Flithy weather, filthy bike...

Carlosfandango

Carlosfandango

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I have been riding my bike in this lousy weather over Christmas. Needed to get out of the house for some ‘fresh air’.

However, the bike is absolutely filthy, I’ve never known a bike attract the dirt like this one. Especially the right-hand side, the exhaust (and me) is covered in shite.

I have a mud sling front & rear, what else can I do? I’ve just spent half a day cleaning the damn thing, it has to be the hardest bike in the world to clean, so many nooks & crannies’.

What do you guys do? Leave in the garage over winter or just don’t bother cleaning it? What about those of you with OCD, what’s the best way to clean it?

Is there a solution to all the crap that seems to appear from the back wheel? And I have searched the forum, opinion is divided

I like my bikes looking good, not sure if I have the time though!

Your thoughts & opinion are welcome (I think).
 
Even in the summer i have to wash my bike every other ride. they just attract dirt and flies.

faired bikes stay a lot cleaner and are easier to clean
 
I leave the R1200GS Adventure in the garage while they salt the roads.

In the meantime I'm out on my Africa Twin, which is a million times easier to clean than the GSA.... even when its chain drive !!
 
.. and if its really shitty... I take my Bandit 1250 Winter Hack and wreck that..
 
Multiple bikes is the answer...
 

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I find the GS very easy to clean. Just snow foam some ph neutral foam on with a jet wash. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse off (with the jet wash). Bucket and sponge with some Zymol or Auto Glym car shampoo. Jet wash off. Blow dry. Micro fibre any excess water off.

I can do the bike from start to finish in half an hour (plus soaking time). In the summer, I rarely use the bucket and sponge, as the foam gets everything off. Some folk wince at the thought of using a jet wash, but as long as you’re sensible with it, and stay away from vulnerable areas, it’ll be fine.
 
Carlosfandango said:
I have been riding my bike in this lousy weather over Christmas. Needed to get out of the house for some ‘fresh air’.

However, the bike is absolutely filthy, I’ve never known a bike attract the dirt like this one. Especially the right-hand side, the exhaust (and me) is covered in shite.

I have a mud sling front & rear, what else can I do? I’ve just spent half a day cleaning the damn thing, it has to be the hardest bike in the world to clean, so many nooks & crannies’.

What do you guys do? Leave in the garage over winter or just don’t bother cleaning it? What about those of you with OCD, what’s the best way to clean it?

Is there a solution to all the crap that seems to appear from the back wheel? And I have searched the forum, opinion is divided

I like my bikes looking good, not sure if I have the time though!

Your thoughts & opinion are welcome (I think).
Click to expand...


I clean and protect mine every weekend, if you don’t you the road salt will corrode it - you have been warned!
 
ACF 50 it at the beginning of winter. Dont bother cleaning it till late spring. Works for me.
 
I try and clean mine, completely back to spotless after every ride.
And yes, sometimes that's every day.
Mine is 10 years old and it's the only way to keep it fresh looking.

I have heard of the ACF50 at the start of winter and not clean it until spring.......I couldn't ride my bike with that level of dirt on it. I ride for pleasure/recreation, I like it to look good.

Sent from a U11
 
Done a couple of hundred kilometres almost every day over the Xmas 2 weeks.
8db3d6873c64f5b9ead596da7de8f84a.jpg


Sent from a U11
 
My GS just gets a bollocking with the garage jet wash when it's minging, no corrosion problems on mine

Gotta find a new lazy method for the trumpet as the ally engine casings really do not like the jet wash chemicals and go all black and streaky :blast
 
ACF50 at the start of the winter and then rinse off some of the shit with a hose after really mucky rides and re-apply ACF50 on very sensitive areas (front engine cover).
 
leadfarmer said:
My GS just gets a bollocking with the garage jet wash when it's minging, no corrosion problems on mine

Gotta find a new lazy method for the trumpet as the ally engine casings really do not like the jet wash chemicals and go all black and streaky :blast
Click to expand...

Get some ph neutral products.:thumb
 
Sounds as though you've taken all the sensible options to prevent crap flying everywhere so that's that. The bike gets dirty and there is little more you can do to prevent that.

To prevent that dirt taking hold and turning into corrosion is a different question but boils down to three options IMHO:

1. Cover it with ACF50 and just hose the crap off after every ride with cold water. The ACF50 will stay on if you just give it a gentle hosing but the bike isn't gonna look great. Repeat as needed over the winter then give it a good clean in the spring.

2, Use FS365 instead of ACF50. It's cheaper, easier to apply and wash off. Just reapply after every wash. It looks better in between washes as well as it doesn't attract the crap as much as ACF50. Some believe that FS365 is not as protective as ACF50. IMHO this doesn't matter as much because you will be washing it off and reapplying it more.

3. Just clean it when it gets dirty. This is my preferred option but I am simply too lazy so use option 1 or 2 as and when the fancy takes me.
 
I’ve heard it all now ! “ The GS is easy to clean “ wash takes half an hour from start to finish - no it doesn’t
I ride all year round and if I were to go our for a winter ride and you could make it look mint again in only half an hour I would give you the bike. Spraying on wonder foam doesn’t get the muck out of the fins on the engine like magic. Even the process of blow drying bike takes at least 20 minutes if you want the whole bike dry including spoked wheels and calipers. The cleaner at local BMW dealer says it takes a full hour to properly clean just one spoked wheel with matt black rims. To detail the engine takes half a day to do to make it fit for the showroom.

Unless you do what some suggest and spray bike with a ACF 50 and then just rinse after every ride it means that to fully clean bike after every dirty ride will take hours and not 30 minutes. Such nonsense
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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