View Full Version : Bike cleaning questions.
A friend of mine said he cleans his SV650 on a petron station just hosing it down with the high pressure soapy water than he dries the bike off with a cloth and puts some polish on.
As far as I remember this sort of thing is a no-no.
Can you guys give me your thought on it?
And if not like that how to clean a bike effectively and quickly?
andrewsmith
19-07-10, 03:03 PM
tis a golden no no. high pressure hoses can stip off clear coats etc that are used on bikes.
To do it quickly muc off is the best takes about 10 minutes
I've used a pressure washer before but you need to be careful and use a wide spray from a reasonable distance. You could possibly blast grease out of bearings with a concentrated jet. +1 on the Muc Off.
Specialone
19-07-10, 03:58 PM
Zymol shampoo,
Soft wash mit,
Hose not jet wash.
Icanopit
19-07-10, 04:08 PM
I use a pump up "Hozelock" garden spray, variable pressure/mist/pencil stream etc, I find the lance extremely usefull for getting into awkward areas and of course now there is a HOSE PIPE BAN on in most areas even more usefull.
Use more than one for shampoo/cleaner/degreaser/water etc etc.
JOHN
dizzyblonde
19-07-10, 04:50 PM
Muc off ....bad.
SDoc100..gooooood ;-)
If you keep on top of it it doesn't take more than 30 minutes anyway. Oh and another one for SDOC
andrewsmith
19-07-10, 05:02 PM
only prob is sdoc takes too long when its cold and a hurry.
Still brilliant stuff
Hoody90
19-07-10, 06:04 PM
SDOC is the business, paraffin works wonders on the chain and any other stubborn muck on the headers etc. A decent shampoo and wash mitt for the bodywork - using the 'two-bucket' method to minimise scratches. Some may think it's a bit of an overkill but all of my bikes have looked mint even with riding through all weathers.
garynortheast
19-07-10, 08:24 PM
Muc off ....bad.
SDoc100..gooooood ;-)
+1
Pay someone to do it for you. I've just had my bike valeted cos I couldn't be arsed to do it myself. It was mingin, I hadn't washed it for weeks, well months to be honest, it was caked in French cow**** and now it looks like new again. Not bad for £40 all in and no VAT, it took him many hours and a lot of AutoGlym products. Soz about shaky pics, I took them as it was getting dark at slow shutter speed as it was getting dark and my flash needs new batteries, these will give an idea, but it's even shinier than Shiny Shiny. The zorst in particular was disgusting, baked on cow poo and Scottie oil, mmm nice!!!!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a127/Sythree/IMG_3552.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a127/Sythree/IMG_3554.jpg
bengrrr
19-07-10, 09:20 PM
Pay someone to do it for you. I've just had my bike valeted cos I couldn't be arsed to do it myself. It was mingin, I hadn't washed it for weeks, well months to be honest, it was caked in French cow**** and now it looks like new again. Not bad for £40 all in and no VAT, it took him many hours and a lot of AutoGlym products. Soz about shaky pics, I took them as it was getting dark at slow shutter speed as it was getting dark and my flash needs new batteries, these will give an idea, but it's even shinier than Shiny Shiny. The zorst in particular was disgusting, baked on cow poo and Scottie oil, mmm nice!!!!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a127/Sythree/IMG_3552.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a127/Sythree/IMG_3554.jpg
I would like to concur the mmmmmm nice. Love the Daytona
:smt055
dizzyblonde
19-07-10, 09:25 PM
Apart from SDoc for when its really minging, I have also been known to wash my bikes in baby shampoo. At the moment they get done in Mer car shampoo. The VRaptor is so new and unabused, with so little on it in regards to plastics, theres not much to wash!!!
All three bikes get a good helping of Autoglym super resin polish after a wash and dry. Chains get rubbed with WD40 on a rag, then immediately resprayed with lube.
In fact the SVs need a clean even though they haven't been anywhere for months, just as an excuse to keep them in order with regards to corroding parts. Anything suspect gets a douse of ACF50, after a bit of a rub with autosol, and all downpipes get scrubbed with autosol on a scouring pad. Raptor pipes are even worse to keep shiny, as they are made out of some crap grade steel, which goes brown just looking at it, so my work is made harder.
WIsh I got paid to clean bikes, I'd make a fortune!
Weirdfish
19-07-10, 09:44 PM
You can use High pressure just be sensible, as others have said, don't get too close, stay away from bearings and chain with it etc etc.
I just use car shampoo and elbow grease, handy tip for minging wheels though is pre wash, spray them with WD40 (mind the brakes) then really soapy sponge to clean the WD off and they come up a treat, as for down pipes try some paste oven cleaner, wilkinsons own is grrrreat!
Jim:)
p.s. The Daytona looks gggrrrrreat to!
Ed (http://forums.sv650.org/member.php?u=1060) good to see that i'm not the only one who isn't feeling excited about cleaning my bike :p
What service did you use to get your bike cleaned?
Ed (http://forums.sv650.org/member.php?u=1060) good to see that i'm not the only one who isn't feeling excited about cleaning my bike :p
What service did you use to get your bike cleaned?
