Cleaning my bike

[Aaron]

Wotcha.

I have a 2009 ER-6f. Currently when i wash it it goes something like this...

Hose it down. I use my thumb over the end to get a bit of a jet to get in the little nooks and crannies.

Then i use a big spongy cloth thing with a bucket of warm water with some shampoo stuff in it. I go all over the plastic and cleaner bits of the frame.

Then i switch to my slighty dirtier cloth/sponge to go over the dirtier bits - like the rear of the frame/swingarm which is always dirtier/greasier. I spray my muc-off degreaser along the chain, and also i spray some on the rear rims and the bits of the exhaust that get spattered with grease from the chain. After a few minutes i wash it off.

I also get my dirtier sponge/cloth in as far as i can reach inside and try to clean the top of the exhaust and bits of inner-frame that i can reach, but alot will get missed.

Should i be doing more? The pipes at the front go a burned/rusty colour, but they're not really accessible to scrub, and not painted so i doubt there's much point. The non-shiny bits of the exhaust, which aren;t seen unless you crouch and look underneath, are mega-rusty. Like the nuts etc which hold it all together. There will undoubtedly be areas that have never been cleaned underneath the faired areas, etc.

I reapply clean lube to the chain.

Also, do you think that a dish washing brush (long plastic handel with nylon bristles) will damage the protective paint on my frame? It would help me get in the little nooks and crannies and places that my hands are too big for.

[techno]

Personally I would spend more time riding the bike than cleaning it, put the soap and sponges down and move away from the vehicle!

[quark]

I have the same bike and my wife says that for every hour I spend riding it I spend 2 cleaning it

To be fair it has been the winter and the rain and such does get it pretty dirty, and some of the comments on the forums have made me a little paranoid about rust and keeping it clean. Still not sure to be honest that its not all overkill, but hey it still looks nice and shiney.

I also noticed that some of the exhaust blots where attracting a bit of rust even though I had been careful about avoiding getting it wet, plus due to the fairings you can't easily clean or get to some of the other "at risk" parts of the engine.

So to help with alleviating my paranoia and so I could enjoy riding it a bit more I invested in some ACF-50, and have sprayed this pretty much everywhere I can get to. It seems like magic stuff, and is supposed to neutralise existing rust as well as preventing new. It also did a fantastic job of cleaning some parts of the bike that other cleaning stuff did not and keeps things looking glossy. Supposedly it should make it easier to clean (rinse down), but too early to tell yet. I read that because it stays wet, it might attract and hold dust, but I have not noticed this, if it does after time I am sure a rinse down with "Muc Off" will clear that.

[jamo]

Yeah...i rarely have time to ride so i rarely bother cleaning at all...ive just bought some ACF-50 because i too was paranoid about corrosion.

Let that stuff worry about the rust, while i worry about the corners! Thats what bikings about.

[Aaron]

I can clean it pretty quick these days. I was just concerned about the bits that aren't on show because i ride it alot and it may well end up being my only means of transport if i decide not to renew the car mot etc when it expires.

I thought about the acf50. A mate at work recommended it; he had it professionally applied with a jet spray thing.

[Guest]

I rarely clean my bike

Usually give it a quick rub down when i do the chain, around some of the rusted bolts, swing arm etc, and a spray with WD40 (as i have never got round to using ACF-50) on the rust prone areas (down pipes etc)

Should take better care but i cant be arsed tbh, esp as i have work and college my week is pretty filled and as the bikes currently at the dealers i cant clean it now i have some spare time!

Never mind

EDIT: i gave it the odd spray down wit the hose when before i covered the bike to try and remove some of the road salt when it was really cold

[Decor58]

I just take it to one of them polish hand car wash places every so often.

Just have to make sure you start it asap after they finish n get rid of the water that gets in the engine.

They do a fantastic job though (well most of them do!)

[quark]

I just take it to one of them polish hand car wash places every so often.

Just have to make sure you start it asap after they finish n get rid of the water that gets in the engine.

They do a fantastic job though (well most of them do!)

 

That's a good point. After washing I always run the engine for a bit to dry it off. the ACF-50 is supposed to stop the water getting to places it shouldn't, but the heat from the engine helps get rid of any residual moisture. I did consider though that it is not recommended to use warm/hot water to clear salt deposits as it will speed up corrosion, so before doing this I think you prob should have rinsed things pretty well with cold water.

[Guest]

I want a mild pressure washer to give the bike a wash and foam, that would be cool

[oldgreg01]

I want a mild pressure washer to give the bike a wash and foam, that would be cool

Stand further back?

[bigsisterbiker]

if i do it properly it takes a full day to clean mine. but then i do strip off the fairings and clean off the insides and always clean the chain and front sprocket and re wax the chain, as well as the general clean and polish. All while trying to avoid standing on the dog because he likes to help too.

for some reason my front sprocket is always caked in cack.

don't use a pressure washer! they're not recommended for bike cleaning. was talking about this a couple of days ago with a biker mate and he agrees. bikes are a bit too delicate for them

[Guest akey]

I use a pressure washer as long as you don't go daft it's fine. Muc off or Fuchs off then warm shampoo ( auto glym) finaly a good wax. Then protect varous areas with fs 365. Doesn't usually take me that long couple of hours max.

[jamo]

don't use a pressure washer! they're not recommended for bike cleaning. was talking about this a couple of days ago with a biker mate and he agrees. bikes are a bit too delicate for them

 

Whys that then?

[JimiB]

i think its cos the engine+electrics are exposed. , Maybe water can get it.. Plus its bad for electrics ,. I worked at bruntingthorpe for a while and when the mitsubishi l200s were pressure washed sometimes the water would f&ck up the electrics and thats on

a vehicle designed for practicaly driving through the stuff lol.

[Guest]

its because water at pressure pushes the oils and greases out of where they should be,

[Guest]

its because water at pressure pushes the oils and greases out of where they should be,

 

Where exactly are you referring to?

Something like the chain i agree, or around the brakes, but fairings/ metal etc i want it free of oil and greases

[Guest]

wheel bearings, head bearings, swingarm, chain, electrics,

I use a garden hose with nozzle, and a sheepskin mitt and suds,... does the job..

[Guest akey]

Pressure washer is fine as long as you dont point the nozzle at said bearings close up. If you use one properly they are fine, only use it closer than 6" where it is safe (not stickers or greased parts), dont point it directly down the exhaust, and dont put to the nozzle right next to the electics (6" away is fine, well it is on a tiger anyway).

Go to any MX track and you will see bikes being cleaned with pressure washers all over the place, and Ride did a test on which washers worked best.

Mine gets used on wheels, bodywork and engine every time I clean it and has been for just over 2 years with no problems at all.

[Guest Mr Miller]

Just to play 'Devil's Advocate' to Akey, I read an article where blokey said that using a power washer on a bike is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut - you're only washing a bike, not the side of a boat!

Garden hose with attachment that goes down to a fine mist & the 'two buckets' method for me! To be honest, with that attachment, I use it on the setting that squirts water that looks like the spray from my shower head - if I could get my bike through my gate, front door & into the bathroom, I would take her into the shower with me!