Washing Care

[fundoo77]

Just had a weekend long round tour around Lake Michigan (1000+ miles). As luck would go, had bad weather on day 2 with quite a bit of rain and as one would expect, the bike is dirty and surely in for a wash. Wanted to get suggestions on cleaning products to use and any instructions / recommendations. Also, any specific things to keep in mind while washing the saddle bags on my R18 Classic.

Thanks in advance. Look forward to your recommendations before I head out to the store to get the supplies.

 

[Vyk]

I found that the bike has super soft paint. I used the 3 bucket method and was extremely careful but still ended up with light scratches. It annoyed me so much that I had the bike detailed, ppfed and ceramic coated. Makes it much easier.

That being said, I would rinse off as much dirt off as possible. if available with a power washer. Spray, soak and rinse multiple times, again if available with a soap/foam gun. Then wash with the lightest possible touch, basically only with the weight of the mitt. Rinse the mitt often. I usually rinse after cleaning 2-4 sq ft of paint with one side of the mitt, then same with the other side. Things like bugs and tar may not come off completely. I would spot treat those with specialized products. Again, soak and clean with the lightest touch.

As for the bags, they should be much more robust than the paint. Could even use a sponge. But if you are using the same mitt, I would be extremely careful not to transfer any trapped dirt in the bags' fibers to the mitt as they can damage the bike's paint.

I hope that helps...

I traded in my base model with ppf with a TC. I'm getting ready to schedule ppf/ceramic coating on this one as well.

 

[Vyk]

I missed the part about products. I found that

Obsessed Garage | Home Of The Obsessed

Some Obsession Required. Obsessed Garage has become a place to share the ownership experience of the amazing things that go in and around my sanctuary, the garage. Obsessed Garage sells detailing gear, pressure washing equipment, garage equipment, auto waxes, and more.

www.obsessedgarage.com

has curated a great selection of excellent products to use for vehicle maintenance. Not the cheapest... tends to be pricey, but great stuff. I've tried a lot of products and ended up sticking with most of what they recommend.

But the biggest thing with cleaning the bike is the method used imho.

Again, I hope that helps.

 

[PaulP]

Monthly cleaning (20-50 rides)>
I wash it with a pressure washer and soap. As Vyk said- spray, soak and rinse it multiple times. I then remove water with a dryer/blower (this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NQYV9V5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) not touching painted parts with any towels.

I then use 3 microfiber towels: one to clean glass (windshield, lights and lower fairings), another one to polish chrome a little bit with a Quick Glo and third one with a leather conditioner on the seat and bags.

I also try to do a quick wash every 5-10 rides (1-2 weeks) where i only pressure wash it with soap and then dry it with a blower.

 

[fundoo77]

I missed the part about products. I found that

Obsessed Garage | Home Of The Obsessed

Some Obsession Required. Obsessed Garage has become a place to share the ownership experience of the amazing things that go in and around my sanctuary, the garage. Obsessed Garage sells detailing gear, pressure washing equipment, garage equipment, auto waxes, and more.

www.obsessedgarage.com

has curated a great selection of excellent products to use for vehicle maintenance. Not the cheapest... tends to be pricey, but great stuff. I've tried a lot of products and ended up sticking with most of what they recommend.

But the biggest thing with cleaning the bike is the method used imho.

Again, I hope that helps.

Thank you so much for your inputs...

 

[fundoo77]

Monthly cleaning (20-50 rides)>
I wash it with a pressure washer and soap. As Vyk said- spray, soak and rinse it multiple times. I then remove water with a dryer/blower (this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NQYV9V5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) not touching painted parts with any towels.

I then use 3 microfiber towels: one to clean glass (windshield, lights and lower fairings), another one to polish chrome a little bit with a Quick Glo and third one with a leather conditioner on the seat and bags.

I also try to do a quick wash every 5-10 rides (1-2 weeks) where i only pressure wash it with soap and then dry it with a blower.

Thanks Paul, just wondering what soap do you use? and specific product as such?

 

[Vyk]

Koch-Chemie GSF Gentle Snow Foam - Premium Car Wash Soap for Superior Cleaning

OG's Koch-Chemie Gsf, the ultimate snow foam that is pH-neutral, foams well, and leaves minimal residue. Perfect for maintaining waxes, sealants, and ceramic coatings. Available in 1L and 5L sizes, with options to enhance its cleaning power. Enjoy a cherry scent and superior slickness while...

www.obsessedgarage.com

is what I use. It's also available from Amazon, although sometimes it goes out of stock.
But honestly any car paint soap works great. The key is remembering that they are used to clean off light dirt and grime between more intensive detailing sessions. These soaps won't get everything and they are not designed to do so.

