Bike cleaning advice please

[batman1]

Merry Xmas everyone!

For many years I have always cleaned my GS’s with Doc100, sprayed on and brushed etc, it works well but is quite laborious and not cheap if you use it liberally like I do.

I’ve heard guys on here mention using snow foam on their bikes.

I’m thing of trying these two eBay items in the photos, does anyone use this stuff and does it work well?

 

[Tractors are go]

I got 25L of traffic film remover for curtain sides, fell of the back of a lorry.

The adaptor for karcher is worthwhile, I bought a spare so I can just change from remover to wash/cleaner.

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[younger06]

I worry about the switchgear.
My right hand side switchgear packed up not long after I started to snowfoam the bike.

Now, I know the switchgear commonly fail on the Hexhead..........but it has me paranoid.

(stuff in the links looks good)



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[Popinman]

The below is worth a read, and search Bilt Hamber Autofoam. Really good stuff. Add in a cheap eBay pet blower/dryer (especially for switch gear) and you’re all set.....

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=408054&highlight=Motorcycle

 

[developer]

To me snowfoam just adds another process and it's messy too - you need to have a place to rinse it away to.

You'll still need to agitate it to get it to do anything and you can do the same with a decent shampoo, without the snowfoam.

 

[Schtum]

I got 25L of traffic film remover for curtain sides, fell of the back of a lorry.

A bit too aggressive for water based paint, especially when it's on magnesium cam covers, etc.

I made the mistake of cleaning my first 2004 R1200 GS with Muc Off. That resulted in two new cylinder heads under warranty.

 

[Engineer]

No short cuts to doing it properly - any of the commercial bike cleaners are OK, even Muc Off BUT rinse the bike first and apply cleaner whilst bike is still we and never, ever, ever let any cleaner dry on the bike.

 

[batman1]

I’m well aware that there is no short cut, and I am fairly meticulous when I clean my bikes, but I just want advice preferably from someone who has used a PH neutral snow foam on their pride and joy regularly.

I would not use muck-off on my Rallye even if it was free. I used it on my T/ Explorer many moons ago and it made the black painted motor and drive shaft cover go very dull.
I’m on my 6th GS-LC now and my cleaning product has always been Doc100, I do use a bike dryer and I do use ACF50 pre winter and Scottoiler 365 after every wash, my bikes are always like new when I chop ‘em in, and I’ve never had any corrosion issues.
I just fancy having a go with the foam lance thingy and I’d like to hear from anyone who uses the stuff, ie do you still have to agitate grimy areas with a cleaning brush etc, are two applications required, how does it compare with Doc100 which is pretty dam good?

Please keep ‘em coming....

 

[developer]

ie do you still have to agitate grimy areas with a cleaning brush etc

Yes - as you do with shampoo, hence my view on it just adding another process - even after you've let it "dwell"

I maintained an AMG Merc to show standards for a number of years and never went near snowfoam for the entire period.

 

[Giles]

I do have snow foam and all the trimmings, (two quality grit guard buckets, and more shampoos and potions and lotions than you can shake a stick at ..!).

Snow foam, is really a pre wash, and the idea of it is to gently wash road grit and all that abrasive dust off paintwork, before you start getting stuck in with sponges. If you didn’t do that, and just launched straight into cleaning, then all that dirt and debris becomes vim scouring powder.

If you’re bike is a fully faired, say, RT with loads of paintwork, then it’s probably worth it. If it’s a naked street triple and pretty much the only paintwork you’ve got is say a tank, maybe it’s not?

I have used snow foam on my new car since I bought it, and if you look at the panels and the bonnet in the light, the paintwork is mint. No scouring marks anywhere.

Snow foam is not the wonder cleaning product that when washed off will leave your bike like new ... it’s just good practise to get all that vim scouring powder off first ....

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[batman1]

Hi Giles, now that is a great report, exactly what I was hoping for, do you still bother with it as a prewash?

 

[Rusty]

Giles ... as above .. has it spot on .. think of the snow foam as dripping all the shit off your bike BEFORE you clean it .... there is lots of stuff out there and at various prices and foaming may be messy but really its very good for your beloved GS. I use an online company called "Detailed Clean" .. they have plenty of stuff and some useful tutorials on how to clean this and that... all sounds very obvious but really worth a look. Hope this helps.
Merry Christmas

 

[Deleted account 210604001]

Agree with Giles, I use Bilt Hamber Autofoam as mentioned above on my car and use the two bucket method (3 if you count the wheels), but really couldn't be arsed on my Duc 899, too much of a faff. Not huge faired areas to worry about, and as a prewash I just rinse it, and also soak a microfibre cloth in water and slap it on the front (as I do with my helmet) to soften the bugs and general crap.

Still comes up OK for a bike with 30K + on it.

RBW.

