How do you clean your bike?

[Acemastr]

As title, there are plenty of detailing websites for cars but very few feature bikes...


How do you go about cleaning your bike.


Not interested in you people that don't clean them...
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[Doovy]

every few weeks i get a squirty bike cleaner and spray the whole bike over, clean with cloths.

then polish.

doesnt usually take longer than 45 mins and gets most of the visual crap off.

when i get serious time off i give the downpipes a going over, work the cleaner all the way into little hard to reach areas etc etc.

the wheels usually stay how they are (being black it doesnt really matter to me)
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Yamaha RXS 100 > Honda CD 250 > Honda Hornet 600 > Honda CBR 600RR > Yamaha RXS 100 > Kawasaki ZX6R J2 > Yamaha FZ1

[The Tot]

Hein Gericke bike cleaner at the end of every ride. Rinse the bike down first. Spray the cleaner onto the bike, leave for about 5 minutes, then work with a microfibre cloth. Rinse down again and buff up with chamois leather. Once every 2 months, I go over it with autoglym wax (when I'm at my mate's). It usually gets treated to super resin polish every at the same time (before the wax obviously).

When i'm doing the weekly wash, i soak another microfibre cloth with paraffin and give the chain a good clean. Chain oiler means it's the only thing I do to it.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[sniff6]

check this tube guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HREqf4wIukA&feature=related

guy cleans his fireblade, one of the most informative vids on cleaning

[apple tango]

Hose down with hose pipe careful not to spray electrical parts or any areas which could be easily damaged.

Spray with some decent shampoo stuff. Leave for a few mins.

Hose down again.

Clean with hot water and car shampoo stuff with a clean cloth.
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CBR125 -> Bandit GSF600 '99 -> SV650 02

[SamJL]

Hose down with a pressure washer, holding it away from the bike

I use car shampoo and a sponge on the plastics

WD40 on the wheels and metal bits of the bike, gets all the dirt and grime off

chamois the bike off

Polish with Autoglym Super Resin polish if it needs it
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2009 CBR1000RR
2004 KTM 200SX
2004 KTM 65SX

[Clanger]

What an odd question...why is it that youngsters need to ask about every single thing these days...? Is nothing just 'obvious' anymore? When did common sense get forgotten?

Cleaning is a really simple task:
Generally involves water, soap / detergent, and a bucket (to hold the water) and a sponge. Often rich people feel the need to buy and use special products aimed at bikers...but usually it's just produced the same as others, just overpriced and marketed well to draw the suckers in.

Once clean, you rinse using water without soap, then wipe dry with a chamois leather. If you like to make your bike shiney, there are waxes, chrome polishes and similar products out there, available to buy. Auto Glym are one such company, who have a whole range of different products you could use.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[virus]

I let the rain do it.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Pie-Roe]

Off roader/SM I just spray with cillit bang, go have a cup of tea and then pressure wash off, being careful of bearings and airbox and that.

Road bike, hot and soapy (fairy liquid) scrubbing it off then hose off gently, ride immediatly to dry.

Easy days.

Pyro
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Previous: GSF600, FZR600 x2, ZXR750, XT600 Tenere, CB125, CZ125, ETZ 250, ER5, CCM R30, DRZ400, RF600x4, RF900x2, GS500, VTR1000F, 640 SMC, CB250 NIGHTHAWK, GT550x3, GPX750 TE610, CB500, X11x2, SV650, ZING 125, TL1000R,CB250 Superdream, CBR1100XX

[SamJL]

[metalangel]

BANG and his paintwork is gone!

I use some gentle car soap from Halfrauds and a Oxford cleaning brushes kit... sometimes I take it to the jetwash and use the really gentle setting (the 'spot free finish' one you use as the final step on a car) to get at the harder to reach places.
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Previous: 2002 Honda CB500 (sold), 2007 Suzuki SV650SK6 (crashed), 2005 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (sold). Currently bikeless
"A faired bike will get you 10x more clunge than a unfaired one." -Marlboro Matt

[DrDonnyBrago]

Parrafin my chain, car shampoo it then let it dry - acf-50 on everything metal, Autosol on unlacquered aluminium and turtlewax car polish if I get marks/scratches I can't clean off the paint.

Then I Mr sheen it all to make it shiny.

Have noticed it does an awesome job on greasier parts i.e. swingarm too. I do this about once every 1 or 2 months depending on how filthy it is.


Mr Sheen is the Nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marmalade]

It lives outside so i keep an old towel out there and give it a wipe over in the morning, it keeps it looking respectable.

Occasionally spray iy all over with TFR (traffic film remover) and then blast it with pressure washer
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Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[Whosthedaddy]

Pardon, clean?

Not in this household anyways.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Paulington]

Weekly.

Put it on the paddock, rinse it over with cold water. Followed by a sponge with special washing stuff we use on the father's trucks (great stuff).

After that, I rinse it off with cold water again, then dry it with a microfibre cloth then a chamois leather.

After that, I use microfibre cloths again to apply turtle wax all over the bike, apart from the rims where I use a specific wax called something I can't remember.

Buff off the wax.

Sorted. . Weekly job.
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[StevenF]

[Walloper]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

I lick my bike clean.
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Welshd1k]

a clean rag and 2l of premium petrol then wipe clean
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Current >Cb600fx hornet, ns125rk90 21.7bhp@wheel<
Sold >,zxr400 h2 (33bhp kit) rd350 n1 rd350 lc2<

[Acemastr]

[Walloper]

[Acemastr]

[Welshd1k]

[Walloper]