The problem with being the sort of biker who likes to rider their bike all year round is that it can sometimes be a constant struggle to keep it clean and free from corrosion. I don't have an endless supply of money, or a six figure city bonus to rely on each year, so looking after my bike is not only part of ownership, but essential if I'm to continue to afford my hobby.
However, as I'd much rather be riding than scrubbing those b*****d spoked wheels for the umpteenth time, I took particular interest in the post on another regional forum advertising the services of All Year Biker.
They charge £60 for their cleaning and protecting service, which at first sight sounds like a lot, especially as there isn't any mention of glamour models or bikinis to be seen on their website anywhere.
However, for this outlay (and discounts are available from this very forum) your bike will undergo an the kind of transformation and catharsis normally reserved for butterfly's and transvestites...
I'll summarise here and try to illustrate with some iPhone snaps, but do please check out their website or go along to one of their demonstrations to see for your self. It's one of those things that don't sound much on paper, but see it in the flesh and its a whole other story. Like reading about oral sex, and then getting a blow job for the first time...
I took a bit of a gamble as over the years I have collected what I consider to be a good and effective variety of potions and unguents to use on my bike such as Autoglym, SDOC100, Plexus and ACF50, but do not consider myself any kind of expert in their use or application. And that I think is the point of the All Year Biker service - expertise of using and combining the right set of products to achieve an outstanding, professional result.
I arrived at the Pitstop Café at Stockton and Roy from All Year Biker was there waiting for me with a mini marquee and collection of hoses, sprays and buckets.
First thing first - a quick rinse to get rid of loose dirt:
Followed by the application of a foam which is similar to SDOC100 but much more pervasive and encompassing:
The foam is able to release dirt from every surface it touches - so you can spray into the crooks, crannies and recesses your sponges, brushes or fingers cant normally reach.
The foam is the rinsed off and dried using a warm air blower:
The bike is shrouded in preparation for the ACF50 treatment (so as to protect the brake disc's and control where the spray lands):
The professional application of the ACF50 is the real point to all of this. I've been using ACF50 for several years now, and it is excellent stuff, however, the best I can do to put it onto the bike is to spray it into a cup and paint it onto the bits I think need it, like the front engine cover. It certainly works, but I'm left with a thin purple residue which although I know is doing good, nonetheless looks a bit of a mess. It's also tough to reach the nooks and crannies with a brush, and it comes out of the spray nozzle way too thick to spray on directly.
All Year Biker use some kind of spray gun/atomiser to achieve a very fine mist which is then sprayed onto the bike so as to coat every desired surface, seam, bolt and screw you want it to - no matter how deep into the bike it lurks:
Roy then goes around the whole of the bike with a cloth damp with ACF50 and pays particular attention to areas such as those blasted spoked wheels:
At some point the bike is also cleaned with a special kind of synthetic polish (nano technology and PTFE based - whatever that means!), but there is no denying the end result is simply stunning, these pics aren't good enough I know, but go see for yourself if you can if your the empirical and demonstrable type
The whole process takes about 1 and 1/2 hours from start to finish, and Roy was helpful and willing to offer tips and explanations of the various techniques and products he used, and that are used by others too.
The fact that its scrupulously clean and silky smooth to the touch is not the point though; that's just a by product achieved on the way to making sure that when I continue to ride my bike through the Winter, it will come out the other side looking as shiny and new as it does now. And that's worth £60 of my money anytime.
Mike
NB: I have no relation or interest in All Year Biker, but I have been impressed with their service enough to commend it to others. They have been in operation for several years now and have hundreds of satisfied customers to their credit.
PS: Some of the pics have displayed on their side - apologies for any neck or cranial pain incurred! They're the right way up in Photobucket so I don't know what do to do I'm afraid!
Mike
However, as I'd much rather be riding than scrubbing those b*****d spoked wheels for the umpteenth time, I took particular interest in the post on another regional forum advertising the services of All Year Biker.
They charge £60 for their cleaning and protecting service, which at first sight sounds like a lot, especially as there isn't any mention of glamour models or bikinis to be seen on their website anywhere.
However, for this outlay (and discounts are available from this very forum) your bike will undergo an the kind of transformation and catharsis normally reserved for butterfly's and transvestites...
I'll summarise here and try to illustrate with some iPhone snaps, but do please check out their website or go along to one of their demonstrations to see for your self. It's one of those things that don't sound much on paper, but see it in the flesh and its a whole other story. Like reading about oral sex, and then getting a blow job for the first time...
I took a bit of a gamble as over the years I have collected what I consider to be a good and effective variety of potions and unguents to use on my bike such as Autoglym, SDOC100, Plexus and ACF50, but do not consider myself any kind of expert in their use or application. And that I think is the point of the All Year Biker service - expertise of using and combining the right set of products to achieve an outstanding, professional result.
I arrived at the Pitstop Café at Stockton and Roy from All Year Biker was there waiting for me with a mini marquee and collection of hoses, sprays and buckets.
First thing first - a quick rinse to get rid of loose dirt:
Followed by the application of a foam which is similar to SDOC100 but much more pervasive and encompassing:
The foam is able to release dirt from every surface it touches - so you can spray into the crooks, crannies and recesses your sponges, brushes or fingers cant normally reach.
The foam is the rinsed off and dried using a warm air blower:
The bike is shrouded in preparation for the ACF50 treatment (so as to protect the brake disc's and control where the spray lands):
The professional application of the ACF50 is the real point to all of this. I've been using ACF50 for several years now, and it is excellent stuff, however, the best I can do to put it onto the bike is to spray it into a cup and paint it onto the bits I think need it, like the front engine cover. It certainly works, but I'm left with a thin purple residue which although I know is doing good, nonetheless looks a bit of a mess. It's also tough to reach the nooks and crannies with a brush, and it comes out of the spray nozzle way too thick to spray on directly.
All Year Biker use some kind of spray gun/atomiser to achieve a very fine mist which is then sprayed onto the bike so as to coat every desired surface, seam, bolt and screw you want it to - no matter how deep into the bike it lurks:
Roy then goes around the whole of the bike with a cloth damp with ACF50 and pays particular attention to areas such as those blasted spoked wheels:
At some point the bike is also cleaned with a special kind of synthetic polish (nano technology and PTFE based - whatever that means!), but there is no denying the end result is simply stunning, these pics aren't good enough I know, but go see for yourself if you can if your the empirical and demonstrable type
The whole process takes about 1 and 1/2 hours from start to finish, and Roy was helpful and willing to offer tips and explanations of the various techniques and products he used, and that are used by others too.
The fact that its scrupulously clean and silky smooth to the touch is not the point though; that's just a by product achieved on the way to making sure that when I continue to ride my bike through the Winter, it will come out the other side looking as shiny and new as it does now. And that's worth £60 of my money anytime.
Mike
NB: I have no relation or interest in All Year Biker, but I have been impressed with their service enough to commend it to others. They have been in operation for several years now and have hundreds of satisfied customers to their credit.
PS: Some of the pics have displayed on their side - apologies for any neck or cranial pain incurred! They're the right way up in Photobucket so I don't know what do to do I'm afraid!
Mike