Cleaning with powerwasher

[een705]

I am very lazy so thought I would invest in a power washer and some surfex hd cleaner from bilt hamber, question is do I just stick the nozzle from the power washer and put it on mix, spray the bike, leave a few minutes and clean off. Should I use a separate spray to get the surfex hd on or dilute with water then spray. Hopefully someone will have used this stuff Bike is an LC

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Don't do it.

 

[een705]

Any particular reason as it is supposed to be good

Don't do it.

 

[CPJS]

Don't do it as in don't jet wash. You risk blasting water into dust seals on bearings etc. Jet washing won't get it clean, try the method you suggest on your car and see how clean it looks once dry.

 

[rocky burns]

I jet wash every bike I have. Never had a problem yet. Just keep it from getting too close to the bearings

 

[Nutty]

I jet wash every bike I have. Never had a problem yet. Just keep it from getting too close to the bearings

Same here.

 

[Rusty]

Indeed .. just "stand back a bit" when jet washing and all will be fine. Never had any problems .. be sensible or is that not a tosser trait ????

 

[boatman]

Spray the whole thing with muc off. Give it 5 minutes ,then wash off with jet wash kept well back so as not to damage ought ... Job done ! Been doing this for years with lots of different bikes ,, not had any probs !

 

[Rockred]

My local dealer ( BMW ) in Spain users a power washer, after they service the bike.

 

[tanneman]

Bollocks. Just don't point the jet at the obvious places where water ingress will cause damage like the bearings, dust seals and fog lights. The Karcher K2 allows to have the soap diluted as you spray it on the bike. There is a suction pipe and the nozzle has a setting for the soap. Not foam lance quality.

Now for the Surfex HD. I use the stuff and it is a degreaser which is useful if you spray the bike with Dynax UC. The instructions says not to let it dry, use on small areas at a time and use a brush to agitate if the grease, wax, dirt is resistant. Best to use a soap that is made for the job and for that I use Auto Glym products. If you are lazy washing a bike then the GS and GSA is not the bike for you if you plan to keep it in pristine condition. These require a bit of elbow grease to keep in good condition. Invest in a blower like the Bosch leaf blower and it cuts down on the time spending drying the bike. Unfortunately a sponge will be needed to rid the bike of dirt. Set aside an hour and a half to do it at a leisurely pace. And get yourself a brush that the missus uses to clean the dishes, toothbrush for the awkward spots if you are so inclined. Don't brush your teeth afterwards with it.

 

[DC]

i use the foam detergent when its really dirty …spray on low power, leave a few mins and rinse off low power is the key …high power can cause issues ...

 

[een705]

Thanks Tanneman I am using a k4 and was hoping to just stick the tube in the surfex and mix with nozzle at min setting especially having spoked wheels the are a pain to clean

Bollocks. Just don't point the jet at the obvious places where water ingress will cause damage like the bearings, dust seals and fog lights. The Karcher K2 allows to have the soap diluted as you spray it on the bike. There is a suction pipe and the nozzle has a setting for the soap. Not foam lance quality.

Now for the Surfex HD. I use the stuff and it is a degreaser which is useful if you spray the bike with Dynax UC. The instructions says not to let it dry, use on small areas at a time and use a brush to agitate if the grease, wax, dirt is resistant. Best to use a soap that is made for the job and for that I use Auto Glym products. If you are lazy washing a bike then the GS and GSA is not the bike for you if you plan to keep it in pristine condition. These require a bit of elbow grease to keep in good condition. Invest in a blower like the Bosch leaf blower and it cuts down on the time spending drying the bike. Unfortunately a sponge will be needed to rid the bike of dirt. Set aside an hour and a half to do it at a leisurely pace. And get yourself a brush that the missus uses to clean the dishes, toothbrush for the awkward spots if you are so inclined. Don't brush your teeth afterwards with it.

 

[Pablo1]

Having once removed the decals/transfers off a honda with my trusty K4, the trick is to set the pressure on low, with the exception of my spoke wheels which have a matte finish, they get blasted, the rest of the bike is lovingly shampooed, sponged, rinsed and chamois dried before being tucked up in the garage with a story

 

[crotchrocket]

i dont find anything you spray on, then wash off works. Sponge and elbow grease on the main bike then some brushes / chemical on the wheels works for me. Just use the jet wash to wet the bike in the different stages and wash off afterwards.

 

[ianran]

You can wash them??

 

[matchbox]

I think mine looks great dirty! And whats wrong with a garden hose?

 

[Nutty]

i dont find anything you spray on, then wash off works. Sponge and elbow grease on the main bike then some brushes / chemical on the wheels works for me. Just use the jet wash to wet the bike in the different stages and wash off afterwards.

Try SDOC100, but make sure you use the power gel, not the normal shite.