Products / tools when cleaning ur bike?

[Fizzy Pies]

Just looking for some shares on what prodcuts you use, what methods you've proven to work well when giving the bike its weekly clean/wash (if you do of course :lol ).

[andybesy]

For the first time this evening I used some "cream cleaner" to sort out the alloy bits like the footpegs which were quite tarnished, and the bits for the back of your feet which were stained with rubber.


Worked really well - cleaned them up far better than regular degreasant had been working.


It's not bike specific stuff, rather industrial cleaning product given to me a mate who got it from work.


Nothing as strong as oven cleaner, similar to bathroom cleaner type stuff.


Otherwise I use one of two types of degreasnt - an oil degreasnt for the areas around the chain which cuts through the grease quite nicely but is expensive spray can stuff, and a detergent detergent elsewhere which basically has the same stuff in it that washing up liquid, shampoo, soap etc have.


Jet wash OK for a quick clean after a ride, but nothing beats sitting on the drive for an hour or two with a toothbrush and pile of rags.


I tend to focus on one bit of the bike at a time, really get the details right for just a small area, then do another next time. After a few weeks of this it's like a new bike.


Intend to use ACF50 treatment once I've got it proper sorted out. Also going to be using brake cleaner tomorrow see if I can sort my squeaky rear brake.

I'd be interested to hear what people think about the different types of chain lube - what are the different types and what's recommended?

Andy

[alexanderfitu]

I use diluted muck off in a spray container, wet the bike, spray all over. Wait for 5-10 minutes, and then scrub with sponges.

I have a longe spikey alloy wheel type brush that is is good for getting into the nooks. After that, rinse with 2-3 buckets of clean water and then glass cleaner on the glass.

I also went over it with ACF50, used a rag, sprayed on the rag and then wiped onto the bike. The first time I did it I used WAY too much.

Time will tell if it has helped at the end of the winter when I give it another clean

[ChristoT]

A bucket of water, car shampoo, a brush and some sponges!

On my chain, I use the Muc-off chain cleaner, works a treat. The rest, the shampoo and elbow grease remove.

Once the bike is dry, I go nuts with the polish and the microfibres!  :lol

[reillypadraig]

Gunk engine degreaser, got  big tub in halfords, pour into spray bottle, hellish stuf!!

[Jacko]

"Weekly clean/wash"  you are joking right.

haven't washed mine since November'ish  scraped some crap from under sidestand though,
does that count.

[Thorn]

Yam Service manual says use kerosene to clean the chain, but also says use engine oil to lube it :/. Kerosene maybe but engine oil will make a right mess once it flings off!

I find diesel particularly good for cleaning chains, petrol on the other hand is ofcourse likely to damage the O-rings in the chain.

Engine oil is fairly effective as a chain lubricant, and provides a good purpose for used engine-oil. You should have minimal issues with fling if you apply it with a toothbrush.

[wezdavo]

My friday afternoon routine.. I always get an early finish on a friday

Muc off for the cleaner,put on neat no pre-soaking with water, i find it works better, left to soak for 5 mins then rinsed off..

I dont even use a sponge or brush :eek

keresene for the chain, scrubbed with one of those things then rinsed off with water.

GT85 coating for everything except paintwork, brakes and wheels.

Check tyre pressures, condition..

Take for a 10mins ride to dry off, warm chain.

Wurth chain wax to finish..

Including the ride takes about 20 mins..

[His Dudeness]

lidl have a cheap engine degreaser. works very well and you can get 3 or 4 cans for the price of 1 of the more expensive brands. it's called w5 engine cleaner

[AdieR]

I don't use anything specific - bucket of warm water, whatever car shampoo I can lay hands on, some sponges and a waffle cloth for drying, and a set of brushes for doing wheels etc., and paraffin for cleaning the chain. I tend not to spend a lot of time washing mine, but it gets done regularly so it doesn't build too much (thus doesn't need long). I don't (and won't) ever jet wash it though. Haven't put any anti-corrosion coating on either, come to think of it.

[gerkin]

smooth peanut butter to bring up faded plastic ,try it it works

[darrsi]

smooth peanut butter to bring up faded plastic ,try it it works

Explain please???

[gerkin]

slightly abrasive and very oily?

Car Detailing "How to" - restore plastic with peanut butter!

[Jacko]

Fizzy that's cleaner than the mine the day I bought it.

Gonna have a session at the weekend, see whats under the gunk.

[Dead Eye]

I do really like the darker red on the Fazer - same colour as my first one

But, I can't say I dislike the blue

[Lazarus]

i use Fuchs Silkolene cleaner for general cleaner (cos I get it for nowt)

cleaning the chain I use paraffin

cleaning the shiny bits I use Maguires Polysh

for polishing the paintwork, i use Ice liquid polish - does everything except glass


usual assortment of brushes, sponges and cloths,.

