Splish Splash Taking a Bath

I was giving the Bandit a good clean yesterday over a few beers and I began wondering what others do when cleaning their machines.

What cleaning products do people use?
How often do they clean?
Are there any little tips and tricks that people have when cleaning?

Personally, I usually use a Quick Spray polish after most rides and maybe once a month or two I put on a proper Wax over all the plastic/ tank /visor and dials.
On the engine, i wipe it over with a rag after each ride and maybe every 2 months or so i use WD-40 over all the wheel rims , engine, exhaust and this keeps it pretty shiny and removes bugs and road grime.
Every 3-6 months I polish the exhausts with a metal polish (Autosol) and it restores them to a nice shiny finish (almost like new).

Cleaning it after every ride may seem a bit anal, but it really isn't that hard. Pretty much a spray and wipe over the plastic takes about 20 mins and I can do the engine/exhaust/wheels in about 20mins also. This is easily done over a few cold ones and I could easily double and triple that time if I want to get fastidious about it.

The only real major cleans I give it is after a few days riding on tour when a build up of bugs, road grime and if it has been raining, the baked on stuff on the exhaust is a chore, but the WD-40 cuts through well.

Tip:
:Always use a separate rag for the plastics and dash to the one you clean the engine and wheels with.

Share your ideas and tips.

Put the Autosol in the back of a cupboard and go and buy " Purple Polish " by California Custom. It is THE best product on chrome/stainless any metal really. Nowhere near as abrasive as Autosol and better results. You will not be disappointed.

After washing and drying, ALWAYS go over your fork tubes with a clean rag of WD40 or similar. It will stop all those nasty surface rust spots.

I only use rain water. (that's falling from the sky while I'm riding)
If you look at my avatar I don't even clean my teeth.

!Tag wrote:I only use rain water. (that's falling from the sky while I'm riding)

I can see that we are going to have a long and serious talk when I come down your way iTag.   

Feel free to give it a go Hammy, but everyone else has given up on me.

!Tag wrote:Feel free to give it a go Hammy, but everyone else has given up on me.

I'll try.   

I have found that Wurth Active Glass cleaner (foams up like oven cleaner) works a treat.  Firstly because its free and secondly I can spray it over everything and it seems to clean without any damage.  
Mostly clean my bike just before selling her.

Hammy wrote:

!Tag wrote:Feel free to give it a go Hammy, but everyone else has given up on me.

I'll try.   

Looks like I might have to be included in the conversation also! !tag and I share the same approach to that cleaning task.  Hey !tag, I'll provide the earplugs!   

Hammy might need the earplugs when I start endlessly flapping my gums at him about how I polish my brake pistons, bolts, axles, suspension bushes and sliders to lens grinding tolerances but on the outside my bike looks like a bag lady.

A Stihl petrol blower after a wash . Dries where you can not get to and doesn't scratch .

Hammy i borrowed Tags bike awhile ago while he did some work on mine for me, when i got it home i though i would very generously remove the oem bugs and tar from it so i gave it a big wash, a polish and made it all sparkly and for my trouble i copped a gob full that i washed an then Tag proceeded to make like a dog and find some mud to roll in. so save your breath

Bosco15 wrote:I have found that Wurth Active Glass cleaner (foams up like oven cleaner) works a treat.  Firstly because its free and secondly I can spray it over everything and it seems to clean without any damage.  
Mostly clean my bike just before selling her.

Do we all need to get a job servicing automatic doors, then?

And that's just one of the perks.
Like free grape juice in your game.   

Ewok1958 wrote:

Hammy wrote:

!Tag wrote:Feel free to give it a go Hammy, but everyone else has given up on me.

I'll try.   

Looks like I might have to be included in the conversation also! !tag and I share the same approach to that cleaning task.  Hey !tag, I'll provide the earplugs!   

I'll bring the wine.          

Bosco15 wrote:And that's just one of the perks.
Like free grape juice in your game.    

Bosco. I have a mate here on the island that does the same work as you. You two would have a great old time. Talking about all your "openings" and "closings".   

A while ago I bought some Meguirs Quick Motorcycle Detailer, it works well and smells suspiciously like Windex (but about 5 times the cost) ...

Hammy wrote:

Bosco15 wrote:And that's just one of the perks.
Like free grape juice in your game.    

Bosco.  I have a mate here on the island that does the same work as you. You two would have a great old time. Talking about all your "openings" and "closings".     

Wow. That would be paradise. There couldn't be too many autodoors on your island, could there?

I'll second the petrol blower.

Bosco15 wrote:

Hammy wrote:

Bosco15 wrote:And that's just one of the perks.
Like free grape juice in your game.    

Bosco.  I have a mate here on the island that does the same work as you. You two would have a great old time. Talking about all your "openings" and "closings".     

Wow. That would be paradise. There couldn't be too many autodoors on your island, could there?

Naaa. He works on the mainland. Hospitals and such.

Some of those Quick Detailers can be expensive initially, but they sometimes last me between 9 - 12months, so over that period of time the expense can be justified.

I'd probably use the detailer every fortnight or so, throw in a Quick Wax every couple of months and do some metal polishing and the Bandit looks a treat!!!

Wiping down the wheels after every ride keeps the dust, chain lube and road grit and grim at bay and even keeps a shine on them!

Also, just wiping over the aluminium triple clamps, pegs, brake levers etc keeps any corrosion at bay and wiping around the fork stauntions stops and rust pitting taking place.

It sounds like a lot of work but if you do a little bit of wiping after each ride, it'll save doing a whole lot of cleaning every month!

I'll give the Bandit a wash when it blends into the garden I park next to at work!!   When this wash does happen I use turps on the wheels n swing arm, maquires car wash, and then chamois dry.