Waxing the vfr

I would love to keep my vfr in it's pristine condition by protecting it from scratches and such. I've never waxed anything before but I assume it can't be too hard. I figured I would just hit it with a clay bar and then some polish and clean wash and then a carnubas wax? Tell me if I'm going in the right direction here.

 

This is for me (and many others) the best and most protective wax out there. Easy to apply, great shine and incredibly durable and protective. The reviews speak for themselves. Found out about it 3 years ago while researching for an orbiting buffer on detailing sites and it is everything it is touted to be. Use it on my car and it lasts our cruel winters in NY like nothing else.

http://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Liq...2&sr=8-1&keywords=collinite+845+insulator+wax

 

I wish I saved my list of things on bike maintenance. I'm not a professional detailer (I was years ago), and I'm sure we have some pros on here. But a quick run down on what I would do.

Wash the bike. Garden hose, not a power washer.
For the FIRST TIME you are washing it, use dish detergent. This will help clean some of the grime off, but it will also remove old waxes and oils. So once its waxed and cleaned up, don't use dish detergent in the future. Buy your choice of car wash.
Clay bar is great for the first time. Make sure you keep spraying the surface where you are running the bar. Don't be shy either - use that bar on your headlights and taillights.
Might want to consider a base coat of polish before waxing. It'll really bring some shine to the paint.
Carnuba wax is fine.
After the wax, I like to apply a spray coat of Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer. It forms a nice protective layer that I personally like and see favorable results with. You can also use this product on your lights and lenses.

General comments:
All of this stuff can be used again and again, so don't go super cheap. Unless you only plan on washing/waxing your bike once.
Use whatever brand you like for supplies. I like Meguiars, but there's plenty of quality stuff out there.
Buy some pads to apply the wax - don't use your old sock that had a hole in it.
Use clean towels to dry and buff, or pick up a few terrycloth and microfibre towels.
You can use an orbital buffer between coats of polish and wax, but if you never used one, be careful. Hold it too long in the wrong angle, and you can watch your paint melt away under the friction. Be especially careful if you plan on using a drill with a buff pad vs. a real buffer. I don't recommend using a drill at all. A bike is a small area and can be done by hand anyway. A little elbow grease and TLC.
Don't forget to lube your chain after having washed it.

Take some before and after pics and post them up here.

 

Looks like I have some more stuff to buy. I just have a bottle of turtle wash n wax and mguires good class atm. Paints already good. I just want extra protection for factory paint job. I'll probably just wash the bugs an grime off and apply wax lol with an applicator pad

 

Keeping it salt and grime free is a good start. Turtle wax is better than dish detergent if you just like to wash and go. And I like the Gold Class.

Food for thought - you said your paint looks good. Spend about $50 in products, and a few hours one morning, and it'll look worlds better and be protected.

I could take any one of my vehicles, drive it through a swarm of bugs, let it bake in the sun for 2 days and I'd still be able to just wash them off without any scrubbing.

 

This used to be branded as a Pro Honda product. It is hands down, one of the easiest to use and best working cleaner/polishes available.

http://www.originalbikespirits.com/products/spray-cleaner-polish/

 

Hey Mike
When are you coming to ride my bike and perhaps give it a wax when you're done.

 

The polymer "waxes" are good stuff too. As Pliskin says, start with a clean surface. Power washers are power washers just like any other tool. They can be overused by getting too close to the work or having the wrong tip on the wand. Where they excel is getting the accumulated crud off the casting profiles on the swing arm and other aluminum bits. If power washing is a problem, apply some dish detergent straight oot of the bottle, on the metal bits with an old paintbrush,. let it sit and hose it off.



Polymer "waxes" for bikes and cars are synthetic. Best IMO is two coats with a day or even several days between coats so that those little polymers have a chance to get hooked up.

Lots of hype is going on when ya see " 100% Carnauba" What is really being said is the percentage of Carnauba contained in the mix is 100% Carnauba. Carnauba is a plant based wax and in it's raw form is almost hard enough to make pool balls oot of the stuff and it's green too..

Some waxes contain diatoms. These are critters that kicked off so long ago that we don't remember their names anymore. Other things that contain diatoms are toothpaste and toothpowder which is no worse to put in your mouth than fried chicken as opposed to a live chicken.

 

LOL!! Scuba is one smart dude!

 

I am hoping to be there in September. I need to make a quick stop in Vegas to see a few clients before heading to SD. I'll wash the bike, but I'm no Toe Cutter - I ain't wearing a thong when I do it.

 

As is being suggested in another thread, let's not wind SOW up again. This would include IMO, pix of Toe Cutter in a thong doing anything.

