Looking for wax, polish suggestions

What are some of the preferred waxes, polishes, ect. for bikes?
I have a red '05 and find Zymol leaves a really nice shine but doesnt stay for very long. (I hope this doesnt turn into a "which oil is better" thread!!)

Thanks for any input

 

Nice question, seems reasonable to me to be asking. What I use for starters on the keep it simple and quick is Honda spray polish. this stuff works great. when it's time for a good overall clean up I use a couple different wax's both are Mequiars. One is a stage 3 cleaner wax great for getting fine scratches out and those hard to get off bugs that have dried on. the other item is their polish wax great stuff for the high end shine. Another product I use is Plexus on the wind screen as well as the tail light giving it a real deep clean shine. and that too helps aid in keep things from sticking. another thing I do is Armorall the lowers, seem that stuff keeps alot of road grime off. hope that helps, I'm sure there are other products that do the same thing, these are what I found to be pretty good at keeping my VFR in tip top shape.

 

Hey RVFR, I agree on the HONDA spray wax.... I got some last season and now I swear by it. You mentioned you use Armor All on the lower part of the bike.... which product? Is it the detail spray or something like the stuff you use on the interior of a car? As far as different waxes I use Meguires too along with their instant detailer spray. I recently tried the tech wax and it is ok too....

 

Meguiars NXT Tech Wax maybe 2 times a year and their Ultimate Quik Detailer for quick wipe downs whenever the bike needs it. My bike sits outside in the desert sun all day and so far I haven't noticed any fade. My wife got me a half cover for Christmas so I hoping that will help also.

Action

 

I like Plexus for the plastics. For the tank I'll use whatever car wax I happen to have at the time.

 

I also like plexus for plastic, and Mothers for aluminum. SP100 also makes some good cleaners/protectants.

 

An excellent paste that. Also use Plexus on the screen and my iridium Visor.

 

Meguiars products are the only ones I use

NXT Tech Wax

 

Mother's Mag and Aluminum for wheels and muffler, Mother's SYNWAX{man this stuff is GOOD!}, and Eagle One Nanowax for quick touchups. All are very easy to use, and leave a wonderful, long lasting shine.

 

Meguiar's Cleaner Wax is perfect for bike applications. Has a very, very mild abrasive that cleans all road grime, bug guts etc. You can also use it to polish the "yellow" off of your exhaust pipes and other metal pieces. Works great!

 

wax on wax off

Turtle wax ICE liquid on everything (except tires) because it leaves no white residue; follow with Nanowax on the painted pieces and use Nanowax spray detailer to keep the dust off. Don't use ANY tire shine or gloss products on MC tires unless you want to wind up on you A$$.

 

Hmmmmmm..... Meguiars seems to get lots of votes.

That tire shine versus being on your a$$ actualy struck close to home!
A friend with a road king sprayed his sidewalls with some goo and rode it. Luckily the rear end slid around before he got up to speed and lost it in a corner.

 

HMMMMMM! Armoralling tires on a motorcycle. I can't believe someone would actually do that. That's kinda like someone walking into the forest in the heat of a very dry summer with a lit cigarette in their mouth. Dah!

 

I was a big fan of Zymol... But it looks like you've already used it. I agree the shine doesn't last as long as it should. I spray and wax my bike enough it doesn't matter :biggrin:

~mikeym

 

I just used the paste version of this on my 07 VFR. Great stuff. If you happen to get this stuff in a crack of some sort on the bike, it doesn't leave the residue that usually requires a toothpick to get out. It goes on easy and comes off almost as easy. I know the packaging says you can use it on all surfaces, but I think I'll only be using it on painted surfaces.

 

Meguiar's to me is the best. I use it on my car and my bike. I have the 3 stage system that have the cleaner wax, then the polisher wax and then the carnauba wax. It gives a deep dark glossy look to my machines. Also I use Meguiars NXT Tech Wax, awesome product. For chrome I use Mothers

 

Zaino

I've been using Zaino products ( http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=About ) for many years on my SUV's, and last year I applied their products to a new BMW K1200GT.

In my opinion, if you're looking for the absolute finest "system" of products for a deep shine along with the utmost finish protection, get thee Zaino. (Those who are true aficionados and connoisseurs of automotive "polishes" are often devotees of Zaino products. If you've never heard of them, it's because they don't much advertise. They have little need to do so, since word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials seem to keep their small business quite busy.)

Based in Howell, NJ, this home-grown company was founded by Sal Zaino and his brother (I don't recall this brother's name). For a number of years their business was called Zaino Bros., but the name of the company was eventually changed to Zaino. At any rate, their web site is chocked full of fascinating information and clearly explained step-by-step instructions.

Don't let the term "Show Car Polish" fool you into thinking that their products are only for show cars/motorcycles that rarely, if ever, see real-world road and weather conditions. Their business was originally founded by catering to the show car market, but their products soon evolved into a comprehensive system that provides the best combination of deep shine and resistance to the most corrosive and harsh environmental conditions such as road salt, intense sun/UV radiation, automated car-washes, bird poop, etc.

For those who have a basic understanding of organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, Zaino products are based on extensive research and testing with polymers. There are no "waxes" (e.g., carnuba) found in Zaino products. True waxes are complex lipids (fats) that will soften, oxidize, yellow, crack, and become sticky and hard to remove, particularly in high heat such as intense sunlight, engine/exhaust heat, etc. Moreover, modern "Clear-Coat" finishes have long become ubiquitous, and applying anything containing most any amount of "wax" is often an invitation to damaging these delicate clear-coats.

Advanced polymer technology is where it's at, and in this area, Zaino rules the roost. (Once you've "Zaino'd" your ride, you can then quite safely use their Z6 spray to wipe down your bike. Or, as I often do, you can use another spray polish such as the one marketed by Honda, which I've found to be quite compatible with the base coating provided by Zaino products. Meanwhile, simply wash and re-apply Zaino's stuff to the finish once or twice a year, and your ride will retain it's showroom look for years.)

(Disclaimer: I have no financial interests in Zaino. I'm merely a highly satisfied customer.)

 

I used Meguiar's Gold Class for years with great sucess. I was given a bottle of Eagle One Nano-Wax & it is the shiznit. It looks like you can go swimming in the Pearl Yellow.

KC-10 FE out...
lane:

 

I like the Pro Honda Spray Cleaner and Polish.