Washing you bike
Big sponge
Lil sponge
Toothbrush x 2 (stiff as you can find)
Chamois (shammy)
Spot free dish soap (soap is soap, I find the specific ones that cost 12.00 work just as well as dishsoap, so feel free to buy it)
Liquid glass wax
Bug & Tar remover. This stuff is magic. It does precisely what it says and doesnt strip clear/paint.
WD40. This is ALSO an amazing bug and tar remover. It is a crazy solvent.
Castrol purple super clean cleaner/degreaser *This will remove the grease from your chain, whether or not this is desired. Make sure you lube your chain afterwords. Dont get this on your fairings.
Wheels
First thing you do is spray the castrol on the dry rims/rear suspension. This crap is aggressive as hell but removes all of the pain in the ass of cleaning wheels and the stuff you cant reach. On the rims you will want to do them one at a time and do them fast. It WILL eat your paint if left on too long.
Spray what you can reach, move the bike forward, spray the rest of the rim.
Move the bike back, run a damp sponge around it, move the bike forward, do the same then rinse. I know it sounds conveluted but I promise you, it removes all of the work, and they gleam. If you stay on top of them you dont even need to rub them with the sponge. I can't say enough about this stuff. It cleans all the lettering on the rims, everything. Don't leave it on longer than 30 seconds. Make sure you rinse the sponge thourougly.
Rear suspension
Spray on the castrol, let it sit for 30 seconds. Hit with a toothbrush in disgusting areas that do not immediately dissappear. Again this will clean like magic and make that rear spring stand out. Rinse the toothbrush.
The rest
Wet it. Use the bug/tar remover (or WD40) in spots as necessary, including undertail. Wash tha bike. Use one toothbrush on hard to reach dirty stuff.
Use a chamois
Wax
Remove the seats. Damned wax discolors it. Wax the bike. Remove the wax when its dry (I know... hard to believe but true). Use the remaining tootbrush to get it out of all the screws/crevaces.
Tires
Leave them the **** alone. It isn't a car, you armorall your tires you are going to fall down and hurt.
Chain
Nobody is going to agree with me on this, which is fine, I use WD40 and run the chain through a rag I am holding to remove what would fly off. WD40 is a great lubricant and has the added bonus of both cleaning and sealing the crevaces from dirt. Chain always looks new, never rusts, doesn't get gunky.
Lil sponge
Toothbrush x 2 (stiff as you can find)
Chamois (shammy)
Spot free dish soap (soap is soap, I find the specific ones that cost 12.00 work just as well as dishsoap, so feel free to buy it)
Liquid glass wax
Bug & Tar remover. This stuff is magic. It does precisely what it says and doesnt strip clear/paint.
WD40. This is ALSO an amazing bug and tar remover. It is a crazy solvent.
Castrol purple super clean cleaner/degreaser *This will remove the grease from your chain, whether or not this is desired. Make sure you lube your chain afterwords. Dont get this on your fairings.
Wheels
First thing you do is spray the castrol on the dry rims/rear suspension. This crap is aggressive as hell but removes all of the pain in the ass of cleaning wheels and the stuff you cant reach. On the rims you will want to do them one at a time and do them fast. It WILL eat your paint if left on too long.
Spray what you can reach, move the bike forward, spray the rest of the rim.
Move the bike back, run a damp sponge around it, move the bike forward, do the same then rinse. I know it sounds conveluted but I promise you, it removes all of the work, and they gleam. If you stay on top of them you dont even need to rub them with the sponge. I can't say enough about this stuff. It cleans all the lettering on the rims, everything. Don't leave it on longer than 30 seconds. Make sure you rinse the sponge thourougly.
Rear suspension
Spray on the castrol, let it sit for 30 seconds. Hit with a toothbrush in disgusting areas that do not immediately dissappear. Again this will clean like magic and make that rear spring stand out. Rinse the toothbrush.
The rest
Wet it. Use the bug/tar remover (or WD40) in spots as necessary, including undertail. Wash tha bike. Use one toothbrush on hard to reach dirty stuff.
Use a chamois
Wax
Remove the seats. Damned wax discolors it. Wax the bike. Remove the wax when its dry (I know... hard to believe but true). Use the remaining tootbrush to get it out of all the screws/crevaces.
Tires
Leave them the **** alone. It isn't a car, you armorall your tires you are going to fall down and hurt.
Chain
Nobody is going to agree with me on this, which is fine, I use WD40 and run the chain through a rag I am holding to remove what would fly off. WD40 is a great lubricant and has the added bonus of both cleaning and sealing the crevaces from dirt. Chain always looks new, never rusts, doesn't get gunky.
posted by Dave at 3:04 PM
<< Home