What to clean your bike with?

**slofox** · 14th September 2009, 08:22

I tried some pink stuff - "Muckoff" - (with an M - not an F).

"Spray on wash off" it said. "No effort required" it said. "Designed especially for lazy bastards like you" it said.

All lies. I did have to get in there and scrub a bit. BUT at the end of it all, the bike came up pretty well I would have to say. Specially after 25000km without a serious clean...

**usa-vtwin** · 14th September 2009, 08:45

I just ride through the local car wash!!!

**firefighter** · 14th September 2009, 08:52

I use a plain old car wash. Kero(chain). Degreaser(everywhere else). Meguiars polish, meguiars carnuba wax, meguiars non-slip vinyl/leather polish, scotchbrite pads then mothers metal polish for header/exhaust pipes........oh and plain old glass cleaner for the mirrors.

I clean my chain and behind the covers every second wash. New wax on the chain after every wash.

Takes me hours.

All this aside the bikes always fucken dirty.........

bloody naked bikes.......next one will have fairings.

**usa-vtwin** · 14th September 2009, 09:01

I love it dirty! Gives it character...esp squished bugs on the headlight. I might go 6 months without washing my bike, and YES...its ridden often.

**Bounce001** · 14th September 2009, 13:14

Best cleaning product I've used is Handy Andy. Brush on undiluted with a paint brush to get into all areas and then hose off with cold water. Gets dirt and grease off easily. Polish after drying if you want. (Just waiting for handy Andy to come round and clean my bike!)

**slofox** · 14th September 2009, 13:17

My problem with cleaning the bike is that if I have time enough to give it a decent clean, then I will use that time for a ride instead...

**SMOKEU** · 14th September 2009, 16:14

Don't ever wax/polish your petrol tank. If the tank is slippery then it's much harder to balance things on the tank while you're riding.

**mister.koz** · 14th September 2009, 16:18

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Don't ever wax/polish your petrol tank. If the tank is slippery then it's much harder to balance things on the tank while you're riding.

An excellent point

**Owl** · 14th September 2009, 17:11

Originally Posted by slofox

My problem with cleaning the bike is that if I have time enough to give it a decent clean, then I will use that time for a ride instead...

Can't really argue with that!

**Quasi** · 14th September 2009, 17:32

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Don't ever wax/polish your petrol tank. If the tank is slippery then it's much harder to balance things on the tank while you're riding.

wot - like beer gut and such like?

**ZephyrMark2** · 14th September 2009, 19:20

Originally Posted by Quasi

wot - like beer gut and such like?

What great advice.. thanks guys..

Looks like some standard themes coming out of what's used and what never to use..

Keep it coming.. I'm wanting to know what to buy next shop.

**SMOKEU** · 14th September 2009, 21:44

Originally Posted by Quasi

wot - like beer gut and such like?

I went to buy a bag of chicken feed yesterday. After I bought the 10kg bag I found it was far too big to fit in my back pack, and I had to get home some how. So I put the bag of chicken feed on the petrol tank and rode home like that.

**Hahn** · 14th September 2009, 22:10

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

I went to buy a bag of chicken feed yesterday. After I bought the 10kg bag I found it was far too big to fit in my back pack, and I had to get home some how. So I put the bag of chicken feed on the petrol tank and rode home like that.

Fish n chips goes home with me the same way