How often do you clean/wash/detail your bike?
 

Just wondering, mine stays pretty much spotless and very shiny, even the wheels, usually unless its dark when i get home from riding, i wash and dry it, i figure i paid good hard earned money for it, might as well take care of it, i usually just ride it on the weekends, so sometime during the work week, its gonna probably be detailed, just about every week, i just enjoy doing it and like having a sharp looking bike

You do keep a clean looking ride! I keep mine semi clean. It's pretty dirty now, like I told you, as it has been sitting in two different basements this winter with no time to clean it. ...........I know, that's no excuse.........

I clean mine when something impairs functions.

Mine generally looks like it gets ridden every day, hard, often in the rain, on sometimes muddy roads.

Wash it once a month or so... maybe more now that I should have more free time with my new job.

I wipe it down before every ride. I try to anyways. That includes the wheels too. Clean wheels are the final key to a clean bike. People roll around on clean ass bikes, but their wheels have 6 months of brake dust and crap on 'em and it kills me. Every chance I get, I tell/show buddies what I use to keep my bike clean.

I never wash with soap and water. Before I get into it, I gotta take pics of what I use and I'll post them up later...

Here's an example of what my old R6 looked like w/ 12,000+ miles on it.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...anBikey003.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...anBikey002.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...anBikey005.jpg

Since my bikes previous owner didnt seem to keep it all that clean, I dont worry about it as much. When I got it the wheels had spots on them that wont come off, the exhaust had spots on it and it had minor scratches. Once I get a new bike that can be kept looking clean a little easier, Im sure I will since I get OCD about it.

I thought I'd be the same way with my Buell... but I'd rather ride than clean, so it doesn't stay near as clean as I originally thought.

I do not clean it very often...usually when my husband tells me it is really dirty. :whistle:

I do usually wipe down the sides of the tank after every ride because dirt collects there...but I just wipe it with my hand and call it a day. :whistle:

If I had a new bike with perfect paint and all that I would probably keep it cleaner...but honestly I figure the less I wash it the less chance I have of a star coming loose. :lol:

I wash mine once in a blue moon. :whistle: I really should be better about it.. but I haven't ridden it as much as I could, and with the cold, I didn't have the motivation (until Friday afternoon) to wash it. It's pretty clean now, but I need something to make getting in those nooks and crannies a lot easier.

I'm with the mighty DLIT and Yamerhaw...I keep my shit proper. I paid good money for my rig and I want it to look good. I clean before and after every ride. Sometimes with Honda Polish...or when it's really dirty I'll get the soap and bucket out.

What is this "wash" you're talking about? I just say fuckit and ride in the rain. :lol

Gets rid of most of the dirt. The only time I really clean my bike is if I crash. The run-off at JGP is dusty.

Pretty much never. :idk:

Just washed mine for the first time yesterday since I got it. I just need to polish the rims and I'm good for a few weeks.

Do you guys use anything on the tires? I was just going to leave them alone, but if there's something I can use that won't make them all slippery and shit I'd like to keep them somewhat clean.

I clean my tires with Simple Green, Purple Power, Mean Green........what have you, just some type of degreaser. I don't put anything on when I am done either. I think a really clean tire looks as good or better than one that is shiny. Ofcourse, I never have put any type of tire shine on my bike tires, but have heard horror stories of ones that did.

Leave the tires alone. Anything you put on them will make them perform poorly.

I always keep the 636 clean. I bought it new and it's pretty. I've never cleaned the GSXR. I bought it ugly and it's stayed that way. It's getting fixed up and painted in a couple of weeks, though, so that will probably change.

wipe down 2-4 times a week wax every other week and wash once a month then full deep clean (pulling fairings and shit off 2-5 times a year.
________
Mexico city hotels

Even using cleaning agents?? Wow...

I clean mine all the time.

When I rode on the street I would clean mine every time I put it into the garage - and detail/wax every month. And, I'm almost fanatical about a clean chain.

