Tips on cleaning

[Ras Thavas]

I recently tried 50% diluted Simple Green on the wheels and tires and was very impressed with the results. I have it in a spray bottle, sprayed it on the wheel and tire and wiped it off with a microfiber towel.

I have not actually washed my bike yet. It has not been driven in the rain. I have used the Meguiar's quick detail spray to clean dust off of the paint and plastic parts.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I recently tried 50% diluted Simple Green on the wheels and tires and was very impressed with the results. I have it in a spray bottle, sprayed it on the wheel and tire and wiped it off with a microfiber towel.

I have not actually washed my bike yet. It has not been driven in the rain. I have used the Meguiar's quick detail spray to clean dust off of the paint and plastic parts.

Stay away from Simple Green or anything with citric acid, that stuff is too harsh, it will eat everything up, even when you dilute it.

Use degreaser Or WD-40 to clean your rims/wheels, and Armour All or other tire cleaners for your tires.

 

[Rocky529]

Obviously avoid getting any of these chemicals on the tire themselves... the last thing you want to do is skid out on a corner because you got some ArmorAll on your tires.

I use Fantastic and paper towels on all my metals, wheels, etc...

Kerosene on the chain

I wash the painted parts with Zaino car soap, rinse the entire bike and then dry it with a leaf blower.

Finally, I wax it with Zaino polish and wax and then lube the chain.

 

[Ras Thavas]

Stay away from Simple Green or anything with citric acid, that stuff is too harsh, it will eat everything up, even when you dilute it.

Use degreaser Or WD-40 to clean your rims/wheels, and Armour All or other tire cleaners for your tires.

Simple Green is not acidic, and there are no citrus extracts in it.

 

[jniedermeyer]

Car wash in a bucket of water.... lots of elbow work. Kerosene cleans the chain and does an excellent job on the wheels. I avoid the tires and use it very sparingly.

For me, I rarely wash the bike in the riding season anyway. I do a fine detail job prior to winterizing the bike though so it's very clean for spring. This year, a lot of the bike is coming apart when the season is done. Thus, it will be cleaned beyond belief. I'll have the entire front end off to put in the Racetech springs and replace the steering head bearings with a set of All Balls. Various parts are coming off for a powder coating from all over the bike. Everything will be washed, shined and put back together... everything torqued that I can possibly put a wrench to.

You've all provided some excellent tips here! Much appreciated!!!

why are you changing the bearings on an 08? going bad already?

 

[mpb218]

Yeah I fall into that category of apartment with no hose... my hose is in the back on the apt and I pulled my bike around to the backyard to wash it. I then found out that the douchebag 2 doors down complained to the management that I was "flying" up and down the sidewalk with my bike. Yeah... I walked it there. Once. I wish he had a cat I could feed coolant. Ok I am kidding about the cat. Well maybe not, I hate cats.

 

[Rocky01]

S100 works great! (Simple green in a pinch) Spray it on then spray it off with a good strong stream of water. I spray the chain with WD40 and use a spray lube on the chain thats safe for o-rings. mothers wax on painted parts. I use my leaf blower to dry then spray it with a fine mist of s100 corosion inhibitor. It looks like its fresh off the showroom floor and it's protected from the elements.

I always use S100 for cleaning my Sportster (I don't have my FZ6 yet!)

Rinse bike with garden hose supplied water. Spray on S100, Rise. Don't let S100 dry. Do Section by Section. I would then dry off the seat. Go for a ride around town. (Warning... The brake pads will be wet the first time you apply them, so make sure you're in a no to low traffic street and apply them a few times to dry them out!) I would ride around town and shift the bike left and right to get as much residual water out. I would then return home, let the bike cool and then use a chamois to dry off and remove water stains. I would then apply a motorcycle wax. This is a Sportster, so there is much more 'shine' parts to give attention to. Have a brew and put bike to sleep for the day.

Rocky:rockon:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Stay away from Simple Green or anything with citric acid, that stuff is too harsh, it will eat everything up, even when you dilute it.

Use degreaser Or WD-40 to clean your rims/wheels, and Armour All or other tire cleaners for your tires.

Simple Green is not acidic, and there are no citrus extracts in it.

There are a lot of people on this forum who will disagree with you, including myself. Being in the aviation business on the maintenance side, Simple Green is a major no no. But it's your bike and if you like it and it works, use it. But read on, it's certainly not endorsed for cleaning the bike.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/product-reviews/7372-cautious-using-simple-green-clean-you-chain.html

 

[Ras Thavas]

I'm not using Simple Green to clean my chain. I am using it on my wheels and tires. If needed I will use it to clean any greasy areas of the motor/frame.

