

 

I've gotten a few rust spots show up on the outside of the chain links but otherewise no. It is icredi ly wet in the Vancouver area. I commuted in that shit 100 miles round trip year round.

 

Ya what he said...

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

Foam brushes make excellent applicators for Armor All & other similar products. Especially the smaller ones for working in tight areas.

 

sounds like a bunch of housewife's with all this cleaning stuff-leave it dirty then you don't have to worry about being cleanirate:

 

^ sounds like the "shop-toilet"

 

How much for a "Full Service" wash?

 

Eww.

Man code has been broken on this thread.

 

I use a garden variety hose, a bucket, some dish soap, and a rag.
Dry off with a bath towel.
Wax with a shop rag.

Some times the greasy bits get a scrub with an old toilet brush and some mild degreaser.

 

During the riding season, hot water and dawn dish soap. I make a mix for a misting bottle and spray the bike after long dirty rides. Let it do its thing then hose it off. Gets the bugs off and helps keep the road tar from building up.

End of year clean is a bit more thorough. Automotive spray 9 and elbow grease and lots of paper towels. Gets the crap off and lifts the wax too. Then I take the time to rewax and let it sit. A quick wash in the spring and a wax again and im good. I dont wash the motor much, a quick hose down to get mud off, if I polish the block on the one I plan to build up then it will get some tlc too.

Make sure your forks are clean and that nothing is trapped in behind the dust boot.

 

I use cheap soap. Car wash or dish soap. Tooth brush for the swingarm and a rubber spatula for the asphalt pebbles that stick the underside of the bike. My two kids always want to help, so it goes pretty quick. Nothing unusual or special for me.

However, since it was only mentioned once, I want to second the clay bar. It's nothing short of magical. Seriously. Carnuba wax after clay bar and the bike is beautiful IMO.

 

Best thread so far on who is and who aint anal..

 

I personally never wash my bike with water, i dry wash it with a clean microfiber towel and a spray wax from Meguire Gold class Ultimate or Honda Polish. That's how i clean all my bikes in the past 7 years of riding, no swirls or scratches from this method (as long as you don't let the bike get too dirty that is), in my case its once a week and my bike is garaged so it stays relatively clean.

 

This is what I do too. No water for a long time. Honda polish.

 

I use my pressure washer at home. In the soap dispenser I use an automotive soap (which doesn't spray at high pressure). After a rinse I dry with a leaf blower. Grand total of 10 minutes to get it clean. I used to spend a 1/2 day cleaning my old cruiser - chrome is a bitch to keep clean. No more of that bullsh!t

 

gotta love touchless carwashes......I was trying to convince my brother to take my bike into a real carwash........he chickened out.