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XRNR
19th July 2003, 11:36
All you oldies probably know this one realy well.



Not realy a tip on a bit, just a tip.



I've been using diesel to clean my bike. Gets all the yellow mud stains & other stuff, (tar, chain lube etc) off. Smells great too !, and leaves a nice oily film over everything, keeping the corrosion off and the plastics glossy!



Wouldn't put it on the seat tho...



Also much cheaper than kero @ 60c per liter as opposed to $2, & I don't need to spray everything down with even more expensive crc.



Wouldn't recomend it if your one of the types that needs the government to think for you! As it maybe hazadous to your health (carcinogenic), to the environment (goes down drains into the water table), to your valuables (flamable).



On second thoughts I dont endorse the uses of diesel as a cleaning agent !

Dave
19th July 2003, 12:11
Its great for running your diesel truck on though!
also good for unsiezing crusty old car engines that have been sitting around forever.

Motu
19th July 2003, 12:28
Diesel is also good for reviving that dull oxidised paint on your car - gives a deep mirror finish that lasts for 2 days.

I always spray my dirt bikes with WD40 or some such before use,makes cleaning after easier.I also spray my street bikes before use - just habit - bit loose in the corners for the first 100km though!

fergie
19th July 2003, 17:43
ut works a treat on the tyres,,,just ask a boy racer!

wkid_one
19th July 2003, 20:47
Try Pledge - best thing to clean your bike (and visor) with....no shit

scumdog
21st July 2003, 02:26
As someone has already said, it makes the tyres skid so think about it if you use it on road bikes AND even more so if the road is wet.
I use a silicone spray on the under bits of my Sporty, the cow-crap etc comes off a lot easier even if it has baked on, also for deagreasing I bought a 4 litre container from the Warehouse (I think thats where I got it, too lazy to go out to the garage and check) and bought one of those trigger-pump type whatsits to squirt the stuff on (nozzle adjust from spray to jet), a whole lot cheaper than the the airy-souls.
If your using Autosole on your alloy bits (on the bike that is) use a piece of soft jandal type rubber rather than a rag, none of those minute swirls that the old freezer meat-bag leaves.

Jackrat
15th October 2003, 08:59
Cow crap?????on a Sporty.
:gob:
Ya,ll don,t wan,a buy an XR250 do ya??

Motu
15th October 2003, 11:29
You got an XR 250 for sale?

Jackrat
15th October 2003, 12:01
Nah,Just joking I couldn,t part with the old thing.
It would cost to much to replace.
I just started to pull it apart,Then I,m going to have the frame an a few other bits Galvanized.I,m gon,a beat this west coast rust an have a bike like no other.:rockon:

Nouseforaname
15th October 2003, 16:51
When i was a poor student i used to borrow mums car whenever it was raining..... i used to fill her car up with diesel, cos it's much cheaper than 96.

Ive also found that petrol stations are so much fun at 3am on a bike, cos the attendent is always board as shit and is more than willing to let ya pull sum burnouts on his forecourt

fritter
15th October 2003, 18:37
I normally use WD40 on the metal bits, then quickly go over it with pledge once I'm done to keep crap from sticking to the film left by the WD40.

Works a treat :niceone:

and yer - pledge is great...

Marmoot
15th October 2003, 18:48
petrol works well for cleaning up your ally swingarm as long as you don't smoke while on it.
Any info on bad effects?

scumdog
15th October 2003, 19:37
I woulden't use petrol TOO often, some of them chemicals used in unleaded gas are worse for you than the lead and can be accumulative. (build up in your body over time)
A dish scrubbing brush is good for cleaning the fins on your engine, just don't let your mum catch you putting the brush back when you finish!! :argh:

Marmoot
15th October 2003, 20:01
Fins in the engine? what are those? :p
haahaa
(sorry, couldn't resist. I'm a plastic rider)

Redstar
15th October 2003, 21:07
Diesel
its available free on a corner near you!

wkid_one
15th October 2003, 21:27
Try Simple Green Degreaser - works wicked like.

Spray on, rub down with wet cloth....it is biodegradeable and smells okay......

Coldkiwi
16th October 2003, 11:35
Originally posted by wkid_one
Try Simple Green Degreaser - works wicked like.

Spray on, rub down with wet cloth....it is biodegradeable and smells okay......

You reckon? I tried some Simple Green bike cleaner out of a sample I got from motomail when I bought a tyre kit there and it didn't impress me much. It got the bike cleanish but it certainly wasn;t a miracle cleaner. I rate the pledge higher.

 

XRNR
2nd January 2004, 16:10
Its great for running your diesel truck on though!.
Should be good in my bike then!

Diesel
its available free on a corner near you!
Ha! road bike riders, such luxury,

I will have to shovel a few bucket loads of sand off the track into my trailer, (or is that clean out my air filter) so I can take it home and press out the diesel then.

When I was a poor student I used to borrow mums car whenever it was raining..... I used to fill her car up with diesel, cos it's much cheaper than 96.

Good Idea!
Whish I had done that to my mums car... After my sister had been using it!


Well I can see their is plenty of experience on this site. So you guys can let me in on the secret of how those motocrosser blokes manage to keep their bikes looking like they just came from the showroom floor. Mine usually has mud stains or other crap embedded in / on it.
I don't believe that they spend hours with a toothbrush polishing & cleaning them after each ride. Although Diesel works well getting the stains off the crank cases I still have to use elbow grease.