 

My routine:

1). Wash using high quality car wash soap
2). Clay using detail spray - be liberal with this. Drop your clay? Toss it! DO NOT TRY TO RE-USE! Use a new piece and carry on.
3). Swirl & Haze Remover (mildly abrasive), such as Meguiar's M105 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound - Use with Hex Logic ORANGE hand pad
4). Polish (very low abrasiveness), such as Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish- Use with Hex Logic WHITE hand pad
5). S100 wax (usually sold at Harley Dealers) This little tub comes with a circular foam applicator, which is just fine. Apply wax with minimal pressure over paint, running from front to back (straight, back and forth motions), or whichever way the wind flows through. This, as opposed to circular motions, will cut down on any potential particles you might pick up and "swirl" right back into your paint.

Correct the paint on a small area first, this will essentially show you what's needed (how many passes) in order to get that spot perfect. When you're satisfied with that, move on to the next panel or half panel. Once you've corrected the swirls, finish it off by waxing. No need to go crazy with the wax; one application is sufficient. Anything more and you'll just be wasting money.

Paint correction should be done right the first time around, so you only need to do it ONCE! Then, it's only a matter of CORRECTLY washing the bike so you don't get swirls in the paintwork once again. Think two-bucket wash with a grit guard in the bottom.... Check out "Junkman" on youtube.

Also, once you've got the bike's paint in order, get yourself some S100 Total Cycle Cleaner and it should be enough to keep the bike looking great between rides.

 

I said Wax not wash :rofl:
You got my number so call me...!

 

Again as Pliskin sez.. be careful with orbital buffers. These are for pros. This extends to buffing bonnets on drill motors.

Most automotive retailers have random orbit buffers for sale for not too many pesos that are far less likely to burn up a paintjob. Lots of curves both inside and outside and high and low points on fairings. VFR tanks are as far as I know clearcoated OEM.. Fairings are a tossup.

 

Just curious what others are using on the black plastic parts of their bike and any other must-have cleaners not already mentioned. I am a big fan of this Bike Spirits stuff (also repackaged as Hondas spray polish) and that is what I use between washes and after many rides. I use this stuff in my car and house as well. Tons of uses. I have some Mothers reflections wax I use and also Meguiars quick detail. Some of this black seems to be fading a hair and wondering if there is something better to use. Looking at pics of other's bikes on this site, thought I kept mine clean.....but many others seemed to have one-upped me on that job.

 

Honda polish cleaner for those quick get it cleaned up. even on the wheels and the black plastic. Mequiars cleaner wax and a micro polisher for those days when I believe it needs just a bit more shine, I DON"T USE WATER! unless it's to get the bugs off the wind screen, then even at that its a soaked soft t shirt draped on it to let it soak a bit, then I use Plexus on all lexan plastics,. works for me. Back to the question of the black plastic parts, I use a variable of products, I haven't found one I'm in love with, there is haha Armour all, but leaves a greasy look & feel to it IMO, speaking of greasy, wd40 works when used very lightly, then there's this new product I tripped over at a trade show exhibit called Just Once, I like it, doesn't leave the seat slippery, but the applicator bottle sucks. What I seem to use the most of as it's great in the truck & car as it doesn't gas off leaving a film on the windows, comes in both spray and wipes, is Mequiars interior detailer, it even has a nice Odor about it.

 

The main distributor for many of the cleaning/waxing products in areas of the PNW is in Kent,WA. Honda is not the only outfit that repackages product. Some of the high roller outfits (Griots Garage) Repackage Meguirs and likely Eagle One too. A tenner says that HD ain't got a polish factory in Milwaukee either. Maybe a swede factory.. Hard to tell..

Some (read that some) of the rattlecan cleaners, waxes, polishers ect contain silicones. Sometimes (read that sometimes) this can cause fisheye when combined with non-petroleum based waxes. Ie polymers and petroleum base waxes containing a small percentage Carnauba. Silicones also raise hell in repaints too not exclusive to painting bikes and cars but refinishing and painting of furniture. There are also anti-fisheye additives oot there too.

Different paints call for different methods of whatever suits. The newer paints as found on newer cars, bikes ect are tough as hell. This is evidenced by the "dentless" body repair that is great if the paint is still in good shape and the overall damage is not too bad. Using apps of the same variety on some of the "older" paint jobs that were enamel (Ford) or lacquer (GM) aint gonna work.

Are the old "paints" crap? Nope, just different. Some shops still do custom paintwork using lacquer for the filler/primers, same lacquer base finish "paint" for the fancy work and topcoat same with one of the two component clears.

Best bet. Get a book and RTFM.

 

IMO your black plastic is oxidizing. The cleaners again IMO, perpetuate this. Some times a quick rub with 0000 steel wool (sans oil) will work. Or, if the parts are removable, a cleanup with the steel wool, a coat or two of Krylons's "Fusion" as a primer and a finish coat of an appropriate topcoat. Black "Fusion" and a clear topcoat, Fusion and a top of Hammerite or even a top of One Shot striping paint.

Your black plastic (ABS) should be treated with different stuff than is used on Lexan. Lexan is a whole different ball of wax.

 

Protectall, you can buy it in wallymart. Like maguires carnuba was and their cleaner wax. Use pledge on my chrome pipes in other bike as its cheap. Dont get it on your paint or rotors.