Air dryers are awesome. I used to use them but then went spotless rinse system. Both methods work very well. Make sure to wear ear protection when you use the air dryer though. Sometimes when you are drying out certain crevasses, the resonance can make the noise extremely loud.

The upside of both of those methods is that you don't have to touch the paint again. There are products to lubricate and leave behind a protective film as you dry. I found that it takes far too long for my liking, plus the whole touching the paint again issue.

Sorry if this is too much info, I get excited about this stuff lol!

 

[fundoo77]

Koch-Chemie GSF Gentle Snow Foam - Premium Car Wash Soap for Superior Cleaning

OG's Koch-Chemie Gsf, the ultimate snow foam that is pH-neutral, foams well, and leaves minimal residue. Perfect for maintaining waxes, sealants, and ceramic coatings. Available in 1L and 5L sizes, with options to enhance its cleaning power. Enjoy a cherry scent and superior slickness while...

www.obsessedgarage.com

is what I use. It's also available from Amazon, although sometimes it goes out of stock.
But honestly any car paint soap works great. The key is remembering that they are used to clean off light dirt and grime between more intensive detailing sessions. These soaps won't get everything and they are not designed to do so.

Air dryers are awesome. I used to use them but then went spotless rinse system. Both methods work very well. Make sure to wear ear protection when you use the air dryer though. Sometimes when you are drying out certain crevasses, the resonance can make the noise extremely loud.

The upside of both of those methods is that you don't have to touch the paint again. There are products to lubricate and leave behind a protective film as you dry. I found that it takes far too long for my liking, plus the whole touching the paint again issue.

Sorry if this is too much info, I get excited about this stuff lol

No, not at all. On the contrary, really appreciate your insights, very helpful. Btw, which spotless rinse system are you using?

 

[Vyk]

Welcome - CR Spotless Water Systems

crspotless.com

is the brand I use and

DIC-20 High Output De-ionized Water Filtration Rolling System

Spotless Water Deionization Systems - Wash, rinse and go! CR Spotless Water Systems are portable de-ionization

crspotless.com

is the specific model I use.

I wash the bike, rinse off all the soap and dirt, then rinse once more with this system. No water spots and less refills by using it only for rinsing at the end. Basically only using it to displace hard water off of the bike.

 

[R2K]

Koch-Chemie GSF Gentle Snow Foam - Premium Car Wash Soap for Superior Cleaning

OG's Koch-Chemie Gsf, the ultimate snow foam that is pH-neutral, foams well, and leaves minimal residue. Perfect for maintaining waxes, sealants, and ceramic coatings. Available in 1L and 5L sizes, with options to enhance its cleaning power. Enjoy a cherry scent and superior slickness while...

www.obsessedgarage.com

is what I use. It's also available from Amazon, although sometimes it goes out of stock.
But honestly any car paint soap works great. The key is remembering that they are used to clean off light dirt and grime between more intensive detailing sessions. These soaps won't get everything and they are not designed to do so.

Air dryers are awesome. I used to use them but then went spotless rinse system. Both methods work very well. Make sure to wear ear protection when you use the air dryer though. Sometimes when you are drying out certain crevasses, the resonance can make the noise extremely loud.

The upside of both of those methods is that you don't have to touch the paint again. There are products to lubricate and leave behind a protective film as you dry. I found that it takes far too long for my liking, plus the whole touching the paint again issue.

Sorry if this is too much info, I get excited about this stuff lol!

i have never used a foam. Do you just spray it on and rinse it of? Or do you still scrub it with a wash mitt? What foamer do you use?

 

[Vyk]

i have never used a foam. Do you just spray it on and rinse it of? Or do you still scrub it with a wash mitt? What foamer do you use?

I started out with

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y190WE?pldnSite=1

But now I use

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFR4V7B?pldnSite=1

The first one doesn't require a power/pressure washer, the latter does.

The foam is suppose to lift and trap the dirt and reduce the possibility of scratches. I do foam and rinse. But also foam and then clean with the mitt as the last step before rinsing, cleaning off dirt from the mitt and soaking it back in soapy water frequently. I don't think I've said earlier but it's important to do this in the shade. Allowing the soap to dry with or without the dirt is not good for the paint.

Man, I feel like I was all over the place with this! There are a lot of great videos online that can probably explain/describe the steps better than me!

 

[Deleted member 1344]

Everybody is different on this cleaning issue. I would never use a pressure washer on a bike. It can take several days for the electrics to dry out enough for the bike to operate. This is old school but I use cotton squares from Walmart. They are about 6 inches on a side. One is saturated with distilled water, the other is dry. My method takes a long time but the bike comes out sparkling. I finish the bike with Honda spray wax. Honda makes a very good product that waxes and shines the bike like none other.