[Slaninar]

On those rare occasions I do wash the bike (spring and perhaps summer) I use water, Fairy dish washing liquid and sponges.
Since I use scottoiler, no need for washing the chain. I have one sponge for dirtier part of the bike (near the chain, greasy, wheels etc) and a cleaner one for all the shiny bits, windscreen etc.

[packie]

On those rare occasions I do wash the bike (spring and perhaps summer) I use water, Fairy dish washing liquid and sponges.
Since I use scottoiler, no need for washing the chain. I have one sponge for dirtier part of the bike (near the chain, greasy, wheels etc) and a cleaner one for all the shiny bits, windscreen etc.

I read somewhere that the properties in Fairy Dish Washing Liquid is not great for paintwork and dulls it over time. I'm guilty myself of using it if I run out of all in one Car Shampoo and Wax, but I try not to use it as a rule. I bought a 5lt of Car Shampoo and Wax for about €30 that's dedicated to cleaning/protecting paintwork and you only use a capful at a time, so needless to say it will last a lifetime!! It's a small outlay to keep your paintwork pristine to help minimize the sunlight fading your paintwork over time.

I have a Scottoiler on my Bandit 1200 and I still clean that chain periodically...but not as much as a sprayed waxed/greased chain, but I should. That's because it a lot easier and less messy to do so. Even the thin oil of a Scottoiler will still attract road dirt that will act as an abrasive between chain and sprocket and IMO it will wear down a chain a lot quicker than a regularly maintained chain that doesn't use a Scotoiler. Scottoilers are great, but they are not miracle workers or the be all and end all.

Btw..... if you are only using a single injector, the far side of the chain might not be getting as lubed in equal proportion to the near side, especially the O rings and inner plates. So after a periodic chain clean, I lightly lube the chain with a 1/2 inch paintbrush and a little dip of engine oil.


My basic cleaning goodies are...........

* Autosol for all metals and alloys...can't beat it really. I keep my downpipes and exhaust in gleaming condition even on my Fazer that I use as a work horse.

* For showing off!!!.... Tyre Foam for sparkling tyres and rims and also it's great for getting rid of that dirty look on a black engine and making it look like new.....but be very careful on the tyres when "giving it a bit" as this stuff is not recommended because it makes your tyres a bit greasy. But I can't help but use it from time to time!!

* For quick polishing, I use Castrol Spray Polish...excellent stuff. Sun of a Gun is not bad for a quick buff up too. Every once in a while I treat the paintwork with Autoglym or Turtle Wax Polish.

* For plastics like inside black panels, dashboard, rear mudguards, indicators, sidecovers ect....I use Turtlewax Cockpit Shine which also leaves the bike with a nice fragerence...mmmmmm!!

* Servicing chain....I have no Scotoiler on the Fazer yet, but I find Castrol Chain Racing Lube to be excellent and not messy if yu take care to put it on right, regula,r and sparingly. I tend to use a marked starting point on the chain and I spray link to link with the minimal of lube both between the inner plates and on the centre links. It takes all of an extra 10 mins work than to those guys that I see just spinning the wheel and giving it holly with lube on the chain. Not alone do I find this method messy and lazy, but you will also have a lot of fling off...something I could do without on my white rimmed wheels on the Fazer. It is also quite possible to still miss certain areas of your links and get tight spots afterwards.

* I give the ignition, switches, pedals, rear brake linkages ect a going over with ACF50 before and during the winter.

* I touch up and fix most rust spots with whatever color paint or with whatever product that needs to be used. I can't stand a tardy bike. even if it's my work horse. I like to show people that I care about the machine that I use, and I give the bike a least an hour a week to maintain it and to keep on top of things.

If you look after your machine, it will look after you. It is obvious that you will find it easier and will get more money when you trade or sell your cared for bike, than with a neglegted bike. So there is a reward at the end of the day. I'd go for a higher mileage cared for bike, than a lower mileage neglected bike. It just says a lot about it's owner. If they neglected the outside, it a high probability that they neglected the inside of the bike too. I'd rather beg, steal or borrow and go for a cleaner bike. In the long run, you will pay more and put more into a bucket of sh!te anyway than if you originally bought a decent motor.

[JZS 600]

I've just started using Muc Off but peanut butter, that's nuts!

[noggythenog]

I've got a bit of an idea going on this year, it may be allot o crap,like many of my great ideas but hey ill stick it out there.
basically before the winter storage i used a whole can of that acf50 stuff all over the bike & now that it's biking weather again i dont quite see the point in using any detergents that might start stripping off this protective layer in the quest for the clean look.
considering that most of my biking will be in sunny type situations with getting cought out in the odd shower & grime wise the bikes only getting exposed to dust or mud & of course chain lube etc then i plan on only blasting the bike with cold water and wiping down with a sponge.
Then before its next winter storage i'll give a proper clean with detergents and then use another can of acf50.
i dont expect that this acf stuff is gonna be all over my bike all year round as im pretty sure engine heat would destroy it anyway but it's all the little nooks and crannies that its got into that are hard to clean properly that i rather leave it in.
is this a sensible plan for longevity or have i missed something???? :\