Motorbike degreasing / Cleaning

[Tatters]

 HI,
I want to give my Fazer 1000 a right good clean as its not had a deep clean since I have owned it …Could someone recommend a good bike degreaser please? .. What’s the best…… Solvent or water Based ? As I have been reading and watching you tube and so many people are saying different things  ..I've got my old tooth brush ready for the nooks and crannies 
 
thanks

[PieEater]

I use a waterbased degreaser such as Muc-off / Fuchs-off in a pressurised spray bottle along with a sponge and washing up brush. After rinsing I use Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo which is also quite good at removing grease as well as leaving stuff clean. I then chamois off the remaining water and check for any grease that's left which I use a toothbrush and WD40 / ACF50 to loosen then remove with a cloth / wipe. If I'm doing a deep clean I will then clean, polish and wax the paintwork using Meguiars products or just use Autoglym Super Resin Polish, and apply a coat of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection. Then finally it's Autosol time for the exhaust and footpeg hangers.

[AyJay]

I haven't used every degreaser, but I've used a lot and the one I'm using at the moment is the sDoc cleaners. It is the only one I've come across which you can spray on chain lube, wait 5 minutes and hose off and get a clean swingarm and back wheel without having to scrub. By far the best I've used so far.


A jet wash always helps, obviously. I have a low pressure job and it doesn't take the paint off as some of the Karchers can.


To be honest, if you're going to clean a bike properly, you have to start taking it apart and do it piece by piece. Do each wheel separately, so start. Then get a bit braver and take the swingarm out. Then whip the exhaust system off....

[Tmation]

 


+1 for the SDoc 1000, tried loads of others and this seems the best so far. Their chain cleaner is also very good.

[NorthWestern]

Paraffin.  Does a very good job and is cheap , 4 litre bottle for about £4  which will last you years...

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[BMCfaz]

Depends how greasy the bike is. For general use, Muc off or Autoglym Engine and Machine Cleaner work, but if it's really bad, paraffin's probably the best bet.
Personally, I wouldn't use anything greater than mains pressure to hose a bike down after.

[Tommy250_2]

I start with the wheels using Rapid Wheels. Give each wheel a spray and leave! WD40 to degrease wherever needed - not as cheap as other options but it does the job really well. Then I'll leave the bike for 10 mins.  After that, water based demon foam for the whole bike, then leave for a few minutes. Then I rinse everything down gently with a hose - with thumb held over the end If extra pressure is needed.
If the bike isn't clean after this I just repeat the process.
The trick is to let the products do the work for you. You shouldn't have to really scrub at anything, just reapply product and give it time to shift the grime. If using degreasers and water based cleaners in the same wash then always apply degreasers and give them time to work before using the water based cleaners.
acf50 keeps things fresh after a good clean. Put some on a cloth and wipe round the wheels... Keeps them good for a while. Use it wherever you like on the bike (apart from brakes, grips, and seat!)
There is loads of good videos about getting paintwork to look good. It's all great feeling seeing the bike shine a treat when parked up in a sunny car park on a ride out.