Safe paintwork cleaning chemicals

[Owl]

This thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=98101 got me thinking about cleaning products and issues related to bike cleaning and chemicals used. There seems to be a lot of unknown's on this subject.
What's safe to use on your precious paint work?
Anything spilled that's damaged your paint work?

My test subject = 05 Triumph Speed Triple (Black)

First up this morning I tried Isopropyl Alcohol on my flyscreen. No problem, so I thought I’d go a bit further tonight with some other items in the shed. Plus I was bored!
1. Gunwash (cheap type thinner for washing sprayguns)
2. Mineral Turpentine
3. Amway Gel Bug & Tar Remover (sizzles and looks like its doing something)
4. Mothers Wheel Mist (acid based)
5. Ferodo Dot 4 Brake Fluid (always wanted to)

Well someone had to do it! No issue with anything here, though I thought the brake fluid might react.
To go further I’d have to get some stuff from work, but I already know what paint stripper will do and who the hell cleans their bike with caustic soda?

Anyone else want to share their experiments, disasters with chemicals/solvents or bike cleaning products? I'm not expecting anyone to go out and wreck their paint, but they may have done that accidently.

Please specify bike make/model in your post!

We may just get a pattern forming of do's & don’ts!

[Pussy]

DON'T use methylated spirit on the alloy finish of Suzuki frame rails... it's a paint, and meths removes it

[Leyton]

Just last night I removed those n00b stickers from the tank.. like.. read manual first.. use 95 etc...

I used a hair dryer and bank card.. Then I removed the sticky stuff with CRC 5.56, It took a bloody long time to remove the sticky stuff. To remove the very last of the sticky stuff I used some Fuel lite on the thick clear coat (Harsh shit be care full!) And that left a mirror finish with my clear coat still intact.

General cleaning products I use are Muc-Off around the fairings at all those bugs up front and also on my forks.

I use standard super cheap engine degreaser for the bottom of the fairing to clean off the breather residue (On the 250). You just have to wash it off, and avoid the chain and other parts that need to remain lubricated. Your bike will smell like a real machine after the degreaser!

I also use CRC's Silicon spray on the black plastics on the bike as apposed to shit Armour all.

I also have some other silicon spray that seams to be a very special grade I bought from the warehouse in the Automotive section in the cleaning isle.

I use Fuellite to clean any lube off wheels etc.. it leaves the wheel feeling gummy because it is soo clean afterwards and probably does something funky to the rubber.

I have not yet had any bad experiences, However. Keep the CRC 5.56 away from anywhere you dont want it appearing! Spray onto a rag then apply first. Oh yes... it is also good for removing Tar.

[MSTRS:Me]

I also use CRC's Silicon spray...

Be real careful with any aerosol product like this. The 'overspray' can get into all sorts of places, and you DO NOT want this on your tyres.

[Leyton]

Be real careful with any aerosol product like this. The 'overspray' can get into all sorts of places, and you DO NOT want this on your tyres.

Very good point!

Apply it to a cloth first. Pays to cover that back wheel too.

[CastorPollux]

Hi y'all

A guy at work told me that using CRC, the normal - stops squeaks stuff, to clean my rims & fairings is okay & won't do any damage.
It does a great job of removing the chain oil & road crap from the rims but I'm not too sure if I wanna use it on the fairings as said co-worker also uses spray-on cooking oil instead of Armour All on his car dash!!!(don't ask why).
What I want to know is this guy telling me porkies or is he for real?

[vifferman]

5. Ferodo Dot 4 Brake Fluid (always wanted to)

Well someone had to do it! No issue with anything here, though I thought the brake fluid might react.

I'm very surprised it didn't!
My windshield is ferkt: it has some splash marks on it, which I'm fairly sure are from brake fluid. I've tried polishing them out with Meguiars 'Swirl Remover' and Plast-X, but they seem to be permanent.

Nothing else I've tried on the paintwork (apart from the tankbag) has damaged it: WD40, CRC 556, KumCleen (mix of toluene and xylene and apparently VERY toxic!), turps, meths, isopropyl alcohol, Pledge (good for removing all kinds of thins), Plexus, petrol, detergent, kerosene.
DO NOT use nail polish remover: the active ingredient is also a solvent for laquer-based paints.

BTW: Pledge works OK to remove chain or road spooge and leave a protective finish, but the solvents disappear pretty quickly.

[imdying]

My windshield is ferkt: it has some splash marks on it, which I'm fairly sure are from brake fluid. I've tried polishing them out with Meguiars 'Swirl Remover' and Plast-X, but they seem to be permanent.

You could try this method.

http://www.maximumbikes.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=18936

[vifferman]

You could try this method.

http://www.maximumbikes.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=18936

Thanx.
I'd seen something similar before on another forum, but I'd forgotten about it. Also (too) there are some chips from a piece of concrete or similar that hit the windscreen so I dunno if it's worth the bother. Plus (also) if I let it get all crappy, it's good justification for just buying a new dark-tinted screen to replace the OEM one.
If I ever find a decent one...

Another thing I saw on Teh Interdweeb which was scary but very effective if done properly was melting the surface of the windscreen with a hot air gun so the scratches were blended back into the surface.

[imdying]

Probably need the blue portion of a butane type flame to do that I would have thought... that's how they make the edge of perspex sheet transparent.

[p.dath]

It's not just some chemicals may damage your paintwork - it's that they can affect your safety on the bike.

For example, if you bike has knee indentations in the tank, that you squeeze to keep you on the bike under heavy braking - and then you use a nice shiny wax on the tank it will obvisouly make the tank very slippery. Next time you need to squeeze you might just superman off instead.

Some chemicals react differently when wet. So you might be riding fine in the dry, it rains, and something adverse happens.
Some might react with leather or Cordura. So look great when you polish, and something nasty happens when you ride.

Ditto with the seat.

[vifferman]

Probably need the blue portion of a butane type flame to do that I would have thought... that's how they make the edge of perspex sheet transparent.

I posted that from memory, but I think you're right - they may have used a blowtorch.

....safety ... shiny wax .... very slippery....you might just superman off....something nasty happens when you ride.

Huh.
(Is there a FlameWarrior category for King Weenie?)

[imdying]

I posted that from memory, but I think you're right - they may have used a blowtorch.

No judgement here, any sharing of technical knowledge is well encouraged at this end

[Owl]

I'm very surprised it didn't!
My windshield is ferkt: it has some splash marks on it, which I'm fairly sure are from brake fluid. I've tried polishing them out with Meguiars 'Swirl Remover' and Plast-X, but they seem to be permanent.

You may be surprised with what can be done with clear plastic. Hell, I've repaired plastic headlight's that have been melted with paint stripper. Basically using a similar method to imdying's link (only better).

[kwaka_crasher]

White spirits (now called Fuelite) is the ultimate greasy mark (mechanic's fingerprints... ) and tar spot remover. It's also completely harmless to anything I've ever wiped it onto.