Since having the bikes at the track it wasn't possible for me to clean the bikes everytime I rode them - and I missed it. It wasn't just about having a spotless bike, it was about bolt checking and making sure things were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Point - a bolt came loose on the front lower that we didn't notice - the cowl tilted and wore a small hole into the lower oil cooler.

Now - I have a paved driveway down there with a water hose right outside the door. Bikes are clean. CLEAN. *phew*

my 750 is pretty dirty if you get up on it, it looks ok from 20ft tho. mostly because its been raining everyday, and my dumbass kept riding anyway. probably why i got sick. oh well. usually tho its pretty clean, not quite dlit status cuz i bought it used and its got a few scratches, nicks, etc. i ride it to work everyday, so i only really clean it friday after work, so its pimped out for the weekend. during the week i just wipe it down, try not to let the brake dust build up. white rims are a bitch, hate em.

my racebike i try to keep ultra clean, i've torn it down to the bare frame atleast once strictly because it sat for awhile and dust, light oxidation, some overspray, had taken over. usually i just spend about two hours going over it the weekend before i go racing. i wish i could roll it off the truck and into a big plastic bubble in between races.

i HATE cleaning, but i look at it like this, other than just looking like shit, if the bike is dirty as fuck, how will u spot a slight leak, alil extra wear, something about to break or something of that nature before it becomes a big problem? to keep a bike clean you gotta go over every piece of it, and it doubles as a inspection, so you find lil things before they turn into big things. thats my thinking anyway

As I stated I never clean mine...but I really should clean it now though...lots of bugs on the ride yesterday. :panic:

aw, you beat me to it. :dthumb:

True dat.

So you wash yours what, once... twice a year?

If I do anything, it's soap and bucket. To me that's shit's easier than dicking around with the various polishes and 400 rags.

See... I do post ride checks and various maintenance instead of washing. I'd rather be wrenching than polishing. That being said, it depends on the bike. I kept my 500 very clean... The Buell looked better dirty... My 954 was filthy all the time cause I hated it... The TLR doesn't have enough riding on it to need cleaning... Once I fighter the Tiller, it's gonna be dirty all the time and fucking like it.

It amazes me how many people don't... it takes maybe 10 minutes.

the cleaning IS the post/pre ride check to me. if you take the time to check it, might as well clean it. ive yet to get out a bucket and wash, cuz if you always do it....


what she said.

yeah i mean i can wash/dry mine and wax/polish in less than half an hour


as far as all other maintenance, it is done religously, Amsoil synthetic with suzuki filter every 2,500 miles , chain clean and adjusted, clean/fresh brake fluid, cables lubed,etc. i take care of my stuff, not gonna take care of all the other stuff and not keep it looking good, yeah i'd rather ride than clean, but i dont ride all day everyday, so when i'm at home, i can just go out to the mancave and shine my baby

when i sell a bike you can tell its been taken care of

I stopped reading right here because this almost sounds like me! I give mine a good cleaning whenever I'm doing maintainence stuff....oil change, new tires, etc. Other than that I just make sure the change stays cleaned and waxed. My bike has a function....and that function is to not sit and look pretty. It's to be ridden. And I don't care what anyone says, silver rims are a total PITA to keep looking nice. I wish I had black ones.

My bike gets a good bath about twice a year or so. I will wash her before going on a trip...although I don't know why. By the time I get to my destination, she's dirty again...oh well....

Black isn't much better, I assure you. :lol: Black shows even the tiniest amount of dust.

Huh....then how come Wade's black rims always looked better than mine after washing then riding?

I admit it...I was jealous of his bike. Black frame and rims and blue fairings.... :drool:

You know, he offered to trade bikes with me after I fought him over my bike, but I turned him down.

my bike's function is to ride too, but might as well look good while its doing its job

My bike isn't as pretty as yours either, whether it's washed or not. :idk:

Plus it doesn't take much much to make mine look dirty. Why bother if I'm only going to get 20 miles down the road before she looks like she went mud hoggin' again? :lol:

I havent washed it myself since I've owned it...But I did have three girls in bikinis do it for me at a Benefit for a lost rider.

