Cleaning bikes - Handy Tips
- Thread starter Flukester
- Start date
I thought the problem with WD40 was that it wears off too quick, and it strips off any other types of oil.
I cleaned mine when I got back from a ride yesterday, not really got any secrets to share, so I'll just list the steps 
1. Hose it down all over.
2. Spray over with "Moto Xtreem Kleen" stuff - not too sure about this, it doesn't remove salt very well, but is running out so I'm open to suggestions on another cleaner
3. Use a micro fiber sponge to work the cleaner in and get rid of all the dead bugs.
4. Spray the rear wheel with Swarfega Alloy Wheel Cleaner and leave it for a few minutes, then use the included brush to scrub the dirt away lightly.
5. Rinse off with hose pipe again.
6. Use a chamois leather to dry and remove any water marks.
After the above I'll use Scottoiler 365 on all exposed metal parts, giving them a nice coating, I'll also use WD40 on the forks, chain guard and swing arm. The front wheel is never really that dirty, so gets the WD40 treatment, as does the belly pan (unpainted matt black plastic).
Every month or so I'll do a little more in-depth cleaning, taking off the chain guard and some body panels, and I'll also give the bike a going over with Autoglym Super Resin Polish; I find flies seem to slide off better after doing this
I don't touch the chain, I have a Scottoiler that keeps this lubed up, and the chain itself is never that dirty, but I do have some chain cleaner left from pre Scottoiler days, so I can give it a spray when I need to.
Scort.
1. Hose it down all over.
2. Spray over with "Moto Xtreem Kleen" stuff - not too sure about this, it doesn't remove salt very well, but is running out so I'm open to suggestions on another cleaner
3. Use a micro fiber sponge to work the cleaner in and get rid of all the dead bugs.
4. Spray the rear wheel with Swarfega Alloy Wheel Cleaner and leave it for a few minutes, then use the included brush to scrub the dirt away lightly.
5. Rinse off with hose pipe again.
6. Use a chamois leather to dry and remove any water marks.
After the above I'll use Scottoiler 365 on all exposed metal parts, giving them a nice coating, I'll also use WD40 on the forks, chain guard and swing arm. The front wheel is never really that dirty, so gets the WD40 treatment, as does the belly pan (unpainted matt black plastic).
Every month or so I'll do a little more in-depth cleaning, taking off the chain guard and some body panels, and I'll also give the bike a going over with Autoglym Super Resin Polish; I find flies seem to slide off better after doing this
I don't touch the chain, I have a Scottoiler that keeps this lubed up, and the chain itself is never that dirty, but I do have some chain cleaner left from pre Scottoiler days, so I can give it a spray when I need to.
Scort.
Just to note, using a foam lance attached to a jetwash is fine.
The spray is no more pressure then you would get from a normal garden hose attachment.
ACF50 is the daddy of anti-corrosion.
WD40, sprayed on a rag is an excellent wheel cleaner.
Engine oil makes a good and cheap chain lube. Dont put too much on though as it flings.
Mr Sheen is excellent for cleaning fairings.
Autoglym Super Resin Polish is awesome for fairings, also add a couple of layers of Extra Gloss Protection.
Christ on a bike thats high!
Far too high infact. Would give a very harsh ride.
I personally use 32f 42r on my Speed Triple and it works well. On my old Speed Four I used 32f 36r which was the best for it.
I dont agree anything lower is for "hardcore" riders at all, its down to personal preference and different pressures work better for different bikes & riders.
Sdoc 100 is an excellent cleaning product, avoid it on your hoses however as it tends to stain them a slight gunky yellow.
Thats all I can think of right now tbh.
The spray is no more pressure then you would get from a normal garden hose attachment.
ACF50 is the daddy of anti-corrosion.
WD40, sprayed on a rag is an excellent wheel cleaner.
Engine oil makes a good and cheap chain lube. Dont put too much on though as it flings.
Mr Sheen is excellent for cleaning fairings.
Autoglym Super Resin Polish is awesome for fairings, also add a couple of layers of Extra Gloss Protection.
Christ on a bike thats high!
Far too high infact. Would give a very harsh ride.
I personally use 32f 42r on my Speed Triple and it works well. On my old Speed Four I used 32f 36r which was the best for it.
I dont agree anything lower is for "hardcore" riders at all, its down to personal preference and different pressures work better for different bikes & riders.
