How to best clean your bike?

[Corse1]

All good advice with only a couple of additions.....
Silcone spray for the black plastic parts. Sray on to a rag and polish. they come up like new and resist aging from the sun.
For those with plastic protection skins use Plexus plastic protectant spray. Almost makes the protection invisible. Also gtreat for fairing screens.

[CookMySock]

Steve, My advice is that you dont touch a road bike with a water blaster, in the hand of an experienced few maybe off road bikes. I have seen more damage done to bike with water blalsters than any other impliment. Your dead right not to touch the wheels bearings and radiators, but there are seals and gaskets all over bikes that seem to get stuufed by WB's. What do most people do after a water balst ,....... put the bike away without giving it a good run, to dry out the water hiding in all these places..RUST / CORROSION all starts with water. I chose to have my bikes a bit dirtier an know that water hasnt been blasted into all it crevices.

I guess. I have no problems squirting shit off under guards and so on. You just have to think, thats all. One oopsie and you have a radiator with flattened fins, or a bearing full of water. I'm certainly not going to clean all the loose shit off with a rag or brush - thats just a pain in my assholes.

Rust is more a product of wet dirt than the water itself. Clean parts with just water on them don't seem to rust. Parts covered in dirt that have a film of water on them will rust real quick.

Silcone spray for the black plastic parts. Sray on to a rag and polish. they come up like new and resist aging from the sun.

Ick, don't like.

Silicone attracts the dust and is slimey and yuck. Use Turtlewax Ice - achieves the result you are after, doesn't attract dust, isn't slippery and greasy, and actually smells nice.

Steve

[Corse1]

Ick, don't like.

Silicone attracts the dust and is slimey and yuck. Use Turtlewax Ice - achieves the result you are after, doesn't attract dust, isn't slippery and greasy, and actually smells nice.

Steve

Might try the Ice when the silicone runs out but I have had no problem with dust, slimey and yuck. Put it on the plastic used for chain guards, rear fender, mirror stalks etc. Just brings it back to new.

[Eyegasm]

Ok, So what are the good brands to buy?

What kind of cleaner, Wax etc

And what is this foam stuff?

I have a build up of gunk on the rims that I want to get off with the minimum amount of elbow grease.
Also want to give the bike one hell of a clean instead of the current one I give it.

Also have a crack in the paint, what would be a good sealant to stop any corrosion/rust?

Cheers
Eyegasm

[aprilia_RS250]

I use the armor all stuff for tyres/rims. But to be honest I rather get one of thesehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HFK3...eature=related

[SVboy]

Any of the $10 ish mag wheel foams from the Wharehouse or Repco. I use WURTH-just because it was on special! Shake, spray rims-scrub with a nylon dish brush and toothbrush and hose off=clean rims. I also use PACER degreaser[bought in 5l bulk] to spray spooge off swingarms etc. I use MOTHERS carwash and MOTHERS wax on paint and Armourall spray on the plastics. Kero on the chain-but no waterblaster thanks!

[Blinkwing]

Question - I was filling up tyres with air for the first time the other day and I somehow managed to burn the air hose on my exhaust pipe. Now there's an ugly lump of melted plastic on my exhaust pipe ...

Any idea how to remove this shit?

[Marmoot]

If it is chrome, try soft chrome polish compound (e.g., Autosol) with a clean or relatively-clean rag.

[jasonzc]

to the painter guy~

what wax do u use then? im keen for some good wax for the bike!

[BigOne]

Ive done this for years, and my bikes look good after years

Wet the bike down. It needs to stay wet during washing, and for this reason, late in the evening out of direct sun is good...
Spray the bike all over with C18 truck wash, diluted 1/10. You can get it at Supercheap Auto, use a household cleaner sprayer.
leave it for at least 30min
go over it with the carwash brush, a bucket of hot water with another dose of truckwash
spray over with the hose. I sorted out a hot-water hose from the washing machine taps, and it makes a HUGE difference, way better than cold water.
dry the bike off with old nappies or an old towel.
use a bit of kero on a rag to get tar spots off
any good car wax next
I use Pledge as well, dust does not stick to it, and it's kind to paint, non-abrasive.

that's all!

[Magna83]

dry the bike off with old nappies or an old towel.

Why would you want to cover your bike in shit after spending all that time cleaning it!

[george formby]

Lots of good advise on cleaning & I only got as far as the 3rd page so sorry if this is a repeat. Where possible I clean my bike in the evening (to avoid direct sun) when i know the roads are clean & dry, after the wash & a once over with a cloth or chamois to get off excess water I take it for a run to dry it off properly. Takes no time to get the bike bone dry & ready for a polish or if your lazy like me a good squirt of silicon spray for that twinkly finish.

[george formby]

Question - I was filling up tyres with air for the first time the other day and I somehow managed to burn the air hose on my exhaust pipe. Now there's an ugly lump of melted plastic on my exhaust pipe ...

Any idea how to remove this shit?

Kerosene or very carefully with a Stanley knife blade if the pipe is chrome.

[robo555]

His stain was way back in May this year...

Anyway for others who want to know, #00 or #0000 steel wool works well for cleaning burnt on stains off chrome. The chrome may get ever so cloudy after, which a metal polish will take care of.

[Blinkwing]

Kerosene or very carefully with a Stanley knife blade if the pipe is chrome.

I left it as it was, it's all gone now on it's own.