Bike cleaning questions.

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!!!!

Originally Posted by Ed

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!!!!

I would like to concur the mmmmmm nice. Love the Daytona

[dizzyblonde]

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!

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 good to see that i'm not the only one who isn't feeling excited about cleaning my bike
What service did you use to get your bike cleaned?

Originally Posted by Sanza

Ed good to see that i'm not the only one who isn't feeling excited about cleaning my bike
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.

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.

Ive just bought one of these

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polish.../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.

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!