 

[Rufus]

Some great tips already but personally I would not use a pressure washer on a motorcycle. A garden hose at most if I really had to. I invested in an air compressor (oil free and super quiet model about £120) rather than an air blower a couple of years ago and it’s one of the best things I never had. I use it all the time for little jobs.

When I get back from a ride I always use that first to blow out dirt, grit and insects from nooks and crannies, it gets the worst off, then wheel it into the garage to cool down completely, in the shade. I never wash the bike when it’s warm or in the sunshine (usually easy in the UK) because I find everything dries out far too quickly and you get water marks all over the place. Looks a mess.

I like the three bucket method. Soft wash mits. Proper bike shampoo. Depends how dirty it is but normally I do wheels and the heavy bug splat areas first. That’s forks, headlight, mirrors, engine, downpipes. Soak them with water/proper motorcycle soap and let them go really soft before carefully getting rid. Never scrape away at them especially on chrome. Then wash the bike thoroughly, rinse it down and when finished blow off the water droplets. Finally front to back with a quality detailer spray and lots of clean dry micro fibre cloths. When it’s all done and I’m about to shut the garage door I then finally spray a mist of Silkolene Pro-Prep conditioner over it. Pic below. It was recommended to me and I like it.

Golden rules (for me)
Never ever use dish soap (its cheap aggressive rubbish with way too much salt)
Take your time. If you haven’t got enough time then wait until you do.

 

[Vyk]

I understand the concern with the pressure washers. I worried about that too but as I've seen professionals use them to great effect, I changed my mind.

The one I use is an electricity powered pressure washer that's really designed for vehicles. Higher flow with relatively low pressure.

It is prudent to take care when spraying, of course, but with some discretion I've never ran into a problem. As I see it, out of all the things I run my bikes through... what with riding in the rain to crossing streams, parking lot drops to rock garden dumps... pressure washing the paint really isn't the worst thing I can do xD.

Please do your own research and decide for yourself, this is just the way I do it after my own experimentation and research.

 

[burangs]

It’s a BMW! 1 year old right now and it hasn’t seen any bubbles!

 

[Mr. Efficiency]

I have only used water once on my R18. for the first year I kept the bike spotless with S100 spray (BMW, Honda, whatever... Waterless is a nice way to keep the whole bike polished. One of the cool parts of the R18 is the entire bike surface can be cleaned spotlessly, inside and out becuase of the art deco design.

I would never use a pressure washer on a bike. Nuff said.

Finally, last month I filled my foam cannon with mr. Pink and shot the bike. then gently scrubbed with a microfiber. gentle rinse but thorough enough to get all the soap off, then towel dried it inside and out.
then just a really good wax on the black parts. I now have almost 2 seasons without a blemish on the bike (yes, I am keeping this one unlike my other bikes, I washed my GS in 2016... I think )

 

[Mr. Efficiency]

i have never used a foam. Do you just spray it on and rinse it of? Or do you still scrub it with a wash mitt? What foamer do you use?

Foam cannons rock, and forget just bikes. You rig it to your power washer and it works on the low setting like a cannon. It coats the entire vehicle of your choice in 2 inches of thick white modern foam surfacant. I can wash my lifted mega wrangler after off road driving cloth top body windows and underside, in about 20 minutes ! It took 3 minutes to foam cannon and clean every crevice of my R18. then just rinse and dry and its spotless and protects every finish.

 

[R2K]

Foam cannons rock, and forget just bikes. You rig it to your power washer and it works on the low setting like a cannon. It coats the entire vehicle of your choice in 2 inches of thick white modern foam surfacant. I can wash my lifted mega wrangler after off road driving cloth top body windows and underside, in about 20 minutes ! It took 3 minutes to foam cannon and clean every crevice of my R18. then just rinse and dry and its spotless and protects every finish.

Thank you, on the R18 do you still scrub it with a micro fiber cloth or just rinse off the foam after it seats for a few minutes?

 

[Slotheadslim]

I always use a waterless Honda polish & cleaner spray, 08732-SCP00 , with a microfiber cloth. Sometimes I’ll use Mother’s polish for chrome pieces but usually the Honda spray does everything. Look on Amazon and see the ratings. I used it on my bikes for the last 7 years. It’s reasonably priced, easy to get and not messy. Give it a try.

I’m not criticizing anyone but I’d be careful using a pressure washer. I’d be concerned about water getting pushed up past seals and into electronic components.

Best,

Tom

 

[Mr. Efficiency]

Thank you, on the R18 do you still scrub it with a micro fiber cloth or just rinse off the foam after it seats for a few minutes?

Just a gentle wash. A microfiber cloth just ensuring you touch every bit, the foam does the lions share of removing both surface and subsurface grime. It was the first time the bike saw water for washing and it was just spotless when it was done