Almost time for the annual bike washing. How about you?

[Grainbelt]

Winter is drawing near, in a few months it will be time to sacrifice a few old tshirts to the bike washing gods for the annual whether-it-needs-it-or-not pre-storage-wash.

I see some people washing and polishing their bikes constantly, and I am perplexed. What is the consensus around here?

 

[chomorro]

i just spray and wipe my bike about weekly and clean and lube the chain bi weekly. I use wd40 and a towel to get off grease and it works out great :rockon:

I never actually wash it LOL

 

[iSteve]

I do the spray and wipe thing also, after every ride. I waxed it a few times over the summer.

 

[Def]

Wash, polish, wipe-down constantly.(My FZ6, that is). I like my bike clean.

 

[Kazza]

Prebstar washes my bike for me on a VERY regular basis. He also constantly washes the other bikes, the cars etc etc.

I think it's theraputic for him - down in the shed, nice view of the Chittering Valley, beer in hand, AC/DC or the cricket on the radio, dogs running around trying to get the hose. It's "MICHAEL" time. It's also "KAREN" time as, when he's in the shed, I catch up with my tv shows that I tape and he hates (GLEE etc LOL)

 

[FinalImpact]

When the bug splatter fills the screen and speuuuuuuuwzs aft onto the tank, seat and me - that's when the hose comes out. . . I forbid the accumulation of bug parts to the groin area. It's tacky in a literal sense. . . lol

So about a month of bugs. . . But one short night ride can do a weeks worth of normal splat!

 

[wolfe1down]

I wash and wax my bike monthly, or after a ride in the rain. I maintain the chain and other 'routine' maintenance more frequently, so my bike washing can and does often fall outside of the chains schedule.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

I wash at least once a week. I also usually hit it with the plexus once or twice mid-week. And if it rains, I'll towel dry it in the garage and spray and wipe down again.

So, when the jackasses were working on the car wash that's right next to the motorcycle parking and "forgot" to tell anyone that they'd be spraying **** everywhere, I was a little peeved. It looks like my bike is covered in sand, and I've tried everything I know of to get the **** off. They wouldn't even tell me what it is that got all over my bike. "Should have parked somewhere else." They said. Except on my base, you park in a motorcycle parking spot, or get towed. At least the parking spots are awesome and there always seems to be enough. Seriously, a list of spots from the distance to the door would go like this: motorcycle, Admiral 2 star or higher, Admiral, Captain...

I'm considering taking it down to carspa and having them buff/refinish it on payday. Hopefully that'll get the crud off.

 

[Taku]

Ususally wash her on sundays but lately it's been raining for days on end so I haven't bothered...

 

[Shinn]

Not too often but enough to keep her pretty. Once a month or around there.

 

[spock]

I just have little time to ride it on saturdays or sundays, so I ride it instead of washing it

Also here in my country we don't know where is going to rain, If I would try to mantain my bike always clean I would get crazy.

 

[FIZZER6]

I wash anytime it's dirty or the bugs are starting to build up on the windscreen...amounts to about once a month or so during the summer.

I wax 2 times per year and clean and lube the chain about every 300 miles.

I often wax the windscreen and headlamp covers every time I wash the bike...a good wax really repels the bugs!

 

[skooter65]

My normal regiment is once a week (Same for the cars). The extent of cleaning is often dependent on the amount of riding and the conditions of the previous week. Often times it can be a simple a running a California Duster of the shiny parts.

To me, the reason for cleaning is three fold:

1: I like nice stuff. I paid, what I consider to be, a large sum of money for this vehicle and would like to keep in in as nice condition as I can.

2: Longevity. Cleaning any vehicle forces you too look at places that would often go unnoticed. You typically catch worn out components sooner. You also prevent wear by removing contaminants from surfaces, gasketed areas, drive components, etc..

3: Re-Sale. I have short term buyer syndrome. I have yet to have a car, bike, or ATV that I have kept over 5-years. The physical appearance of the vehicle at a sale holds almost as much weight as the maintenance/'service record...Sad but True.

 

[spock]

Can somebody please explain to me the difference between wash and wax?

Sorry guys english is not my native language jeje

Thanks.

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Washing uses soap to clean it.

Waxing is well, taking a form of wax and polishing the wax into the painted pieces after it's been cleaned. It keeps the bike shinier. The painted parts anyway.

 

[spock]

I get it now, thanks.

 

[FinalImpact]

Washing uses soap to clean it.

Waxing is well, taking a form of wax and polishing the wax into the painted pieces after it's been cleaned. It keeps the bike shinier. The painted parts anyway.

Bugs and road grime come off a waxed surface much easier too. As said above, I wax the windscreen so not only does it bead water and self clean, the bugs come right off too!

Worst is:
Flat paint having no shine. You can't wax it and the porous nature everything sticks!
Semi gloss paint with no wax.

Best is:
Sealed hi gloss paint with wax. It shines and can repel bugs, tar, debris as the pours are nearly sealed so nothing sticks well.

 

[FIZZER6]

Bugs and road grime come off a waxed surface much easier too. As said above, I wax the windscreen so not only does it bead water and self clean, the bugs come right off too!

Worst is:
Flat paint having no shine. You can't wax it and the porous nature everything sticks!
Semi gloss paint with no wax.

Best is:
Sealed hi gloss paint with wax. It shines and can repel bugs, tar, debris as the pours are nearly sealed so nothing sticks well.

This is obvious when you try to clean the bugs off the front forks...they are cemented on because of the rough finish on the forks.

 

[Pseudo-Fed]

My normal regiment is once a week (Same for the cars). The extent of cleaning is often dependent on the amount of riding and the conditions of the previous week. Often times it can be a simple a running a California Duster of the shiny parts.

To me, the reason for cleaning is three fold:

1: I like nice stuff. I paid, what I consider to be, a large sum of money for this vehicle and would like to keep in in as nice condition as I can.

2: Longevity. Cleaning any vehicle forces you too look at places that would often go unnoticed. You typically catch worn out components sooner. You also prevent wear by removing contaminants from surfaces, gasketed areas, drive components, etc..

3: Re-Sale. I have short term buyer syndrome. I have yet to have a car, bike, or ATV that I have kept over 5-years. The physical appearance of the vehicle at a sale holds almost as much weight as the maintenance/'service record...Sad but True.

Um, DITTO!

 

[Dave.TX]

Thankfully, this summer has been so hot and dry in Texas there are relatively few bugs. Usually there's a ton more. I don't like the heat and drought so much but it does keep the bugs from reproducing and thriving. That in turn keeps my bike cleaner so have to use less water to clean it.

I miss San Diego, CA, for the reason there's few bugs and the air is cleaner than in central Texas. But I don't live there anymore so will deal with it.