How Do You Keep Your Pride and Joy Like New?
 

On various forums and in numerous publications there always seems to be lots of debate over how people keep there bikes clean, hence I was wondering what people use on here?

Some of the suggestions;

Bodywork; spray on cleaners, good old Auto Shampoo and Water.

Wheels; Parafin, WD40.

Metal; Degreaser.

Afterwards; Polish, WD40, Furniture Polish???????

The lists could go on and on...............................

I don't ...... :P

as is quite apparrent!:P

no point, dealer won't give you any more for it when you come to sell it and it doesn't make it any quicker ..... plus I have better things to do with my time .....

:devil:

not wanting to take the p1ss - oh go on then

I think we know why some are so clean - they're never bleedin' used:P

My Monster:wipe round wheels etc with WD40 soaked rag after most rides & also lube chain whilst hot

I use muckoff if bike comes in grotty, then WD too, then autoglym for polishing tank, fly screen etc.

Also, I remove bellypan once a month, to check if anything loose/leaking etc under the crank casings

Cleaning it is more for an 'all-round check' for safety, as much as having a tidy looking bike too.

C:)

Edited for Steve: 6,500 miles since Xmas this year - none commuting - all pleasure:P

[Edited on 29-6-2005 by CK and AK]

I clean my bike usually after every ride or two, simply because I'm so anal! (don't go there)

Seriously though I do this for a few reasons, mainly as every time I find another bit that needs a clean and always a good visual inspection of anything odd.

Usually clean the wheels firstly with WD on a rag (don't spray onto the wheels) then maybe some autoglym show shine aerosol.

Bodywork/carbon wash firstly, dry and then polish with meguirs (sp) high gloss polish, maybe a quick clean with the show shine if I'm in a hurry, good on screens that.

Engine/mechanicals clean with gunk and hose off, small parts scrubbed with brush etc

Exhaust I usually rub the pipes (not the end can) down with very fine grade wet and dry to remove build up and clean can etc with autosol/autoglym metal polish.

Calipers usually removed, and soak in water before getting the wonder wheels on there for a split second.

Clean discs with brake cleaner etc

i dont use it much and never in the rain :cool:

this thread is just too painful to read ......

You trying to claim the Desmondo "slut" award there Dibble?

no, but my aversion to all this anally retentive fairing off and calipers in buckets cleaning is very well historically documented and includes a Surrey DSC award for "regions dirtiest ride" .. which I do believe was in relation to the bike ......

well, go & read another one then:P

or put up a poll - "do you clean your bike or not!"

C:smug:

I'm with Dibble on this.

I clean it when it's dirty using Halfords car shampoo. A quick rinse with a hose, then a chamois dry. If the wheels are bad, I'll use Muck Off or similar.

I haven't got the time or the inclination to be polishing the bikes/cars every 5 minutes!

woo hooo, i'm not the only one .....

Cleaning your bike (Poll: how often)
 

as in the title how often (if at all) do you clean your bike

[Edited on 29-6-2005 by CK and AK]

I clean the bikes .... occasionally.

As long as it's not filthy I don't really see too much point in trying to keep a bike I ride very regularly spotless. As long as it's maintained it's cool.

If I had an 'R' and didn't ride it all that much I'd probably make more of an effort (don't hold me to that!) but wouldn't for something I ride regularly.

I've gone for more than 3 times a year.

I don't see much point in having it super spotless to be honest. I've just answered in the other thread and lost motivation to write much else.

:D

Playing devil's advocate here (no harm intended)...

Say for example you were as anal as me and/or others do you think you might have spotted the problem with your brakes before the inevitable?

Nelly cleans mine ... don't you mate .... :roll:

truth hurts
:devil:

I don't think it's possible.

To be as anal as you I meant ... not if you're human anyway....

:D

I've put once a week as I only get to ride once a week really, and usually clean it then or thereabouts

the rain cleans it for you

I'll just quote you then Tony :D and guess what you'd be as anal as me! :P

Nah, I'd never be that anal. I might just clean it a bit more often - but you wouldn't catch me taking the bloody calipers off fer crying out loud!!

I'll happily throw £20 your way to do it for me though :D

don't worry freak my callipers come of for a bath in the bucket.
and I know a few others who do it.
TBO we are always amazed at how lax some people are at keeping something clean. Lazy if you ask me

Hands up - I'm lazy!

Well, I'd rather be doing other stuff to be honest. It's no big deal to not have your bike thoroughly spotless though is it?

no doesn't really bother me either way.
just that people who don't do it always look and say yea ive got beta things to do and you must be anal.
er no just like a mint looking bike
always have always will

Actually, they will, and yes it does.
As for better things to do........that's up to you :lol:

Harsh! Who knows eh? The thing is, there are people worse than me and Dibble who keep their bikes in a terrible state. Bikes should be designed to cope with varying levels of anal-ness...

Bike isn't kept in a "terrible state", in fact my bike wants for nothing as far as taking superb care of her goes, I just don't spend my time keeping her clean, other than that she is very very well looked after .....

Who answered daily??????????????????????????????????????

I wash and polish my 998 when its dirty (thats a single fly on it!).

I use gunk or equivalent on the calipers every time so as not to get a build up of brake dust and uase Auto Glym on the body work.

Ooh, my first merge was successful :D

Threads merged at the request of Charlotte and agreed by Jon.

:D

United in Surrey we are.

mmm:smug: but in cleaning or grubbiness?:o:P:D

Both Monster and 998 get sprayed with Muck-Off, sprayed with hose then wiped with clean rag only 3 or 4 times a year. They only get polished for paparrazzi ;)

I'm more than happy to let you clean mine Charlotte. And then we can be united in spotless cleanliness.

I'll cook the bbq :D

[Edited on 29-6-2005 by TP]

Look 'ere TP, I have a cleaning lady (she wont do the bike tho:( ) and I only do mine on a bi-monthly basis, dependant on use.

At the moment Her Majesty is finely resplendant in a good covering of flies/ dirt & mush:lol::lol: and not getting a scrub till at least the w/end (is it going to rain?;) )

C:saint:

Very true, but things do wear and things do drop off etc, I've lost count of how many bolts etc I've lost off my bikes over the years.

Also some areas of your bike need cleaning regularly otherwise the build up is a real pain to get off.

Like my wheels on the car, if I haven't got time to wash the car I'll make the effort on the wheels simply because if I leave them it takes me so much longer to get them clean next time.