Steam Cleaning.

[boxer]

Evenin'

Has anyone used a steam cleaner on their bikes - especially the wheels. I've got about 7 months worth of crap ground into the spokes and it seems to me a steam cleaner could be just the job. So if anyones got any experiences/recommendations I'd like to hear them

Thanks.

Russ.

 

[notadrop]

Its obviously a no no near any electrical, greased some gasketed areas.
Wheel Bearings, ABS, general electrics and any loose paint.
I would advise soaking and loads of more soaking then a good general cleaner 'Muck off' or Autoglym general cleaner with a suitable brush - not to harsh or you will get minor scratch marks.
Staem is high pressured and carries more risks thaen warrant it IMHO.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

i just bought some stuff from hein geriche - motoradder reiniger or something. expensive, 13 squids for five litres but its excellent stuff. you squirt it on and it forms a gel - leave it there for 15 minutes then just hose it off. simpe as that. got rid of all the shite from my recent 3500 miler round europe - with the very minimum of brush work in hard-to-reach areas.

pr0ne

 

[boxer]

Thanks for the replies.

Notadrop.
I quite agree that high pressure jets of anything don't belong near a bike. Whilst I haven't used one yet I kind of get the impression that these wallpaper stripper things don't operate at the same pressure as jet washes.

I'm looking to get away from rubbing individual spokes with a toothbrush soaked in Gunk. I was going to limit the steam to the exhaust, spokes, rims and the front off the cylinders - or at least try to.

Don't car engines get steam cleaned and wouldn't this drench the electrics in the engine bay?

Prone.
Will this stuff really shift the ground in brake dust [?] on the leading edge of the spoke? Really?


Russ.

 

[The Stimulator]

Being a lazy s**t, as those who have seen my bike will testify, I tried a friends steam cleaner because I thought that it would be a good way to clean the wheels, and the front of the engine. Unfortunately it didn't work particularly well, and I've come to the conclusion that traditional methods (elbow grease) are required.

Iain L

 

[Barrie]

Steam Clean

what you want is Brake and clutch cleaner, available from Halford. do not put it directly on the pads though, I steam clean my wheels but as said before keep the pressure of grease gaskets and electrics.
good luck.
Barrie

 

[Vern]

I pressure wash mine evey week or two, and twice a year, the tank comes off, and the whole lot gets steam cleaned, abs, the lot. It doesn't do half million £ rally cars any harm, and it hasn't done my bike any harm either, I reckon all that crap and salt working its way into electrics does more harm than a steam cleaner.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Prone. Will this stuff really shift the ground in brake dust [?] on the leading edge of the spoke? Really?

you mean the rust? ;-)

no is the short answer. but it makes cleaning the rest of the bike so quick and thorough that the choir of rubbing the spokes won't seem quite so tiresome. sort of.

i've got a weird old brush thing that came with an old Wonderweels cleaning set. It's like one of the those green scouring pads only softer, attached to the end of a kind of spatular. it makes much quicker work of cleaning your spokes and saves handful's of knuckleskin.

pr0ne

 

[sjwb]

So Vern, I wonder what the average life of a rally car is

 

[(RIP) maverick]

I pressure wash mine evey week or two, and twice a year, the tank comes off, and the whole lot gets steam cleaned, abs, the lot.

Agreed, always done my bikes with the old pressure washer and so far so good!

 

[cookie]

Don't car engines get steam cleaned and wouldn't this drench the electrics in the engine bay?

Russ.

if you've got any sense, you cover the alternator & anything else vulnerable with a plastic bag.

 

[Den]

Here is the proper way to clean yer bike.

It must be right because ive seen some of your bikes and most of them are a bloody disgrace.

fill a spray bottle with a mix of car shampoo and water. Spray entire bike. Have coffee and fag

Fill bucket with same mixture. Use a paintbrush with metal bit taped over to prevent scratching

Clean the " bits you dont see" first, then the big bits with the brush.

THEN BLAST IT WITH THE JETWASH

Your bike is generally fairly waterproof.

My bikes have always looked just about new so I must be right

Dirty filthy bikes are ok...... if it is recent dirt and not accumulated since the bike was new.

 

[Vern]

The average life of a rally car is as long as your cheque book, but there are still heaps of 30 year old Porches out there being abused. I know a bloke who just bought a shed of a subaru Gp A car, 3 years old, only £180000, bargin