Washing

[Guest Drotsky]

Hi All,

Wasn't sure where to post this.

I commute to work and do 250 miles a week and currently wash my NC every 2 weeks as a thank you for her hard work.

Always paranoid about getting water into bits I shouldn't. Any advice on how careful is too careful and dos and don'ts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Guest sykospain]

Avoid using a filling station jet-spray, even tho' they're cheap and use recycled water.

 

A bucket and brush is the best, but even with that laborious time-consuming process, and even more with a jet-spray, rigorously avoid pointing a jet of water at any external component that contains bearings - swing-arm, side- or centrestand, calipers, hubs, etc.

And avoid spraying anything electrical:- dash, coils, switchgear, etc.  And stand well back !  Then when finished with the jet of water,  sponge off and cloth-dry.  A king-sized bottle brush is useful for the damp nooks & crannies.  ( What's a cranny ? )

Edited April 10, 2016 by sykospain

[Guest Drotsky]

Thank you sykospain. I tend to use the hosepipe at home and try to avoid getting any of the electrical bits around the steering wet as well as any water down the exhaust.

I do give everything else a good soaking to wash away most of the loose grime before getting stuck in with a sponge.

"Cranny" - a crack or crevice apparently

[Englishman 165]

Dont forget a bung in the exhaust

[Guest Drotsky]

@Englishman - definitely worth remembering. knowing my luck I'd forget it in there and take out the neighbour's window or cat the next time I start her up

Hand works best for someone with the memory span of a goldfish (btw apparently they can remember things for months)

[roddy 845]

I love washing the bike and find for me little and often is best. Wet the bike,spray some diluted muck off then hose off,a quick spray with some degreaser for some of the harder bits of grime,then maybe a spray with some dp60 protective spray,10 to 15 minutes top,and not a speck of rust anywhere after 27000 miles in two years and kept outside under a halfords premium bike cover

[Rev Ken 6,331]

I love washing the bike and find for me little and often is best. Wet the bike,spray some diluted muck off then hose off,a quick spray with some degreaser for some of the harder bits of grime,then maybe a spray with some dp60 protective spray,10 to 15 minutes top,and not a speck of rust anywhere after 27000 miles in two years and kept outside under a halfords premium bike cover

So long as you manage to wash ALL the 'Muck-Off' off! I was shown a bike with 'dull' paintwork and told it was a result of not completely washing it off, and that it was something they saw sometimes when riders were trading in what are well looked after bikes, reducing their value. (It won't happen to me because I rarely find time to throw water over my bike, although I did two days ago as I had to ford some sea water!) 

[roddy 845]

Very true you got to get all the Muck-off off. But it doesn't seem too bad if its diluted 50/50.The real tell tale signs are blotching after you have put the stuff on which is then easily removed.

[Guest Mac750]

Won't use Muck Off as I have to be honest I had a bad experience using it, I use ordinary diluted car cleaner, not washing up liquid and I only use a hose, not a pressure washer. Luke warm water not hot. Be very careful with Muck Off products because it can cause damage.

[outrunner 4,457]

Now you are all telling me I have to wash the thing as well!!

 

 

 

Andy.

Edited September 29, 2016 by outrunner

[PoppetM 16,845]

Hubby swears by Zymol. He uses it on all our cars and my bike and our cars are showroom shiny. It does however dry out your hands so use gloves!

Beats wax!

[MikeBike 5,005]

If you have a Tutoro oiler be careful not to use any cleaners or solvents on the plastic reservoir as it can make it brittle apparently.

[Wedgepilot 727]

Zymol is good stuff. Not that I have time for any sort of "cleaning regime" these days. Now it's usually just a weekly bucket of warm water with car wash/wax and a sponge, then a quick wipe down with silicone spray.

It seems to work though, I've had a few people at work comment on how it looks like new

[Guest KevinX]

Every time before I wash my X, I use a cap of shampoo bottle to close the Exhaust.  

so I avoid to get  in it!.