Does that count??

P.s. Mine is Dirty as FUCK.

I was mine occasionally.

I'm with you on all accounts.

My bike gets washed occasionally but has never been waxed.

I clean/wipe them down (well the wife does:lol:) each time we head out.

I'll bet that mine sees more wax than it does pavement. arghhhhhhh....... I try to keep it wiped off and usually put a coat of wax on it before I head out, or after I get back.

Note to self: its okay to buy a used bike from DLIT, Marko138 and possibly Azoomm, disregard all others!


I KID, I KID.....kinda, not really

:lol: You're probly not far off with that assessment.

Never...It only gets washed when my boyfriend does it. And thats maybe once every 3 months.

Meh. I'd rather have a bike that has been regularly maintained than washed regularly. My bike has been very well maintained, just not washed frequently. Flat black and wax don't mix anyway.

A dirty bikes hides problems.

bout 3 times a year.

I will use honda polish in between

Often. I keep my shit mint.

Hell yeah. My shit is religiously cleaned and maintained.

oh the mechanics of my bike are as well taking care of as the appearance

If i was shopping for a bike and the seller tells me how well it has been maintained, etc, and its covered with 6 months of dirt and grime, im gonna have a hard time believing him

is a pig, will always be a pig

When the bugs start to block the headlights :lol:

Shit, that's every 10 miles sometimes here.
I have a 35 mile commute one way, and I have had to stop halfway and clean bugs off my headlights before. :panic:

Don't remind me. :panic: Last summer I was heading home from work and I drove through a damn swarm of those flying ant looking things. The fucking things were everywhere, immediately. I could feel the damn things crawling all over me and I was about to freak the hell out. Only thing I thought that I could do was to speed up. I found out real quick that around 90 or so those things turn to shit when they hit the sheild. :rockout: :D

potty mouth:whistle:

Flying ant-looking things? Love bugs? :scratch:

I HATE love bugs. They make the biggest mess and they're everywhere! :panic: A 10 minute ride during love bug season always results in having to wipe off helmet, jacket, and the headlights. Grrr...!!!!

Love bugs you say?? I'll google that in a moment and let you know. ;) Alls I know is when one would bust the shield, it would make a mess that looked like 10 flies had been blown up and the bug itself is hardly larger than a fly.

You want me to flush it?? :D redflip

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8V0UwQyA6o...-woods+372.jpg

Not so sure that these are them. I wiki'ed them and they seem to be more south of here but do inhabit the coastal areas of NC. ??? All's I know is I don't want to see anymore of those other suckers. ;)

Love bugs get really bad down here...can cover your shield in no time.

What about the no see um's?? I have heard that those things can be pretty bad as well.

Can't say, never seen one.

JC

But you're JC, you see everything! :D

Must have been the shades ?

That's got to be what it was. :D I gotta wear shades.................I gotta wear shades........Nuclear science....

:lol:

Don't you have some lawns to cut, Jethro?

JC

DUDE, meguiar's cleaner wax is the best and easiest way to clean off caked brake dust on wheels. plus i think its only $6-7...

best shit ever for making shiny, especially black wheels, and wont turn your black parts white, i use it on every part of my bike, motor, wheels, body, mirrors, gauges, etc

I probably don't clean my bike enough. :idk:

It gets about 3 deep cleans per season and several smaller wipe downs.

Does riding in the rain count??? :lol:

Seriously not near enough. I wipe down the "bad spots" before riding but only really clean it a couple of times. I did do a good cleaning before putting it away for the season.

either the day after i get caught in the rain or after theres more bugs than black on the nose

I use Lifter 1's bug and tar remover. It comes in an aerosol can so it doesn't run and drip down to your tires. Works awesome.

