To clean or not to clean?

[mrchips]

Is she a Honda or a Suzi?

Not too sure. It's got a holden sticker on it tho.... does that count ?

[Gremlin]

The GSA being an adventure bike, I'm sure it finds some mud to roll in after I've cleaned it as it never stays clean for more than a few days. Still, they look better dirty. Usually the shop tells me they got dirty trying to work on it, or change the tyres etc. Probably not as frequently as a month... I hope I get time to clean it on Saturday before Paeroa, but then it will spend 2 weeks getting dirty again going south.

The Hornet doesn't seem to get dirty, not much anyway...

[onearmedbandit]

When I'm out in the garage having a smoke I'll generally be running a rag over the bike with some cleaner. After a ride like today where it got covered in bugs and road tar I'll give her the big once twice three times over. It feels good having a mint looking bike.

[cheshirecat]

Interesting to run this thread in the days of classic Brit bike engineering when such machines operated constant loss oil systems along with Landrovers, MG's, et all. Then the Japs came on the scene and the buggers didn't leak so no protective slimy film to water proof your Barbour jacket. We should put our Scott oilers on the front wheel and let it all blow back then all the pretty bits would be protected and not corrode up.

[G4L4XY]

I'm often travelling down to Hamilton so I catch all the fucking bugs on the way down don't I. When I go down at night my visor disappears, it basically becomes tinted...with bugs. Right now it's covered in bugs from last weekend. I lube the chain but I ignore the rest. I better give her some attention this weekend though, get those rim strips all clean looking, rims all nice and new looking.

[Banditbandit]

ok everyone on here is a bike nut, so how often to you clean your bike??

Every two weeks .. this is not about having a clean bike - this is about going over every part of the bike and looking to make sure everything is OK. It's about a safety check ... washing it just helps .. and if you are going over it you might as well wash it at the same time ..

I found that a licence label holder had been smashed and the licence was no longer displayed when I washed a bike a week ago ... I have no idea how long I was on the road without a licence displayed - could have been one or two weeks ... I would not have found it if I had not washed the bike and then been fined for not displaying it ...

In the past I have found loose nuts - etc etc ... so - wash it every two weeks.

[BuzzardNZ]

Never.....

[Jeff Sichoe]

Yeah, I have never cleaned a bike and prob never will...

What's the point it's just gonna get dirty again

something about a grubby bike shows it's there to be used and enjoyed not just looked at once in a while or taken down the local cafe for a fucken latte or some other brown ass shit on sunday morning.

[rossirep]

well my bike is a fucking minter so it gets a wash everytime i take it for a good ride so at least once a week during summer and since it sits in my garage over winter there is no need to wash it, thats the time i work on it and pimp it out for the up coming summer,

its funny that all the people on here who ride shit house old bikes are the ones who dont bother cleaning them and say "no point as its just gonna get dirty again" but all the ones with nice bikes take pride in them an like to ride something that looks good and looks looked after.

i cleaned mine yesterday and chances are it will get another clean on sunday so long as the weather is ok here in the chur this weekend

[Pogo2]

Every time I ride it.

I also carry a cleaning rag with me when ever I ride so when I stop for any length of time I can give her a quick wipe down so she stays looking good.

On non riding days I usually go over both bikes just to make sure there's no smears on the chrome or road dirt on the under side of the engine or swing arms I might of missed during the standard cleaning.

On the "very rare" occasion I get caught in the rain I go over the bike with compressed air and a bunch of cleaning rags as soon as I get home.

I won't even park next to a dirty bike an you can bet the farm that I won't talk to the grub who owns it.

Glad to see there is another biker like me with OCD....... but I need to buy a compressor

[rastuscat]

when it rains...

You okay Akzle? That post is surprisingly sensible. You unwell?

[Supermac Jr]

once a year whether it needs it or not....

[Laava]

well my bike is a fucking minter so it gets a wash everytime i take it for a good ride so at least once a week during summer and since it sits in my garage over winter there is no need to wash it, thats the time i work on it and pimp it out for the up coming summer,

its funny that all the people on here who ride shit house old bikes are the ones who dont bother cleaning them and say "no point as its just gonna get dirty again" but all the ones with nice bikes take pride in them an like to ride something that looks good and looks looked after.

i cleaned mine yesterday and chances are it will get another clean on sunday so long as the weather is ok here in the chur this weekend

Wow, you must know everyone on here.

[Deano]

... so it's really difficult to wash my bike (without incurring a $200 fine from the D'Auckland Cuncil).

You what ? Is someone actively enforcing the RMA in that respect ? Do you live near a sensitive environment ? Mangrove estuary?

And its more acceptable to wash a vehicle on the lawn so the 'contaminants' soak into the soil instead of running off into the storm water system. Have you no lawn ?

Please elaborate - I'm genuinely interested.

[Maha]

When it's dirty

Agree, and why would you otherwise?

Just started using Motomuck...spray it on (every nook and cranny) wait 10 minutes and hose the bike down, showroom condition.