Engine clean

[Nat67]

Hey Chris , welcome from Dartmoor ! As Greybeard stated don't use a pressure washer . Also avoid alkaline cleaners such as Muc off and the like . They do a great job but destroy the shine on your fixings overnight ! Best to use a soft sponge and hot water with a good quality wash and wax and then rinse with cold water . Dry bike thoroughly , either with compressed air or one if those there new fangled bike dryers. Autosol on the wheels and chrome and if needed Zebrite fire grate polish on the engine brings it back to showroom. All finished off with a light coat of maintenance spray , avoiding the discs of course . I don't clean my bike , I make love to it . which is why at 2010 it still looks like it came off the showroom floor !

 

[scot in exile]

Use all the spray on products you want but if you want it clean roll up your sleeves and give it a good scrubbing, a used(or the wifes) toothbrush works great for the nook and crannies on the engine(softbrush type)

 

[Grumpy Ole Codger]

Hi Chris, and another warm welcome from one of the Brits. Where in the UK are you based? Cleaning??? Much like Nat67 said, but have found the good old Pledge multi surface spray not only cleans but helps remove bugs and stops the dirt sticking. Wish we could get the Lemon Scented variety over here Anything to make it easier to clean is a bonus, lots of nooks and crannies (did I spell that correctly??) to get into!

 

[Landstar]

You will get lots of great advice on here... and an awful lot of comedians which is par for the course so don't be offended.... I use elbow grease n ACF-50 on my black engine and Autosol on the chrome. Enjoy yer rocket I love mine!

You just clean the black on the motor and apply the ACF-50 and wipe it off ? And what do you fellows use on your black mufflers, I am a fair weather rider, it takes me all day to clean a bike, and a few beers, well maybe more than a few

 

[Bedifferent]

I like to use any good car wash without wax because of the tires. Meguiers EZ Clean spray works really well on cleaning the engine areas and on my black engine the S100 Engine Brightener really does the trick. Plexus is great for the windshield. A good quality aluminium wheel cleaner for all types of wheels is good, but avoid anything that is caustic or etches. ACF-50 is good for rims to help protect them. As for paint and chrome, it's hard to beat Original Bike Spirits for ease of use and shine. I never pressure wash....just use the hose with a gentle spray. After I wash my bike I use an electric leaf blower to dry everything off as I hate toweling dry and it keeps that effort to a minimum.

I only wash my bike a couple time a season unless it was a trip or caught in weather.. A gentle wipe down with a damp cloth rinsed often does a good job. I follow that with a little Bike Spirits sprayed on microfiber cloth to remove any water streaks and bring out a shine without the need to polish. The guys I ride with think I have a spotless bike and spent all of my time cleaning. I really don't...just that little wipe down does the trick. I have them all fooled. They want me to detail their bikes but I refuse.

 

[scot in exile]

Hi Chris, and another warm welcome from one of the Brits. Where in the UK are you based? Cleaning??? Much like Nat67 said, but have found the good old Pledge multi surface spray not only cleans but helps remove bugs and stops the dirt sticking. Wish we could get the Lemon Scented variety over here Anything to make it easier to clean is a bonus, lots of nooks and crannies (did I spell that correctly??) to get into!

if you didn't then both of us spelled it wrong

 

[Roscoe]

eeeerrr..... are we supposed to clean our bikes??

 

[scot in exile]

eeeerrr..... are we supposed to clean our bikes??

A clean bike is a good bike a good bike is a clean bike.

 

[Fingers]

I thought that was why we ride I the rain.

 

[Roscoe]

I thought that was why we ride I the rain.

My thoughts exactly