Sdoc 100 is an excellent cleaning product, avoid it on your hoses however as it tends to stain them a slight gunky yellow.
Thats all I can think of right now tbh.
I believe tyre pressures given for certain tyre manufacturers vary between them all.
Most bike manuals will quote 36f/42r as standard.
I know for a fact that Michelin Pilot Power's and 2CT's recommend 34f/36r.
I ran my Mille the first year I had it with Diablo's fitted at 36/42.
I then swapped over to Pilot Powers and ran them at the same pressures until I read about dropping the pressures on another forum.
Dropped them down and I can honestly say, the handling was absolutely transformed!!!.
So yeah, 34/36 for me as far as pressures go.
And as far as oiling chains go, get a Scottoiler and forget having to play around with spray cans and gunk all over the place. Lots of folk say "Oh noes....Scottoilers are messy things" , but only if you don't adjust them accordingly. Plus they will save you an extra 5k miles on yer chain wear rates so it lasts longer.
Most bike manuals will quote 36f/42r as standard.
I know for a fact that Michelin Pilot Power's and 2CT's recommend 34f/36r.
I ran my Mille the first year I had it with Diablo's fitted at 36/42.
I then swapped over to Pilot Powers and ran them at the same pressures until I read about dropping the pressures on another forum.
Dropped them down and I can honestly say, the handling was absolutely transformed!!!.
So yeah, 34/36 for me as far as pressures go.
And as far as oiling chains go, get a Scottoiler and forget having to play around with spray cans and gunk all over the place. Lots of folk say "Oh noes....Scottoilers are messy things" , but only if you don't adjust them accordingly. Plus they will save you an extra 5k miles on yer chain wear rates so it lasts longer.
I'm gonna try the 34 / 36 then ...tyre pressures baffle me. I spoke with a hardcore trackday nut who owns a motorcycle garage and he said stick with 36 / 42 for road.
It's all a juggling game I guess... lowering pressure will generate more heat and increase grip by being stickier. But then the rate your tyres evaporate will accelerate
I've only once tried lower pressures and it felt like it slowed the handling and how the bike tipped into corner.. but then again maybe I wasn't giving it enough beans to get temps up
I wish there was a definative guide.. not 1,000,000 different opinions on the net
It's all a juggling game I guess... lowering pressure will generate more heat and increase grip by being stickier. But then the rate your tyres evaporate will accelerate
I've only once tried lower pressures and it felt like it slowed the handling and how the bike tipped into corner.. but then again maybe I wasn't giving it enough beans to get temps up
I wish there was a definative guide.. not 1,000,000 different opinions on the net
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Does anyone have any tips on what cleaner to use on my Swing arm?
I will be changing my chain and sprockets in the next week or so, and looking in at my swing arm its basically black!
So with the wheel off etc i thought i would take the opportunity to give it a good scrub down.
Any recommendations on a tough solution?
I will be changing my chain and sprockets in the next week or so, and looking in at my swing arm its basically black!
So with the wheel off etc i thought i would take the opportunity to give it a good scrub down.
Any recommendations on a tough solution?
The reason for the scare stories about WD40 is that WD40 themselves won't say that it's safe for o-rings. Fair enough, since there's loads of different rubber compounds in use on chains. But the propellant's safe, the solvent is essentially kerosene, so don't worry about it. It's a ludicrously expensive way to clean a chain, and it's a horrendous lubricant. but at least it won't eat your o-rings.
I use halfords bike cleaner (their muc-off equivalent) and a hose... ACF50 on all exposed metalwork that isn't a brake (this stuff is just awesome) and when I can be bothered to clean and polish the plastic, it gets meguiars. But that's not often in winter, can't see much point, so instead I splat it with chepa carplan wax, which looks rotten but gives a nice protective layer. This works a charm, and I tell you nothing rots like an SV650 so if it works for me it'll work for anything
The mistake a lot of people make is cleaning too often, but not protecting. This "wash after every wet ride" nonsense the magazines spout is almost the worst thing you can do, all it means is that the bike goes away wet, and the muck has a nice exposed surface the next day. Clean and protect, then forget, is my approach- I wash mine about 3 times all winter usually and it still comes out the other end in better shape than the "clean every day" bikes.
