Cleaning

Capsize

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• Sep 26, 2004

• #1

With most of my first 1k miles ridden in rain or on wet roads, cleaning the bike today was a royal pita.

The worst bit is the down and cross pipe on of the exhaust.

What method does anyone else use?

 

finglonga

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• Sep 26, 2004

• #2

Cleaning? .............. I don't understand must be some new fangled word.

 

nadeem

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• Sep 26, 2004

• #3

I usually wash my bike at the same time as the car - once a week every sunday - I just use the car wash & a sponge - I also have some muc-off but don't really need it at the moment as the bike doesn't get that dirty. One thing I do is wax the screen, this keeps it cleaner for longer and the rain beads off.

 

JayGee

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #4

Yep, this bike is a pain to clean. Last time I cleaned the down and cross pipes I used Wonder Wheels followed by a quick bit of Autosol, the Wonder Wheels made the job quite quick. Someone else on this forum suggested it (can't remember who) but it certainly works, makes a 5 minute job out of what was previously at least half an hour (so usually I didn't bother). I sometimes use MuckOff or Motex Cleaner but only for the non plastic bits and I never polish it.

 

eyeguy

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #5

picked mine up last week and Duncan at Vines said NOT to use Wonder Wheels as it ALWAYS takes off the lacquer coating the anodised.

 

Big Lee

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #6

I`ve got one of those large headed brushes with a long handle from Halfords to get inall the nooks & crannies. Saves taking lumps out of your hands

 

peten

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #7

As an ex Harley rider (It's ok, I'm cured now ) I started using S100 'Total cycle cleaner'. Great stuff, just spray onto a cool bike, leave for a few minutes and then remove using a jet wash (being careful to avoid jetwashing the grease out of wheel bearings etc).

Have been using it on the Beemer for the last couple of years with no problems or laquer removal. Whole job takes less than 30 minutes including getting the hose out and packing up afterwards. I believe that there is a version of S100 badged for Honda dealers as well. Not really cheap but does a great job!

Just my .02

 

oddball

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #8

The GS is a dream to clean compared to my old Varadero. For one it has not bathed itself in chain lube, secondly you can get at nearly everything as its not wrapped in plastic panels.

I have used Autoglym motorcycle cleaner for years now, it seems to have just the right amount of detergent not to cause problems with finishes - so long as you dont leave it on to long.

Yet to get the GS that filthy to give it a good go but Im sure the NEC show in November will be a wet one so will get a good test after that.

Tried wizzo wheels on a previous bike, it took the laquer off the aluminum wheels and pitted the rims without much effort at all........Avoid it!

 

JayGee

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #9

eyeguy said:

...Vines said NOT to use Wonder Wheels as it ALWAYS takes off the lacquer coating the anodised.

Click to expand...

Wonder Wheels is NOT for the wheels, IT IS FOR the EXHAUST. It cleans off the brown colouring and gets them nearly back to new. I can't see it'll do any damage on the stainless exhaust, but as it's mild acid keep it off the paint and plastic. Finish the exhaust with a bit of autosol and they look like new. The Wonder Wheels reduces the polishing by loads, in fact you don't really have to polish at all.

 

tigerwoods

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #10

hello all,

just very slightly off the beaten track....

you know when you take a car for a service or repair, they usually valet it for you before collection.
so, do they actually clean your bike if it goes in for a service or repair?

happy riding!

 

airborne

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• Sep 27, 2004

• #11

Yes they do! or at least Vines does. The bike has been in for it's first service and also for a checkup and both times they saved me the bother of washing the bike!

 

Chrysostom

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• Sep 28, 2004

• #12

South London Motorcycles also give your bike a jet washing before returning it to you. Doubtless the cost is built in, but it'd not been washed otherwise.

 

Big Lee

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• Sep 28, 2004

• #13

Is getting it washed after being serviced a good idea? A few years ago my uncle took his car into a main dealer to be serviced & on the service sheet it had the usual bit about the brakes being inspected & checked. You would think to do that properly would involve taking the wheels off? He hadn`t cleaned the car for a couple of weeks before hand & so the wheels had a coating of brake dust on them & was obvious the wheels had never been off. He went to the manager & complained & from that day after they always cleaned the cars after they had serviced them???
I`d rather see the oily fingerprints & clean new bits on my bike after a service & wash it myself rather than the YTS lad remove all evidence of work (or not) before I pick it up, after all its a £10k bike!!

 

oddball

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• Sep 28, 2004

• #14

The last service I had on my Honda the bike was gien back to me wet from a jet washing.

It wasnt until a couple of days later when dry in the garage I noticed a deep scratch in the back of the tank.

I cant say it was them for sure but I wont make the same mistake again of accepting a wet bike without giving it a good check over.