keeping my bike looking good

[gordon]

hi there as this is my first winter on a bike ,i would like to know how  you guys keep them looking good ?


ie clean cos my stanless steel exhaust looks like its been through a big mud bath well all the front end dose


on what to use to keep this dame salt at bay




thanks

[JZS 600]

I wash mine every week and that does the trick. Use car wash soap, not fairy liquid, which is thickned with sodium.
 
Sometimes after a ride through particularly salty wet roads I give it a quick rince off with cold water, spesh round the brakes, swing arm and engine
 
The exhausts will polish up nicely in spring!

[darrsi]

If you're riding it as much as possible throughout winter like me i don't think there's any real secret, they just get dirty, end of.
Especially when they start gritting the roads.
You can obviously give them a quick wash every time you get home, if you can be arsed to in the cold, but you'll be back to square one as soon as it rains.

[Arfa]

Well, about a month ago, you should have cleaned the bike right down, with cold water (hot water aids the rust process), and then doused the bike completely in ACF50, covering everything metal (but avoiding brake pads/discs/tyres). This creates a barrier film that halts any existing corrosion and prevents any fresh.

You can get cans of ACF50 on ebay cheap (~£15) or there are places you can go that'll load up a pressure jet with the stuff and really cover your bike and get it in  all the  nooks and crannies.

[stevierst]

I used to hose down my FZS600 with cold water, then spray all the metal bits with wd40. The bike looked as new when I sold it 45,000 miles later.

[NotAnotherHill]

At the very least, I try to rinse off the worst with cold water. Then spray FS365 over the metal bits to help neutralise the salt and corrosion. Then every other week give it a more thorough clean. I'll always spray the brakes with disc brake cleaner after I've rinsed it. However, I only use the bike once a week for pleasure and I doubt I could be arsed to do my cleaning routine if I was using it daily in winter.

[darrsi]

If you have a dry day, don't spray your discs with cold water until they've cooled down a bit, it's not a great idea.....

[roadpilot3]

Again, first winter for me with a bike but I intend to ride all year.  I have been bathing her with car shampoo and dipping her in a vat of WD40 which seems to be working well and is pretty much my summer technique as well!
 
I can cycle to work if the weather is really bad - which is lucky as I have sold me car to get the bike!
 
ACF50.... I just brought some on Ebay for £12.98 inc delivery...... will let you know how I get on. 
 

[noggythenog]

I tucked my bike away in the shed for the winter, a good cold water wash,some car suds and then went crazy with a tin of acf,


I used the whole can in one go which was maybe a bit extreme, the frame,engine, switches,ignition, well pretty much everywhere!


It smokes allot once the engine is warm,im not sure if it is completely burned off and then not doing its job or if indeed there is some residual protection left over,


Kinda thinking it may be a dust magnet when i take it out if it still has lots of sticky acf still on it.


It sure did the trick with making it look clean.

[stevierst]

If you have a dry day, don't spray your discs with cold water until they've cooled down a bit, it's not a great idea.....

Never did mine any harm after my 240 mile commute every friday, wash down with cold water then the same distance again on Sunday with a wash down with cold water.    Did that for 5 years and never warped a disk.
 But then again, what are you doing using the brakes anywway

[positron]

Much respect to you lot for being so good to you Fazers. When I crawl home in these damp dark wintery nights, all I want is a warm shower and a cuddle with the daughter. Filling up buckets of water (don't have a tap outside - need to get that sorted) and splashing freezing water around in the complete darnkess wouldn't be too high up in list of things to do. But then again, no wonder my 2 month old stainless steel downpipes looks just as worn as OEM ones they replaced.

[His Dudeness]

hi there as this is my first winter on a bike ,i would like to know how  you guys keep them looking good ?


ie clean cos my stanless steel exhaust looks like its been through a big mud bath well all the front end dose


on what to use to keep this dame salt at bay




thanks

clean it fully once and then after that give it a whipe down with degreaser once a week. takes about 15 minutes to clean