Washing XRoads

[marconewt]

I finally have to wash my 11 xroads, too dirty to just wipe off with "original" bike spirits cleaner and cloth.

are car washes a definate NONO? with my old boulevard i used to always use the spray wand car wash, no problem.

Ideas?

[CrossRoads]

Originally Posted by marconewt

I finally have to wash my 11 xroads, too dirty to just wipe off with "original" bike spirits cleaner and cloth.

are car washes a definate NONO? with my old boulevard i used to always use the spray wand car wash, no problem.

Ideas?

Water falling on the bike without pressure is no problem - pressured water pushed at the bike is not good.

[Goatlocker95]

I personally wouldn't pressure wash any bike. There are too many places you can inject water into that would be bad to inject water into.

Personally I have bucket washed every bike I've owned. Not only do I not worry about getting water where it don't belong, I also get to know my bike a lot better. Win win

[Tims_04V92TC]

I knew we had a lengthy discussion a while back on washing and detailing. Maybe this will help with some ideas. Gentle shower from the wifes garden spout for wetting and rinsing with S100 on the engine and grimey stuff for me. I will admit I thought about using the leaf blower but my TC has so many swirls by now it dont matter so microfiber.

http://www.victoryforums.com/showthr...=cleaning+bike

Maybe the thread will help

Tim

[vagabondjpm]

I often wash my bikes at a car wash. As others have said, don't "pull the trigger" for high pressure unless you are pointed at the bugs on the windshield. I've never had a problem.

A couple of tricks. If your bike is warm, set to the rinse setting and cool off the hot parts first, the soap will leave a reside on the chrome that I've never been able to get off. Make sure to NOT put pressure near the axles or the swing arm pivot points, you could cause premature failure by injecting water into the seals. After you are finished, ride around in the parking lot while dragging your brakes to insure they are dry and will preform as advertised when you get on the road.

Unless you bike is REALLY dirty, using a car wash doesn't save any time. The car soap, even using a "spot free" rinse, will require a cleaner as you will have streaks.

Ride safe.

[RICZ]

S-100 is the end all, do all bike cleaner. I've used it for decades and never have to do any hand work on the wheels, engine and running gear. Don't spray it topside on switches and other electricals as it requires a lot of forceful rinsing. BTW, S-100 can be cut 1/3 with water and still work as well and not require as much rinsing. S-100 can be purchased at most cycle shops. I have not found anything that works as well, and I've tried a ton of them in over 60 years of riding.

The only bike I'd take to a pressure wash would be a dirt bike and even then I would have reservations. The soap solution can be driven into crevices and bearings and not get rinsed out. Ask any MC wrench if he can tell if a bike has been pressure washed and he'll say "hell yes" or something like that. But hey, it's your bike, not mine.

[BanditSRT8]

Originally Posted by RICZ

S-100 is the end all, do all bike cleaner. I've used it for decades and never have to do any hand work on the wheels, engine and running gear. Don't spray it topside on switches and other electricals as it requires a lot of forceful rinsing. BTW, S-100 can be cut 1/3 with water and still work as well and not require as much rinsing. S-100 can be purchased at most cycle shops. I have not found anything that works as well, and I've tried a ton of them in over 60 years of riding.

The only bike I'd take to a pressure wash would be a dirt bike and even then I would have reservations. The soap solution can be driven into crevices and bearings and not get rinsed out. Ask any MC wrench if he can tell if a bike has been pressure washed and he'll say "hell yes" or something like that. But hey, it's your bike, not mine.

RICZ is right once again.






Here's a post I made a while back, I still do the same thing....


Just spreading some helpful info on the off chance you DON'T know about these tricks yet....

Tired of setting aside one or two hours to clean your bike? Go online or go into any motorcycle shop and grab some S100. Walk past all the other crap out there that promises an easy wash, yet still leaves garbage behind you have to clean by hand.

Simply spray on bike, rinse off with a power nozzle on any regular hose, and dry. You're done. I SWEAR by this stuff. Finally got to really prove it's worth last weekend when I was forced to ride in some nassssty ass rain. Figured it would take me forever.... nope. 20 minutes including setting up and putting away bike, hose etc.

For those in Europe, it is called SDOC100.

They also make a Special Surfaces Cleaner which is absolute MAGIC on your helmet. Spray on, wipe off, and it feels like you waxed it twice.

You Tube

You Tube

Worried about getting swirls in your paint over time? Yes, even microfiber cloths can do this. Get an Air Force Blaster. No rag ever touches my bike for cleaning or drying. It blasts the water out of every crevice and the fins on the motor too. Then blast it off the surfaces and you're done... no water spotting. Best $90 I've spent in a while.



An electric leaf blower is also perfect. Do NOT use a regular gas powered one. They spew oil out of the exhaust and you don't want that on your paint!!!


Now for the tough stuff... BUGS and guts. Especially tough are those love bugs. Well, I learned a great technique that works well, and works on every surface including the delicate plastics.

Get a spray bottle and fill it with hydrogen peroxide. Not kidding.

Spray it directly on the bugs and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. You'll see it fizzing up as it literally dissolves the bugs and guts. Rinse them off. Only the absolute toughest will require a LIGHT pass over with a soft sponge... absolutely no scrubbing, just a gentle wipe. Then wash the bike as needed with the S100 for the routine cleaning.

Hope this helps some folks.

[ridealittle]

a shop vac with the pull off blower top works great to blow dry.