 

[richierambler]

Well, bought some Muck Off and WD40 to try both to get the chain-fling off metalwork and wheels and started with the WD40. Didnt even get to the Muck Off as WD40 is now my new hero. Simply sprayed a bit on some cloth and it wiped off like wiping dust off a sideboard. Excellent stuff.

 

[Twista Grip]

Another plug for S100, great product. Make sure to rinse it well. You don't need to use it on every wash, just when the underside is starting to get noticably grimy. Between wet washes, I use the old Honda spray cleaner. Works great, using a microfiber towel and your done in 20 minutes.

 

[Numpty]

Told ya

Dont even need any effort to get it back spotless :thumbup:

 

[damnpoor]

There are a lot of people on this forum who will disagree with you, including myself. Being in the aviation business on the maintenance side, Simple Green is a major no no. But it's your bike and if you like it and it works, use it. But read on, it's certainly not endorsed for cleaning the bike.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/product-reviews/7372-cautious-using-simple-green-clean-you-chain.html

Simple Green is definitely bad for aluminum. If you get caught with that stuff cleaning an airplane frame you'll get in lots of trouble. Etching (a hazing of the surface) can occur and since Simple Green is water based it will lead to corrosion (pitting) if you don't completely dry it.

 

[ozzieboy]

Instead of using WD40 for cleaning the rims, I use INNOX to coat the rims after cleaning. Cleaning then consists of wiping off the offending grim with a damp cloth ( or your finger). WD40 is similar to INNOX, but I am led to beleive it is harsher. It also gives your rims extra shine right after washing the bike. I use this stuff on my fishing gear and kayak for salt water use and it rocks:rockon:.
Cheers
Mike

 

[impheatus81]

hi anyone have any idea how to clean the header to the orginal state

i tried using some polishing cream

but i still cannot get the black marks or spots out

anyone can help me out here ?


any solution to intro ?

 

[FZ6Rich]

Re: Tips on cleaning V-Dirty Front forks

Just wanted to add to this about the cleaning tips. WD40 seems to work on on the lower forks too (not the chrome part). Mine are 'Rubber Ducked' (bit of ****ney for ya) with road grime and crud literally embedded into the forks (from previous owner). I was having trouble getting it off and was using gunk engine degreaser with no avail. Just done a test patch with WD40 and with a bit of elbow grease it seems to work a treat!

Cheers FZ6 forum crew!

 

[SeekGod1st]

I have been told by the Dealership that using a jet washer at a service station is fine but the Fz6 Manual says this is a no-no.

i have been using simple washing up liquid which shifts the grime fine and then chamois the bike dry.

What do you guys do to clean your bikes?

Whilst i am here, I am having real trouble getting the chain oil and other greasy grim off metalwork and rear wheel. The washing up liquid doesnt shift this so can you suggest a good alternative.

I live in the UK so I may no have access to all products.

I purchased a bike from a pressure washer cleaner. About 6 months after the purchase I found out the steering bearings were all rusted. The dealer had to disassemble, replace bearings, remove rust and reassemble, I can't remember what it cost but he didn't do the work for free. The reason I figured something was wrong was because the bike would not counter steer when I turned. I would lean right and the bike would stay on it's straight line, it was scary.

 

[Goop]

I've been experimenting with Simple Green at different dilutions. Full strength wipes the road grime off of the wheels easily. A 1:10 Simple Green/Water solution works well everywhere else. I finish off the plastics and tank with Protect-All and it shines like new.

 

[Kriswithak]

Simple Green can be used to strip paint, so it is pretty corrosive, its just not fast acting.
Despite what alot of people say I've always been told (by many sources) never to use WD40 particularly on your chain.
Kerosine, and only a soft bristled brush (or a cloth works fine).
As you'll notice from this thread there are plenty of people saying "I've done X for years with no damage" and others saying "X causes massive damage and should never be done" and it depends largely on how some things are used.
The average joe blo can easily do alot of damage using things incorrectly, these are generally the items that are on the no-no list, whether you want to take a risk is up to you.

 

[deeptekkie]

Just as mstewar1 says, I don't let mine get too dirty - I clean it almost everytime that I ride it. I use Armor All wet wipes on my rims and the (buggy) windscreen. They work great. Everytime I that I have ridden it I have hit at least 100 mph which ALWAYS collects bugs. The back back rim just isn't an issue anymore since I switched from spray chain lube to spray chain wax. (That stuff is great)