I use halfords bike cleaner (their muc-off equivalent) and a hose... ACF50 on all exposed metalwork that isn't a brake (this stuff is just awesome) and when I can be bothered to clean and polish the plastic, it gets meguiars. But that's not often in winter, can't see much point, so instead I splat it with chepa carplan wax, which looks rotten but gives a nice protective layer. This works a charm, and I tell you nothing rots like an SV650 so if it works for me it'll work for anything
The mistake a lot of people make is cleaning too often, but not protecting. This "wash after every wet ride" nonsense the magazines spout is almost the worst thing you can do, all it means is that the bike goes away wet, and the muck has a nice exposed surface the next day. Clean and protect, then forget, is my approach- I wash mine about 3 times all winter usually and it still comes out the other end in better shape than the "clean every day" bikes.
Surprised nobody's said about this tip I was given by a bike mechanic mate many years ago
Spray WD40 onto hot exhausts below the Engine so that the oil Vapor can get into the little nooks and crannies in the Engine after you've given it a clean.
Just make sure that the dry before hand. run the bike for a couple of minute and spray WD40 onto the pipes between the fairing and the engine
Spray WD40 onto hot exhausts below the Engine so that the oil Vapor can get into the little nooks and crannies in the Engine after you've given it a clean.
Just make sure that the dry before hand. run the bike for a couple of minute and spray WD40 onto the pipes between the fairing and the engine
The nice side effect of doing this is the wonderful smell.
Almost as nice as the smell of Castrol R at a track day.
TBH that doesn't sound like any substitute for doing it right, there's not an awful lot of oil in WD40 anyway so once some of it's burnt off, the vapour's not going to do a great deal of coating, unless you spray on epic amounts.
If you want to get this sort of effect, get a compressor, a paraffin gun and a bottle of ACF, then set the paraffin gun to the tightest setting that it'll still deliver some spray- the result is a really fine mist that gets absolutely everywhere, and in volume. But you need to cover your discs and calipers first as it really does get everywhere.
If you want to get this sort of effect, get a compressor, a paraffin gun and a bottle of ACF, then set the paraffin gun to the tightest setting that it'll still deliver some spray- the result is a really fine mist that gets absolutely everywhere, and in volume. But you need to cover your discs and calipers first as it really does get everywhere.
Talking of smoking oil stuff, I am always amused when the ACF50 is smoking off the bike, sitting at the lights surrounded by a white cloud and people waving at me . Well in London it's more like people ignoring me and hoping I don't explode into their car. Helpful types you know.
. Well in London it's more like people ignoring me and hoping I don't explode into their car. Helpful types you know.It is, aye... More expensive but it lasts. It doesn't protect any better on day one, it just takes ages to wash off, whereas WD40 doesn't last at all (Scottoiler FS365 is another one worth mentioning, it does a better job of neutralising salty muck that's already there but again, falls off much faster)
Well I was speaking with George Bush and he swears by it for Airforce 1, but then I take what he says with a pinch of road salt anyway.
Isn't ACF50 synthetic? I could go and read the can but that's not really going to happen sorry. Anyway, I suppose the major deciding factor if you know all about the rubber eating and are not concerned (I read bits and then bought the ACF) is price. I'm sure ACF would be more expensive, but it's not several hundred pounds so meh. Wow, I made a great post.
Isn't ACF50 synthetic? I could go and read the can but that's not really going to happen sorry. Anyway, I suppose the major deciding factor if you know all about the rubber eating and are not concerned (I read bits and then bought the ACF) is price. I'm sure ACF would be more expensive, but it's not several hundred pounds so meh. Wow, I made a great post.
I'm with people on the WD40 front, I buy those big 5ltr containers with the manual spray thing its excellent for dissolving crud, not wasting my pennies on some flash product.
Also excellent is autoglyms water based degreaser, it has a detergent in to, so once you wd40 the whole lot rinse the bike down, degrease with a sponge (it gets a nice lather up), then rinse again and its read for polish/wax.
I also use a get wash, don't see the issue if your cleaning the grudy oil off to put fresh on after.
Also excellent is autoglyms water based degreaser, it has a detergent in to, so once you wd40 the whole lot rinse the bike down, degrease with a sponge (it gets a nice lather up), then rinse again and its read for polish/wax.
I also use a get wash, don't see the issue if your cleaning the grudy oil off to put fresh on after.
Nothing wrong with using a jet wash on certain areas as long as you don't spray it point blank on decals/tyre valves/chain etc. If you jet wash you bike sensibly all will work fine. ACF50 is amazing though and should be used around now for winter.