Planning on giving my bike a good clean.

**Reaper_NZ** · 1st February 2007, 18:19

Hey everyone. I'm planning on giving my bike a good clean when i get my brothers car on the road (just in case :P)

Is there a certain way to do it that is better? I gather you don't do it how a car is done, just wash the outside. Should i be taking the fairings of and degreasing the engine and washing and polishing the fairings?

If you want you can do a step by step of how you would do it to your own baby

Also any tips and tricks would be helpfull.

Cheers,

-Reaper

**Ixion** · 1st February 2007, 18:22

Is such precipitate rashness wise? Whenever I am tempted by thoughts of cleaning any of my machines, I stop and consider the possibility that , if I remove all the dirt and splodge, I may well find that there is not actually any motorbike under there. Best not to shatter illusions I always think, you can't ride a sparkle to work.

**Reaper_NZ** · 1st February 2007, 18:25

Well, i ride it to work. And its gets incredibly dirty on site. So it needs a clean.

**WarlockNZ** · 1st February 2007, 18:56

Wash, rinse, de-grease, wash again and then polish ... don't forget the rims ... that brake dust is nasty...

ohh ... and all those hard to reach places ... under the swing arm, the shock coil, the inside of the fairing ..etc ... if you can't see your face in it .. you haven't done a good enough job

**gijoe1313** · 1st February 2007, 19:59

Autosol is your friend! That and a good lot of cleaning rags and some old fashioned elbow grease. Don't throw away your old toothbrushes, use them for the hard to get places!

I always stock up on degreaser and Autosol when Supercheat is having a sale

I think I have 7 cans and 5 tubes at the moment

Also, a good carwash bucket, one of those handmitts to do a nice cleaning job is a must! Chamois to dry and then some nice polishing to follow...ahhh

I always love the look of my little ol'Hornet after a wash n'wax!

**KLOWN** · 1st February 2007, 20:30

I hear kerosine is a good product for cleaning chain and wheels and removing spots of hard to remove grime.

**Reaper_NZ** · 1st February 2007, 20:31

Cheers for the info. So no one takes there fairings of and does the carbs and other hard to reach places that you cvan't get to with the fairings on???

EDIT: Oh and whats Autosol?

**KLOWN** · 1st February 2007, 20:42

i'm pretty sure autosol is a metal polish. I take my fairings, tank, chain guard etc off if you want to give it a real good clean.

**Reaper_NZ** · 1st February 2007, 20:43

Yes, real good clean. The whole 9 yards.

**Chisanga** · 1st February 2007, 20:47

I find WD40 really useful in getting all the crap off your rims.

Just have to be very careful you don't get any on your brakes so I tend to spray onto a rag and then wipe.

If you do this regularly they are easy to clean rather than letting it build up... I generally clean rims the day after I lube my chain to clean off the crap that flys off

**klingon** · 1st February 2007, 20:48

here are my bike washing tips:

1) Never polish your seat

2) Never polish your tyres

3) Don't squirt water in the electric bits

4) Make sure everything still works when you're finished

5) Don't wash your bike while wearing a bikini (the neighbours will stare)

**Reaper_NZ** · 1st February 2007, 20:49

Originally Posted by Chisanga

I find WD40 really useful in getting all the crap off your rims.

Just have to be very careful you don't get any on your brakes so I tend to spray onto a rag and then wipe.

If you do this regularly they are easy to clean rather than letting it build up... I generally clean rims the day after I lube my chain to clean off the crap that flys off

Cheers for that. I'll get some WD40 next time I'm at a hardware store.

Any recommendations for a chain lube?

**Chisanga** · 1st February 2007, 21:06

Originally Posted by Reaper_NZ

Cheers for that. I'll get some WD40 next time I'm at a hardware store.

Any recommendations for a chain lube?

I use "Motorex Chainlube 622 Strong for Road Use" as given to me by AMPS when I purchased my bike.

Just need to learn to apply it a little less liberally as I tend to get a heap of fly-off

**crash harry** · 1st February 2007, 21:20

Originally Posted by Reaper_NZ

Cheers for that. I'll get some WD40 next time I'm at a hardware store.

Any recommendations for a chain lube?

Don't use WD40 as a cleaner - it's just the kerosine in it that does the cleaning anyway, use Engine Degreaser - essentially kero in a spray can, and usually cheaper than WD40.

I recommend a Scott Oiler for chain lubing, but if you don't want one I've had excellent results with the Bel Ray spray on stuff. Only problem is it's white and looks a bit funny, but man it does not fling off at all! Doesn't make a mess of the rear wheel like some others do.