 

[yofi]

My conclusion from having used a variety of snowfoams on cars over the years is the same as that concluded by Matt from Obsessed Garage, a very well know detailing channel, that it's largely ineffective in breaking down dirt. Rather, having first thoroughly rinsed the vehicle to remove any loose grit/dirt, the benefit is in leaving a ph neutral suds base over the car, which is better than leaving mineralised water sitting on the car. Alternatively, spraying the snowfoam on first and removing with a jet at least ensures that you know you've jetted off every nook and cranny, as Giles has said.

On a bike, just seems absolutely pointless. One way of another you have to 'get in there' with the cleaning utility of your choice - there is simply no replacement for displacement! On tarred surfaces, a weakly alkaline remover (many of choice out there, but 10-15% Bilt Hamber Surfex will do) will help with the agitation, but it will do very little on its own or that a water jet wouldn't do.

Totally don't bother using on a bike. Put the investment towards x2 buckets with grit guards, a quality wool/microfibre mitt, a range of mini brushes, ph neutral shampoo and some Surfex (remembering to dilute).

 

[Giles]

Hi Giles, now that is a great report, exactly what I was hoping for, do you still bother with it as a prewash?

So as above from Yofi really .... it’s (snow foam) arguably not worth it for a bike. (Definitely is for a car).
Like others have said ... good old elbow grease. (I never throw away a toothbrush! Got dozens of them in my shed!).
Food for thought is the bike screen. They are normally pretty ‘soft’ plastic and scratch very easily. If you want to avoid scouring marks on that good practise would be to take that off and soak it in hot water rather than just scrub the bugs off it ..


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[squibb34]

Be very careful about what cleaning products you use, or admit to using, should you ever need to look to BMW Warranty - Schtum #6 must have chosen his words carefully. You need to be seen to stick to the Rider's Manual recommendations.

Personally I use Muck-off or similar pre-wash, always on a cold bike & never let it dry in the sun. Hose down as necessary to clear any grit. Then a wash with whatever salt free auto wash is to hand, followed by a good rinse down with water infused with a tiny quantity of 'Bobby Dazzler'. BD will chase off most water droplets, then a quick leather off. Then Harley engine black (like S-Doc) where needed, clean discoloured pipes carefully with bog cleaner, then judicious application of ACF50 on any prone areas.

 

[Giles]

I had a rear wheel replaced under warranty after Bmw cleanedxmy bike post service. Not sure what they used but it fucked the lacquer..!!


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[RedRick Esq.]

No short cuts to doing it properly - any of the commercial bike cleaners are OK, even Muc Off BUT rinse the bike first and apply cleaner whilst bike is still we and never, ever, ever let any cleaner dry on the bike.

SDoc cleaner has to go onto dry bike not wet like mud off

 

[littleade]

I’m well aware that there is no short cut, and I am fairly meticulous when I clean my bikes, but I just want advice preferably from someone who has used a PH neutral snow foam on their pride and joy regularly.

I would not use muck-off on my Rallye even if it was free. I used it on my T/ Explorer many moons ago and it made the black painted motor and drive shaft cover go very dull.
I’m on my 6th GS-LC now and my cleaning product has always been Doc100, I do use a bike dryer and I do use ACF50 pre winter and Scottoiler 365 after every wash, my bikes are always like new when I chop ‘em in, and I’ve never had any corrosion issues.
I just fancy having a go with the foam lance thingy and I’d like to hear from anyone who uses the stuff, ie do you still have to agitate grimy areas with a cleaning brush etc, are two applications required, how does it compare with Doc100 which is pretty dam good?

Please keep ‘em coming....

I use Powermaxed ph neutral TFR mixed 9:1 with water which I find far more suitable for a bike. I apply it with a garden sprayer and leave it to soak for about 10 minutes while I go indoors and get the hot water for my TBM shampoo. Apart from the occasional use of tar remover I don't have to use anything else cleaning wise. It's particularly good on dried on flies, for the screen I put a micrifibre cloth on it and soak it with tfr which loosen them up a treat. The good thing with tfr is you can see it working and can give the more cruddy areas an extra soaking if needed. I rinse it off with a nilfisk jetwash using one of their auto nozzles which produces a nice wide soft fan compared to the normal nozzles. after the shampoo I rinse then dry the bike off with a pet drier

 

[Tractors are go]

A bit too aggressive for water based paint, especially when it's on magnesium cam covers, etc.

I made the mistake of cleaning my first 2004 R1200 GS with Muc Off. That resulted in two new cylinder heads under warranty.

I dilute it, (tightfisted Scotsman jokes maybe inserted here) 20:1.

Not had a problem, but I treat it as a prewash before I get down and dirty with the toothbrushes and then wash then rinse then dry and polish every six months.

I don't have a social life.

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