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Do Y'all Wash Your Bike? How & How Often?


Samcw

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I power washed my bike the other day… didn't leave any scratches or strip the paint at all, and I avoided spraying in the exhaust and air intake obviously, but now I'm wondering if that sort of high power water is messing up anything else I'm not thinking about.

 

How often do y'all wash your bike?

Do you do it with a bucket and sponge? Anyone else ever used the spray gun?

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I'll use a garden hose with a bucket and sponge for heavy cleaning. Usually I just do a wipedown with microfiber rags and spray cleaner.

As far as frequency, spray cleaner before every ride. And I do an actual garden hose wash after bigger trips so maybe three times a year.

A pressure washer seems like a bit overkill for a bike, bit I also don't see it being a major problem. Bikes get wet in the rain all the time.

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Too many exposed wires and pieces and parts for a power wash. I would imagine that it would be prone to knocking something off or loose. I use a hose, rag, and pig snot cleaner ( just what I have). I then use a spray polish when done.

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Due to being caught in the rain numerous times this year, I have washed more often with the hose. Normally I just use a spray wax and wipe her down. For heavier dirt, I use a garden hose and mild soap, then wipe with spray wax.

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I usually wet wash with a sponge and a rag(no hose) and dry. Then finish with Honda polish (The Original). If the bike is really trashed I use Bike Brite with the pressure washer or hose. I don't use full pressure with pressure washer as you could force water into seals or areas that shouldn't see water. The pressure washer can also bend the fins on the radiator in a flash, so you have to be careful! I seem to remember a thread on cleaning the bike a while back. You may want to search for it. It has some good info on cleaning the bike and what everyone uses.

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Don't worry about it when you're on the road. At home, use a bucket, sponge and a mild dish soap. Since I ride a naked bike, I'll use some S100 first on the exposed, unpainted metal parts then brush it a bit and rinse it off real quick. Finish off with original bike spirits and plexus on the clear plastic stuff.

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I'll wash it whenever it gets dirty, which since I don't ride year round isn't a lot.  Mostly just the wheels, spray detailer for the body panels when they get buggy.

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Keep the high pressure spray away from critical parts like wheel bearings, hubs, steering head bearings, electrical connectors, instrument panel.

I'd rather ride a bike that looked like it hadn't been recently detailed than a showroom clean bike with dry/rusty/gritty bearings and sketchy electrical problems....

Edited by Bubba
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I use the power washer on occasion when I am traveling and it is all messed up. Just stand far away from the bike, no big deal. Been doing that for years.

Same here. A bike is extremely well sealed. Think about being in rain at speed. The bike is getting blasted! Is that gonna ruin it? No. Don't be stupid and directly spray the chain, axles, swing arm piviot, ignition and thumb switches, etc...
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I usually soak the entire bike with a water hose. Lay a soaked absorber chamois over the windshield and nose. Wash the rest of the bike with soap and wash mit. Then come back to the nose and remove the chamois. Bugs wash off with no effort at all. I wax usually every 4-5 washes.

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I used to own a self serve car wash.  I can't tell you how many times I saw someone wash a motorcycle and it wouldn't start after.  It was usually HDs or older UJMs, but not always.  A typical car wash sprays water around 1200-1500 psi.  That is too much for some semi-exposed motorcycle connections.

 

 

I spray mine down with bug & tar remover in the driveway then wash with a hose and bucket.

Edited by Tpoppa
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I used to own a self serve car wash.  I can't tell you how many times I saw someone wash a motorcycle and it wouldn't start after.  It was usually HDs or older UJMs, but not always.  A typical car wash sprays water around 1200-1500 psi.  That is too much for some semi-exposed motorcycle connections.

 

 

I spray mine down with bug & tar remover in the driveway then wash with a hose and bucket.

 

Nothing wrong with a pressure washer, you just gotta be smart enough to know where it's safe to hit with full pressure and where you should back off and hit it lighter.

 

Been washing dirt bikes and street bikes with one for years, never killed anything (including bearings).

 

Pressure washer at a distance is no different than a garden hose, or rain, or riding through standing water.

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Over the last 45 years I have washed everyone of my bikes at a car wash useing full pressure and have never had a bike not start afterward. Its the only way to really get them clean after riding in the rain.

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