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How do you wash your bike? Any special tips that get that plastic clean, or the aluminum sparkling?? Please share.


I'll start it.

Start with a simple rinse with a stream spray getting all the mud/dirt off.
Coat the entire bike with a degreaser, tires too,(usually the cheapest largest quantity degreaser I can buy). Make sure to have the soap bucket full on hand. Soap mixture with a shot of concentrated liquid wax. Without letting the degreaser sit on the metal surfaces too long, start soaping down the metal parts with a nylon washing brush. Move to the plastics and thouroughly scrub everywhere reachable.
Rinse and if necessary repeat.
Use Wesley's Bleach-White and spray the tires.
After the tire is coated, quickly start scrubbing the rims on each side and work your way to the meat of the tire. Follow up with scrubbing the rear sprocket and spokes using a small amount off Bleach-white. Bleach-white removes the chain wax and dirt very well.
While the bike is still wet, apply wax-as-you-dry and wipe off with a clean towel. The wax helps the next time you wash. Some of this Michigan mud stains like ink and sticks like cement.

Got a better way to wash???

wow..that's a great process. for me, i always wash as quickly after a ride as possible so the mud doesn't stain the plastics/aluminum. i just rinse and use a good car wash solution, brushes and rags...rinse and dry.

while i use a nozzle to adjust the stream i do not use a high pressure washer.

ken

Geez, 124...you really turn this into a science Sounds like I need to improve my washing habits

Anyway, for one thing, we absolutely wash after every ride (mud or dry.) All I really do is use Dawn dishwashing liquid and a power sprayer. I have a cap for the exhaust (protect from water getting in) and take special care (with the sprayer) when around the engine components, seat, and suspension seals.

I use a soft brush/sponge on the plastics, engine components, and seat. I use a firm nylon bristle brush on the wheels and sprocket areas. Like you, I scrub every reachable spot and rinse thoroughly.

Apply some chain lube (after every wash) and a bit of vinyl/leather conditioner to the seat to keep it from drying and cracking. I only put a little on because too much will have you sliding right off the thing (learned this one from experience...duh!)

...and that about it.

Drive thru the automatic car wash on the way home from riding with the bikes in the back of your truck


Not really!
I use a small pressure washer to rinse mud off. then soap it down and scrub with rags, brush. Rinse off with
pressure washer and dry.

Rinse everything down with the garden hose, then spray with Simple Green/degreaser; scrub all the reachable places with a soft brush; rinse again. Then wipe down all rubber, plastic, and vinyl with protectant/wax stuff. Polish and check the spokes. Check the air filter. Lube the chain. Hook it up to the trickle charger. Done.

I think it's fun to come home with a muddy, muddy bike--cuz that looks cool--and then return it to it's brighty, shiny self.

B

i have a tip for removing dark stains/colors/grease or whatever you get on your plastic that doesnt come off after a wash. GASOLINE yes gas, its great at removing the grime that just wont come off my sides, or plastics and it makes my sides brilliant white again! it doesnt take much gas though. it takes away the frustration for me does anyone else do this on their plastic sometimes?

Wash however you like. Dry. Spray whole bike with WD40 being careful not to get on disc brakes. Spray no touch tire foam "Son-of -a Gun, its not so greasey" Gently wipe whole bike with an old white T Shirt. I Guarantee your bike will look as close to new as it can without actually being new. Try it. 4strokes smoke for about 1 min after start up, dont be alarmed, its just evaporating the WD from pipe, raidiator, and cylinder, two strokes dont smoke upon start up. BLING!! [/img]

beer
rinse bike with pressure washer
beer
simple green entire bike
beer
rinse
beer
dry with leaf blower. Use one hand to dry, one to hold another beer

redrider911 wrote:beer
rinse bike with pressure washer
beer
simple green entire bike
beer
rinse
beer
dry with leaf blower. Use one hand to dry, one to hold another beer

That's what I'm talkin' about!

I'm with BPamP . Simple green works great and it's cheap. I never use a pressure washer just a hose and brush. For the alluminum I use a scotch bright pad.

careful with that wesleys bleach white. I had the great idea of using it for cleaning plastics and the seat. worked good on the seat & plastics, but some got on the alum frame and started drying in the sun before I rinsed. It corroded/stained/blemished areas where it dried on the frame.

I am now very careful of what cleaners I use. Usually it is just simple green or orange blast from then on.

I like redrider911's process. Only on thing to add...

Beer
Rinse off dirt/mud
Beer
Simple Green
Beer
WD40 the whole bike
Beer
Wipe off excess WD40
Beer

The WD keeps everything supple and looking new, it also prevents muck from sticking to the bike very well. After the first application you rarely have to use the degreaser as dirt and mud just wash off with water out of a standard garden hose with a nozzle. WD stands for "water displacing" so it forces all the H2O out of all those hard to reach places.

redrider911 wrote:beer
rinse bike with pressure washer
beer
simple green entire bike
beer
rinse
beer
dry with leaf blower. Use one hand to dry, one to hold another beer

i have a 2:1 beer ratio and air dry

suzuki yes i said suzuki , makes a motorcycle wash that will clean anything. just rinse and then spray on, then i use a car wash brush on a stick and wheels and all come show room clean in less then 10 minutes. no water spots either, after a couple washes it kind of build a film on plastics making it com cleaner faster everytime after. supposed to condition plastics aswell. on a black bike i cant complain. takes road grime off my street bikes aswell. even cleans the white letters on my GMC. it will clean and is safe on anything. in fact my wife cleaned our BBQ grill with it yesterday kinda like cleaning CRACK

Jethro, look on that bottle and see if there is a reference anywhere to S100. I know that Kawasaki and Honda relabel S100 to their own brand. What you are saying sounds like S100. It may say that it is made in Germany as well.
Joe