What's the lazy way?

Marmoot
2nd January 2004, 21:20
Careful waterblasting

XRNR
3rd January 2004, 08:03
Careful waterblasting

Gets the sand & mud off, but don't get the clay stains off the crankcases or exhaust.

Marmoot
3rd January 2004, 10:52
Careful waterblasting followed with brushing for stubborn stains.
Then, apply liberal waxing on plastics. Helps removing future mud sessions.

Wellyman
15th December 2004, 18:48
So in the end what do we reccomend for getting dirt stains of the motor?? I have that problem on my 230 and need to fix it. i'm doing plenty of cleaning

NordieBoy
15th December 2004, 20:18
One word...

Steam.

tlronny
22nd December 2004, 05:40
I just use any car cleaner first out of a spritzer bottle - let it soak in for a few mins and then waterblast it to hell.
Works just fine and I'm reknown for detailing my rides.
Finish off with some kind of silicon type product ie - 'Warehouse' tyre shine $3.99 or 'Supercheap' is even better at same price and voila -Done !

The waterblaster is the secret though
:sweatdrop

et al
22nd December 2004, 12:15
I recommend Mr Sheen - available from Supermarkets, this is similar product to Pledge but comes in plastic spray bottle so is more cost effective and environmentally friendly. I use it to clean everything on the bike eg
paint/plastic/chrome/seats and is also great for helmet visor and bike screen - deals to road kill no worries. If you use it liberally there is no need to give bike (talking about road bikes here) a wet clean unless really dirty. It will
also remove grease but I tend to use either CRC or Kero for heavy stuff like chain grease on rear wheel rims.

XTC
24th January 2005, 08:36
To clean the MXer I waterblast the chunky bits off. then use washing a scoop of washing powder (lemon fresh?) in a bucket of water to remove the stains with a brush. then wash off. WD the bare metal bits and the chain/footpeg pivots/chain rollers etc and use crc808 silicone on the plastics... looks like new. Then I go get it dirty again....... semms pointless really but at least when cleaning it you see all the bits that are falling off.

Motu
24th January 2005, 09:32
Getting the mud of cases seems to be a scrub job,and I'm just not interested in that...the lime on Northland roads is the hardest stuff to clean off.I painted my header pipes on the XT with flame proof black,then went for a ride off road...into some nice deep clay mud ruts - the pipes behind the guard are no longer black ofcourse,but where the mud splashed along the side of the pipes is still there over a year later,a repaint is the only way to get rid of it.Next time I'll HPC them like I did my Honda.

Beemer
30th June 2005, 12:56
My husband uses diluted Dynamo (for washing clothes) in a spray bottle for cleaning his dirt bike. He gently waterblasts it first to remove any clumps of dirt and crap, then he sprays it all over with the Dynamo and leaves it for about 10 minutes before waterblasting it again. Works a treat and the plastic bits come up really well.

Pledge is good for helmets and plastic fairings too. Has anyone used Rain Off (they use it on windscreens when rallying) on a helmet visor? Haven't tried it myself in case it's corrosive, but figure it could work in beading rain off a visor.

Groins_NZ
30th June 2005, 14:32
My husband uses diluted Dynamo (for washing clothes) in a spray bottle for cleaning his dirt bike. He gently waterblasts it first to remove any clumps of dirt and crap, then he sprays it all over with the Dynamo and leaves it for about 10 minutes before waterblasting it again. Works a treat and the plastic bits come up really well.

Pledge is good for helmets and plastic fairings too. Has anyone used Rain Off (they use it on windscreens when rallying) on a helmet visor? Haven't tried it myself in case it's corrosive, but figure it could work in beading rain off a visor.

Dynamo - that's a new one.

Don't use Rain Off on your visor - it makes it go cloudy from my experience (some kind of chemical reaction with the plastic material I guess).

Eurygnomes
30th June 2005, 15:36
I can't figure out what I like best: the idea of sampling supermarket cleaning products to clean my bike or the "lemon fresh" query from XTC above! *giggle*

Seriously though - my GN250 arrived yesterday (HOORAY!) but it is in need of a serious clean. I haven't even taken my car to a carwash in 2 years - so I'm not your average suburban 'car-cleaning' chick. So tell me...do I use normal carwash and a hose (seems to be how I remember doing a car). Or do I put on a bikini and ride through a car wash?

And what should I NOT clean? Chain? Engine etc.? Assume I know NOTHING in your answers please.

spiller
30th June 2005, 16:17
Id keep the hose away from too much eletrical stuff.. and if you clean the chain, make sure you lube it up after, otherwise it will rust.. (well my cheap one does!). apart from that, not too sure on road bikes, with the CR i can pretty much blast evrathin with the pressure..

lol i'd say, pu' a 'kini on 'bu' ow ge' a smaack on-e-and!

NordieBoy
30th June 2005, 18:46
Or do I put on a bikini and ride through a car wash?
Yes and make sure it's on video please :D


And what should I NOT clean? Chain? Engine etc.? Assume I know NOTHING in your answers please.

Don't waterblast the chain.

If you're using hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush then go over everything and rinse off with a hose and WD-40 the pivot points and under the guards and wipe down with a rag.

DingDong
30th June 2005, 19:04
I use CRC Silicone spray, never need to wash the bike. Once you have a coating just wipe away the crap... been doing it for years... dont get it on your seat or tyres or you will slide either off the seat or off the road;)