cleaning bike?

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this is very bad, I actually find myself agreeing with you on this. I'm just not that concerned with scratches, wear and tear, riding in the weather etc. I keep them reasonably clean (they pass the 10 foot rule, if they look clean from ten feet away, clean enough for me.) And if you plan to do ANY track days with a bike it's most definitely going to get wear and tear, scratches, chips, etc.

Too many owners in this thread, not enough riders.
 
this is very bad, I actually find myself agreeing with you on this. I'm just not that concerned with scratches, wear and tear, riding in the weather etc. I keep them reasonably clean (they pass the 10 foot rule, if they look clean from ten feet away, clean enough for me.) And if you plan to do ANY track days with a bike it's most definitely going to get wear and tear, scratches, chips, etc.

Whoa, whoa! Nothing wrong with caring for my bike. I ride A LOT and never put it away wet and dirty. I have a lot of chips and that's ok, but caring for your bike isn't wrong is it? It takes a couple minutes to wipe down and lube the chain. Some people do take this to the extreme, it always blows my mind when I see 5-10 y/o Ducatis for sale with less than 5,000 miles though.

I'm actually going to go clean and lube my chain now! I don't have a wife, not really a GF, and definitely no kids; I have time :).

I also wanted to add, this is when I check for loose and lost bolts. Some people complain about it, but I doubt they really check either. Although, I'm having a bitch of a time keeping my upgraded heatshield bolt and hardware.
 
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Whoa, whoa! Nothing wrong with caring for my bike. I ride A LOT and never put it away wet and dirty. I have a lot of chips and that's ok, but caring for your bike isn't wrong is it? It takes a couple minutes to wipe down and lube the chain. Some people do take this to the extreme, it always blows my mind when I see 5-10 y/o Ducatis for sale with less than 5,000 miles though.

I'm actually going to go clean and lube my chain now! I don't have a wife, not really a GF, and definitely no kids; I have time :).

I also wanted to add, this is when I check for loose and lost bolts. Some people complain about it, but I doubt they really check either. Although, I'm having a bitch of a time keeping my upgraded heatshield bolt and hardware.

Oh yeah, nothing wrong with care and maintenance. But honestly if you spend MORE time cleaning it than riding it, there's something wrong there. My Duc is parked in my building's underground. It's a giant pain in the ass for me to wash my bike since I have to keep everything upstairs, but I still do it anyway. My comment was directed at people who freak out about water touching their bike and the slightest micro scratch.
 
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I take mine to a carwash! A team of people fuss over it..

Never has any issues.
 
I just got caught in a flash downpour whilst riding home from the dealer. Bike was totally soaked and coated with road grime inside and out.

I don't understand how getting rained on for a prolonged period would be any less harmful for the bike then a tactical water and soap bath for the bike in the driveway. My bike was covered in dried road grime when I got home and taking a microfiber cloth with bike spirits to the paint would undoubtedly create zillions of scratches. Plus it wouldn't clean the bike when covered to the degree it was with dirt.

I assume those that fearing or refusing 'washing' of their bikes must also fear rain, no?

Antihero spent months riding across the country on his Pani. He must've encountered countless storms and rain. Does his bike still work?

+1 very true.... I wash my bike as soon as grime builds up and I pass on wet roads or get rained on...etc... After washing my bike with low pressure water...I simply turn on my air compressor and dry all parts...then I spray WD40 on areas that need it, like sidestand, foot brake lever hinge, handbrake lever hinge clutch lever hinge, shift lever, clean my chain etc... then lastly wax my bike with turtle wax... No issues.... Been doing these to all my bikes for many years.
 
I ride my R every weekend it gets dirty but I like to make sure it's clean before it goes back out.

Sorry for taking a little pride In my ride
 
I just got caught in a flash downpour whilst riding home from the dealer. Bike was totally soaked and coated with road grime inside and out.

I don't understand how getting rained on for a prolonged period would be any less harmful for the bike then a tactical water and soap bath for the bike in the driveway. My bike was covered in dried road grime when I got home and taking a microfiber cloth with bike spirits to the paint would undoubtedly create zillions of scratches. Plus it wouldn't clean the bike when covered to the degree it was with dirt.

I assume those that fearing or refusing 'washing' of their bikes must also fear rain, no?

Antihero spent months riding across the country on his Pani. He must've encountered countless storms and rain. Does his bike still work?


i use to think this too. how can you spray onto grime and it not scratch. i assure you and ask anybody else that has used honda bright. it works. no water. amazing shine etc..
 
i use to think this too. how can you spray onto grime and it not scratch. i assure you and ask anybody else that has used honda bright. it works. no water. amazing shine etc..

If you're referring to PRO Bike Spirits which was formerly Honda Spray Polish, I've been using it for 14 years and have 2 cans in my garage now.

The issue isn't whether it works or not, everyone knows it does. What it doesn't do is rinse away grime (like that accumulated from after rain) and particles before the cloth touches the bike. You take a cloth of any kind with whichever cleaner you want to a bike covered in street grime without rinsing first and you're wetsanding your paint.

Spot treating? Its fantastic. Using it on a basicly clean bike for removing fingerprints, etc? Fantastic.

But a bike that hasn't been truly rinsed will accumulate a base layer/film which may or may not be visible and in my opinion, water rinsing it away followed by a soapy applicator of some kind is the best.
 


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