Ozone FTL.

Your use of FTW/FTL lately FTL.

Compared to the post whore who used to post nothing but pictures of naked chicks on CF? You're one to talk, mister. :lol:

He's just jealous because I've been riding since he was five. :lol:

JC

OH Snaaaaaaaaappp!! :D

She's a real woman, as opposed to the ones you download that won't have sex with you.

:lol:

Sorry, I crack myself up sometimes.

JC

As if that somehow contributes to the motorcycling aspect, right? Just sayin...

WD40 on a towel. Cheaper, you should have it anyway, and don't spray it directly on and it won't drip on anything. Removes tape residue, bugs, other stuck on crap without hurting any paint, carbon fiber or plastic surface.

Hand degreaser without pumice on wheels makes them brilliant.

Shout will also work as a nice general cleaner and better on most parts than anything else without destroying parts.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/produc...T1=MEG+MC20506 Meguiars products are the shit. And, used every now and then will make a simple clean that much more SIMPLE.

Don't flatter yourself old man... you're not THAT young. :nee:

yeeeouch! :dthumb:

Put down the shovel... don't talk about growing up until.. I don't know.. you do so yourself? :lol:

a little kerosene on a rag, works pretty good to get grease,etc off hard parts

I'll make you a deal.

I'll stop pretending to be Jesus, if you stop pretending to be stupid and dim witted.

You go first.

JC

I wash the bike between rain races, before or after a repaint or anytime I have her stripped down.

After an uneventful weekend or trackday, she usually goes back in the trailer or garage with no bath.

Yup... also when you want to take that pesky paint off. :dthumb:

"hard parts" not paint

for grease that builds up from things like chain lube, etc, around your kickstand, engine, etc

Simple Green, toothbrushes, elbow grease.

Rinse, lather, repeat.

WD on the tough bits and a shot of brake cleaner on the pads.

JC

I thought you didn't use chain lube??

i dont , just giving advice

Advice based on what, exactly?

uh, whats with all the questions? I guess i could base it on: my bike isn't the only bike i ever clean or detail, I used to detail bikes as a side job, and still clean/detail friends bikes,

What's with all the questions?

Let me welcome you to this thing called a forum. One person posts... then another person replies. I posted, you replied, I was curious and bored.

Stop being such a dick and your tinfoil hat wouldn't fit so tight.

you posted some cleaning advice using some different cleaners, etc, then i post up about one thing and you ask me what is based on and commenting that i didnt use chain lube, etc, and call me a dick


when you posted your advice, i didnt ask what you based it on, and call you a stupid bitch, did I?

I didn't say you were a dick to me. You're just being a raving dick to my friends.

Shall I go scroll up the thread? I posted advice, based on my actual OCD nature of cleaning my bikes, cars, garage, tools, etc. Should I have called you a stupid bitch? Because, judging from your posts lately you need to clear some sand out of your vagina. That's all :idk:

well i base mine on also being OCD about cleaning my bike, i base it on cleaning a lot of other peoples bikes, i base it on being a professional auto detailer for a few years


so back to the topic of cleaning bikes

I've been thinking about trying out this Ice stuff. Pretty solid, eh?

yes sir, and so easy to use, one bottle will last you like 2 years or so

I've seen that they have liquid clay bar too...any experience with that?

never used the clay bar

I might have to check their stuff out. Sounds decent at the very least.

He put a little bit of that Liquid Ice stuff on mine the other day, and it was especially nice on the black plastic between the upper fairing and fuel tank, ohh, and the mirrors. It took out a some of the minor scratches that were in the black on my lower fairings and made the entire right side of my bike look very much better.

Now if that cocksucker hadn't done the right side of my bike only.................I'd have a super nice looking ride right now. ;) :D J/K Yamer ;)

clay bar's waste of time. I typed this on my new ps3 on my new 52 inch sony.

just trying to get you motivated to do the rest:whistle:

Clay bar...how so?