Local lad in Shrewsbury, Richard Felton his name is. I don't know where you are, if you're anywhere near I'll get his phone no for you. I found him on the 'Best of Shrewsbury' website.
ChrisSV
19-07-10, 10:07 PM
My bike is hosed down with cold water first, then i use a bucket of cold water.
next i use wilkinsons own engine cleaner, leave for 10 mins, then wash off with a hose.
Next i use Mer shampoo on all the body work, and parafin for the chain (this also works for mucky wheels)
and finally i spray anything shiney with FS365 or ACF50 (depending which i can find) finally polishing with Mer polish.
Or if it rained, i wash it when i get home, by doin the cold water thing, engine cleaner and shampoo.
Specialone
20-07-10, 06:30 AM
Ive just bought one of these
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/polishing-machine/das-6-dual-action-polisher-menzerna-kit/prod_522.html
My mate does car detailing for a living, mainly on exotic cars worth a fortune, there is clean and then there's detailed clean.
He recommended this kit, if you put a halogen light on your paintwork, just see how many swirls in the paint you have, he did my trumpet tank for me yesterday after i removed the tank stickers and it is flawless, like glass.
Mine's due to arrive today.
bengrrr
20-07-10, 07:50 AM
Personally for a cheaper option use Tech7 Power Clean from personal experience its truly brilliant a lifting off all the scum. Not bought any of the Polish but if its half as good as the cleaner than it'll be worth having....
http://www.bustersclassic.co.uk/products.asp?id=528
Cheers Ed but I'm in London so kinda a long ride for a wash ;p
Specialone, when I can save up this much for cleaning equipment I'll definetly go for it :>
Thanks bengrrr will buy some of those!
Specialone, when I can save up this much for cleaning equipment I'll definetly go for it :>
BH, £140!!! Eye watering...
Milky Bar Kid
20-07-10, 08:32 AM
Pay someone to do it for you. I've just had my bike valeted cos I couldn't be arsed to do it myself. It was mingin, I hadn't washed it for weeks, well months to be honest, it was caked in French cow**** and now it looks like new again. Not bad for £40 all in and no VAT, it took him many hours and a lot of AutoGlym products. Soz about shaky pics, I took them as it was getting dark at slow shutter speed as it was getting dark and my flash needs new batteries, these will give an idea, but it's even shinier than Shiny Shiny. The zorst in particular was disgusting, baked on cow poo and Scottie oil, mmm nice!!!!
Are you sure about that?!!?
Specialone
20-07-10, 08:33 AM
BH, £140!!! Eye watering...
You say eye watering Ed (and it was £150 with delivery nearly), but i aint gonna spend £7.5 k on something for it to look sh1te ;)
What can i say, i like shiney.
Saying that i spent 18k on my golf and washed that about 5 times in 3 years.
Mine gets ridden to the Jetwash and blasted when I can't see what colour it's meant to be. Just keep the high pressure hose away from bearings and don't get too close to decals.
I don't see the point in detailing bikes or spunking huge amounts of money on polishes because they look minging within a few days use anyway.
Specialone
20-07-10, 08:44 AM
Mine gets ridden to the Jetwash and blasted when I can't see what colour it's meant to be. Just keep the high pressure hose away from bearings and don't get too close to decals.
I don't see the point in detailing bikes or spunking huge amounts of money on polishes because they look minging within a few days use anyway.
I only use mine for pleasure and i keep on top of it, but the big advantage is you build up the layers of wax so the dirt doesnt get in grimed so makes it very easy to keep clean.
Its my personal choice, each to their own.
I dont do that with my DRZ, i just jet wash all the dirt off when i get back from green laning.
Jayneflakes
20-07-10, 10:11 AM
My bike gets used a lot now, so about once a week it gets the dead flies washed off and a general clean up. I cleaned my rear wheel the other day using Muc Off and was not very impressed. I used Hope ****-Sh1fter (Yes it really is called that) before and it was excellent, but Muc Off seems to be quite watered down.
Scrubbing my chain and sprockets made my arm ache, but the finish at the end was worth it and relubing a clean chain is so much nicer. Is paraffin easier to use than chain cleaner and does it require special disposal when finished?
You can clean the wheels with paraffin. Paraffin/kerosene is a solvent m'dear, so it never gets finished. The dirt will sink to the bottom of the jamjarso you can use the same paraffin/kerosene again and again. I pour a small amount into a jamjar and then use anold toothbrush to clean the chain. It's a filthy job, but the result is worth the effort IMHO.
dizzyblonde
20-07-10, 10:32 AM
You'd be better using WD40 or Mr Sheen on your rear wheel than muck off JF. Old fashioned methods tried and tested ;-)
Although that SDoc is great. I don't clean the chain side of the rear wheel that often, so its usually absolutely minging, but the Sdoc gets built up stuff off easily. Doesn't do bad on your chain either. But is expensive, and thankfullly I don't buy it and always leave an empty bottle!!! If theres none of that, the old fashioned method is required.
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