Hi guys:
I was wondering if people would voluntary talk about how they clean their motorcycle to keep it like it came off the showroom floor.
I cleaned my bike today by handwashing the wheels, and using a toothbrush on grimy spots. It looks a lot cleaner but yet due to 25 y/o rust, and grime it still could use some extra polishing.
What's the best way to clean the bike? What products do you use? What tools do you use?
Thanks.
Sponge/rag soap and water. When it is all clean I will pretty much wax anything and everything. If my wheels get really bad I have found that scrubbing bubbles works very good for me.
Pledge for the finishing touch. Repels the dust.
Soap, water, microfiber rag. Meguirs wax and detail spray.
I have a '94 that wasn't perfect when I acquired it..
I don't own my Magna as a "show bike", but even with that, keeping it presentable is somewhat important for me.. So, I don't sweat the details as much as someone that might have a $40K Bigdog or something..
I don't ride a show bike, I ride a GO bike.. I'd rather be riding the bike than cleaning it. I keep it presentable, but don't sweat over it too much.
Most of the time, Between washings, I keep the bike presentable with Amsoil's BriteSide Miracle Wash Waterless Wash & Polish. It's $5-6 bucks a can and last a long time. It cleans very well and and leaves a nice shine.. I use it on everything but the Vinyl of the seat and Saddlebags.
In about 5 minutes I can do the whole bike.
I only wash my bike every month or so.. Probably 10 times a year.
I wash my bike with liquid car soap (The brand depends on what's on sale).. I do NOT use dish soap as it will strip any wax that might be on the bike..
I use a micro fiber mitt, but any mitt will do.
I take my seat off before washing as to not age the vinyl prematurely.
For the Vinyl/rubber I use Turtle Wax product "ICE". This is a synthetic wax that's great for everything.. I mostly use it on the Vinyl and rubber parts, but do the rest of the bike maybe a couple times a year since it's so easy to use. I even use it on the side of the tires if I want the bike to look particularly nice..
I use Wenol Metal Polish to remove any Rubber marks from the exhaust.
That's it.. Most of the time, Spray on, wipe off, put the key in and go... I get complements on my bike all the time and people are amazed when I tell them it's a '94..
I do hear Multi-purpose Pledge is good and my wife recently purchased some, so I'll be giving that a try.. I don't know how good it will clean, but I'm sure it's great for a quick shine before you go out..
Pledge works quite well as a cleaner. It is good for cleaning windshields too as it will not harm windshield materials like products containing ammonia will. There are forums on the subject of detailing which is your best bet for cleaning. You can do a very nice job with stuff at any auto parts stores.
If I were you I'd buff out any oxidation I could. You will need a Dremel for tight spaces. Polishing compound or even rubbing compound can be used if the oxidation is thick like on wheels. Metal polish for normal areas of bare metal. You still may not be able to get it all off though. Then coat everything with wax. I just use Meguir's Gold Class on everything but wheels and fork tubes a synthetic like Nufinish would probably be a better idea. You can also take wheels and engine side cases and get them bead blasted if you want to really get into your detail job.
I had an 85 Shadow a few years ago and it was probably in a similar condition of your bike. I repainted it using Rustoleum (don't laugh) and a roller. Rustoleum will not need a primer and is a tough hard paint. Do a Google search and a lot will come up about painting your car with a roller. It's cheap and easy to do. You can paint your bike's fenders and tank for about 30 dollars including paint, mineral spirits (don't use Odorless mineral spirits) and sandpaper. To paint the frame it's too much work at least it was for me. You can just follow the directions here these guys used: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
Look at the pics. The quality isn't like a pro job but is probably better than what you probably have. The cost is easy deal with but there's plenty of labor. When you are done your bike will look much better even to the point of getting many compliments. Being cosmetic improvements the value of your bike will go up much more than what it cost you to get it there.