Is it just me or is cleaning the GS the worst bike ever?

beaver

beaver

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Oct 8, 2017
Messages
1,841
Reaction score
2
Location
Bradford
Just done short of 200 miles in the Dales where we found they had salted the roads and very hard rain at one point... so just set about cleaning the bike... its a sod to do to ensure you get everywhere especialy with crash bars... and I've just taken the end on my finger off between the rear brake and the bevel housing... like a guillotine!
I've given it 1 hour so far, but will have to remove a few things to ensure all the salt is gone... maybe spray time for the winter... whats that stuff people use?

:tarka
 
the GSA is harder to clean than the GS , the spoke wheels are a nightmare ........been out in the trough of bowland today lots of Salt around there too .
 
Never had a problem with my 2010GSA..........

Sprayed a lot of it with Tectyl-506, and forget about it. Clean the wax off with WD40-type stuff when I could be bothered.

7yrs later - it came up like a new pin.
 
It’s easy to clean, just wash thoroughly, dry - apply FS365, ACF50 etc.
 
I use a spray on/wash off product called Rhino Goo and a light weight garden pressure washer, gets in all nooks and crannies... easy.
 
beaver this will make you laugh but it works, try and get at least a dry day, bike outside good karcher jet wash, but keep the pressure way away from the bike, then give it a good coat of muc off or any other product that is not to agressive, then wait 5 minutes, give it a thorough rince off with the karcher, again not to close, or even a good hose pipe down, if you cannot ride it outside to get rid of the excess water in places, ready to laugh, a cheap Lidl or Aldi garden leave blower will get rid of the excess water, then, give it a good coat of ACF 50, the MF video will show you how he does it.....:green gri
 
Let the bike go cold - Pressure Washer; Good Quality Snow Foam; Rinse Off; Dry with a MicroFibre and a dryer if you have one. Cover in 365 / ACF 50 or whatever you prefer.
 
Hose pipe to get the worst of the dirt off, then I use either SDoc100 or Pro Green MC cleaner left for the recommended time and then hosed off. I repeat if necessary and use a bike dryer to blast water from the places like the spotlamp enclosures and radiator nooks and crannies etc. Once dry, I apply ACF50 once monthly all over the bike, avoiding tyres and brakes, but wheel rims, spokes, engine casing, electrics and all exposed metalwork all gets a good misting. I leave it 10 minutes before removing the excess with a cloth. I've been doing this with my last three bikes, all of which have been ridden on salted roads, and all have remained pristine as a result. Takes a good 2 to 3 hours from start to finish to do a thorough job. In between ACF treatments, I usually just wash using the Pro-Green MC, dry with the drier and use a Simonez detailing spray on paintwork and plastics. tbh, it isn't any worse than cleaning my previous Harley or Tiger Explorer.
 
I dont think the GS is any harder than any other bike to clean, its more the fact that more of the bike is on show, as opposed to being hidden away behind fairings and stuff. The fact that you can see all the engine makes you want to keep it clean, whereas if it was an inline block, like a Tiger for instance, you cant get up behind the radiator to clean the front of the head and block properly, so tend not to bother. You cant even see the dirt unless you get down on your hands and knees, but on the GS its there in your face when you walk past.

Stu
 
Some sound advise there folks.. many thanks :) thats what I need... a leaf blower!.. dual function... :) I aslo use muck-off
I always come in with a few cuts from the thing though... sharp plastics or disc edges?...
I will get some ACF50m ordered... thats what I was thinking of...
yes.. its around the engine and the rear end thats worst.. rear wheel off to do it right?
cheers :)
 
beaver said:
Some sound advise there folks.. many thanks :) thats what I need... a leaf blower!.. dual function... :) I aslo use muck-off
I always come in with a few cuts from the thing though... sharp plastics or disc edges?...
I will get some ACF50m ordered... thats what I was thinking of...
yes.. its around the engine and the rear end thats worst.. rear wheel off to do it right?
cheers :)
Click to expand...

Also forgot if you are washing it on the centerstand, once washed put it on the sidestand, you will be amazed how much water drops on the floor, then get the leafblower in there, from opposite side.
 
Smogbob said:
Also forgot if you are washing it on the centerstand, once washed put it on the sidestand, you will be amazed how much water drops on the floor, then get the leafblower in there, from opposite side.
Click to expand...

I do wash it on the ctr stand.. then put it on the side stand and like you say, about 1/2 ltr runs off... then i hold it the other way as low as I can go... some always comes off that way also.... but there are areas on top of the cylinders that still hold water... a leaf blower is just what I need for those !!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom