washing the bike

[ajturbo]

I HATE washing the bike, especially someone else’s, but I know I have to do it …once a year, well a couple of day’s ago I managed to fit it into my busy schedule …cough... so there I was out in the sun washing away the dirt, went to change the water, or have rest from all the hard work, or get the hose….. just to turn around to see the bike fall over!!! It was on the centre stand !!!!
But it was on a hard packed gravel drive….. not fuckin packed hard enough!!
On it’s side it fell so graceful and all…..
GRrrrrrrr, WTF !!!
Took 3 steps to get to the bike …it was that close… too late..
Gravel rash on fairing, right handle bar pushed into plastic cover on tank…not touching… scratched mirror…(only just put the original one back on!!! )

Moral ??? don’t wash the bike!!! on gravel

[Riff Raff]

It's about time it had a wash - it was bloody filthy!!!

I love cleaning my bike, then getting out the chrome polish and spending a wonderful hour or so making it all shiny. Which is strange really cos I'm not the tidiest person and both my house and car tend to be disaster zones. I guess I've just got my priorities right!

[vifferman]

I love cleaning my bike, then getting out the chrome polish and spending a wonderful hour or so making it all shiny. Which is strange really cos I'm not the tidiest person and both my house and car tend to be disaster zones. I guess I've just got my priorities right!

Yes it is strange. You're a strange bloke, Riff Raff!

Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a very, very nice gurrrrl.


(Was that enough grovelling? Will you come and wash my bike now, please? It's got some nice shiny bits. :confused2 )

Anyway - has anyone found a good wheel cleaner? And spooj remover?
I bought some at Repco recently, and it's absolute CRAP.
It's supposed to be "Spray on, and simply hose off!", but it did nothing.
I think it's too diluted and wussy.

I had some Würth "Intensive Rim Cleaner" that Kerry sold me, and it was brilliant, and smelled nice too (I'm a fan of nice smells), but I thought it was a little expensive. However, as it was only marginally dearer than the Repco crap, and worked even when diluted, I think it was actually good value. On reflection.

[scumdog]

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, the puple stuff from the Ware-Whare works wonders, just don't use it straight on hot alloy or leave it on cold alloy.
I would also keep it off you chain & wheel bearings etc 'cos it's pretty good for moving grease & spooge.
I use it in one of those 500ml squirty-pump kind of garden sprayer things to put it on and work it in with an old stiff bristlel paint-brush then rinse it off soon-as before it tarnishes the alloy.

[StoneChucker]

Get some CT-18 from KMART, or some other places. Rinse with hose, spray on and leave for 15 mins, rinse again, wash again with ct-18 in bucket (slightly less concentrated than the spray) and cloth and finally rinse. Good for getting grime, bugs, pedestrians off the bike. For metal parts, toothbrush and kerosene works wonders.

[scumdog]

Get some CT-18 from KMART, or some other places. Rinse with hose, spray on and leave for 15 mins, rinse again, wash again with ct-18 in bucket (slightly less concentrated than the spray) and cloth and finally rinse. Good for getting grime, bugs, pedestrians off the bike. For metal parts, toothbrush and kerosene works wonders.

I find Mrs SDs toothbrush does the job best and (most of the time) does not leave a kero taste in my mouth.

How much for this CT-18 stuff? the Ware-Whare stuff is about $20 for 4 litres.

[vifferman]

How much for this CT-18 stuff? the Ware-Whare stuff is about $20 for 4 litres.

That's not too bad, but if it does nasty things if you leave it on too long, it's obviously one of those cautic cleaners. I'd rather use a solvent-based gel like the Wurth stuff; because it was a gel, it didn't run off too readily, and it didn't attack the metal, tyres, or whatever.
After I stripped and ploshed the rims on the VFR750, this stuff made cleaning a breeze: spray it on (diluted), wash the rest of the bike, then squirt the soap off the rest of the bike and rinse the rims. Done.
Fuggit - I'm gonna have to go and buy some more. Trouble is, it won't last long with a bike and two sets of alloy car wheels to do each time...

[Riff Raff]

Yes it is strange. You're a strange bloke, Riff Raff!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a very, very nice gurrrrl.

(Was that enough grovelling? Will you come and wash my bike now, please? It's got some nice shiny bits. :confused2 )

I don't think so

[Cajun]

That's not too bad, but if it does nasty things if you leave it on too long, it's obviously one of those cautic cleaners. I'd rather use a solvent-based gel like the Wurth stuff; because it was a gel, it didn't run off too readily, and it didn't attack the metal, tyres, or whatever.
After I stripped and ploshed the rims on the VFR750, this stuff made cleaning a breeze: spray it on (diluted), wash the rest of the bike, then squirt the soap off the rest of the bike and rinse the rims. Done.
Fuggit - I'm gonna have to go and buy some more. Trouble is, it won't last long with a bike and two sets of alloy car wheels to do each time...

thats who you are gone and change ya name on us to confuse us, yes he has,

[bear]

Last time I cleaned my bike with a hose, got water in it some where and in the end needed a jump to start it.

[vifferman]

thats who you are gone and change ya name on us to confuse us, yes he has,

W'ahappen?!?

That was weird. And disorientating.
Who am I? How did I get here? Wossgoinon?

Hang on... just make a few adjustments... :spudbooge

Ahh.. that's better!

[scumdog]

thats who you are gone and change ya name on us to confuse us, yes he has,

Yikes, there's a doppelganger out there!!!

[kerryg]

Last time I cleaned my bike with a hose, got water in it some where and in the end needed a jump to start it.

I too sometimes need a jump to get started

[badlieutenant]

that orange citrusy stuff works really well. I think most auckland households got some as a promotion. I used it on the rims and they became white again. works quite well and pretty cheap to.

[vifferman]

I too sometimes need a jump to get started

I'm the opposite; sometimes I need to get started before a jump.

that orange citrusy stuff works really well. I think most auckland households got some as a promotion. I used it on the rims and they became white again. works quite well and pretty cheap to.

Hey thanx, SpongeBob.
I'd forgotten I was going to try that! I read just the other day on some furrin forum that it was the stuff to use. And I can get it cheap at the local supermarket!