[pjm 6,041]

After a wash I am lucky enough to have the bike dryer. In effect a large hair dryer that gets rid of all of the pooling and trapped water. Warms your hands up a treat if you have to wash the bike on a cold day.

[CFB 4,601]

I've started pinching some of my sons snowfoam.

I use it with the jetwash but you could just wet the bike and apply with a pump spray bottle.

A quick going over with a sponge and bottle brush, then rinse off.

Brings the bike up lovely with minimum effort.

It leaves the bike smelling good too.

[Mike5100 2,061]

After a wash I am lucky enough to have the bike dryer. In effect a large hair dryer that gets rid of all of the pooling and trapped water. Warms your hands up a treat if you have to wash the bike on a cold day.

Yes - one of the best things I bought too.  dries the bike much better than trying to use a chamois, as it gets all the water out of the nooks and crannies.  Particularly good if you live in a hard water area as it avoids the white marks as the drops dry.

Mike

[MikeBike 5,005]

After a wash I am lucky enough to have the bike dryer. In effect a large hair dryer that gets rid of all of the pooling and trapped water. Warms your hands up a treat if you have to wash the bike on a cold day.

Rather than buy having a device to blow air over my bike, someone suggested that I already had one, so after a wash I go for a short ride to blow and evaporate off the water. (obviously not if it's wet).

[embee 7,288]

Since this looks to be an ongoing thread ..............

 

As said by others, don't use washing up liquid, too aggressive at removing wax etc. I use car shampoo, always used Autoglym products which seem to perform very well, my 16yr old car has excellent paintwork. Use the bodywork shampoo for regular washes (just got a 2.5Lt bottle off the auction site for less than £14 delivered, lasts me about 3yrs). The car I then wax with their super resin polish maybe 2 or 3 times a year, bikes  a bit more frequently. Little and often better.

 

For stubborn stuff on the bikes, screens and wheels sometimes, I do use Muc-off, but as suggested by others you really mustn't let it dry at all, rinse it off soon after spraying on. Apply wax polish to wheel rims regularly, the paint isn't particularly durable I find.

 

Also apply ACF50 sparingly on vulnerable bits, I keep an "ACF50 rag" in a jamjar, often just a wipe with that will do the job.

Edited October 5, 2016 by embee

[Mike5100 2,061]

Since this looks to be an ongoing thread ..............

As said by others, don't use washing up liquid, too aggressive at removing wax etc. I use car shampoo, always used Autoglym products which seem to perform very well, my 16yr old car has excellent paintwork. Use the bodywork shampoo for regular washes (just got a 2.5Lt bottle off the auction site for less than £14 delivered, lasts me about 3yrs). The car I then wax with their super resin polish maybe 2 or 3 times a year, bikes a bit more frequently. Little and often better.

For stubborn stuff on the bikes, screens and wheels sometimes, I do use Muc-off, but as suggested by others you really mustn't let it dry at all, rinse it off soon after spraying on. Apply wax polish to wheel rims regularly, the paint isn't particularly durable I find.

Also apply ACF50 sparingly on vulnerable bits, I keep an "ACF50 rag" in a jamjar, often just a wipe with that will do the job.

I use a radiator brush and an artists brush to dab acf50 on all plain steel nuts bolts and banjos. Only takes 5 mins to do the whole lot

Worth relaying some advice from allyearbiker. They told me to use the cheapest shampoo I could buy as the ones with all the fancy additives will wash off their acf50 treatment

Mike

[Reckless 945]

A couple of years ago I bought a 25 litre container of wash wax I use it on the cars and the bikes, seems good enough. I also use the spray wax polish from the £1 shop for the quick washes, the proper deep clean washes get much more long lasting polishes, I will be hitting the acf50 very soon before most of the bikes go to bed for the winter

[Mike5100 2,061]

Another tip - the top half of the bike doesn't get very dirty and is very effectively cleaned and polished with waterless wash/wax.  The one from The Range at £5.99 contains Carnuba wax and is brilliant at removing dead flies and even oil and tar stains.  It also works very well on the rims but if you have been riding on salt laden roads you do need to wash the lower half of the bike.

Mike