Cleaning your bikes

Having stalked most regular forum members' profiles and pictures I'm keen to find out how so many of you keep your bikes in such good condition. I regard myself as a person who takes pride in my bike and I spend a lot of time (too much time according to my wife) cleaning and subsequently gazing at my machine. However, my methods don't hold-up to or produce the stunning results I see on this forum. I have a ramp in my garage which comes in useful for getting to those hard to reach places, but despite my best efforts the end result's could be better, especially when cleaning nuts and bolts etc. I'm guessing that some of you don't use your machines often and that makes the task easier, but some members' attention to detail is phenomenal.

Any tips re products, materials and methods welcome. I'm also keen to find out how much time you 'actually' spend cleaning and polishing. I can then use your response to convince the missus that I'm a mere novice at all of this.

Thanks

Mick

 

thanks mate - I'm not aufait yet with the whole forum thing, but guessed it was probably covered somewhere.

 

I spend more time cleaning than riding for definite, I use general degreaser and bike polish spray I never wash my bikes they never get dirty enough and that pesky water gets into places your hands can't.

I regularly drop the wheels out to get into the swing arm etc and right up into the forks etc. The cheap high pressure degreaser sprays are good for blasting out chain lube etc in the engine.

I always have an Abundance of microfibre clothes to hand.

Motul wash and wax spray cans are great for getting off bugs and general road grime, I'm trying out some castrol stuff at the moment I got from
My local Honda dealer it's good as it leaves a polish residue you just buff off after!!!

Engine maintenance spray again a quid a can soak the bike in it leave it on a bit then just rub it in to loose the wet look but it leaves all the plastics and rubbers looking brand new!

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Thanks guys - Lots of ideas to look at. Truth is with the new blade coming tomorrow (have I mentioned that yet? lol) I want to get it right from the beginning. There's nothing worse than marking a part of the bike with a product that makes it look worse than when you started - some wax products on mat plastics for instance leave hard to remove light spots. I want to develop a regime that works and that I can perfect to be able to compete with you guys

 

Benn,

I know you don't bite, the injury says it all. lol

 

muck of pink bike wash then ill microfibre cloth dry it

inbetween washes quick wax much of cloudy white looking in a bottle stuff works a treat for most cleaning

on the wheel muck off tar remover this stuff is brilliant brings them up very easily

and finally the muck of detailer wax / paint something says bout restoring a deep lustre cant remember the exact name but really gets a deep lustre expescialy on k9 gixer blue brings it up new is a pink wax comes in like a silver metal bottle if i remember correctly

 

Thanks guys - your replies and previous threads confirm what I suspected before I posted this thread - OCD reigns on this forum! Loving it!

 

I've noticed that requests for pictures are common place here so I shall try not to disappoint - just hope the weather holds out!

 

I like it, too. it's almost a repsol bottle - got to be good!