This is my first harley, my first cruiser bike & first fuel injected bike. My question is how do you wash your harley? Ive washed it twice since i got it & everytime i finish washing it the bike kinda has a hard time idling normally. It even made a popping sound, but only once. Are there places I need to avoid with water? I like washing it every other week to avoid rust.

 

If it is running rough for more the 5 sec's you are probably getting too much water in the wiring/EFI somewhere. Might want to check all your connections......make sure the contacts are clean, put in some dielectric grease and assure they are fully snapped/snug. I would closely inspect the plug wires also.

What year is your bike, how many miles? We water wash 2-3 times a year so not nearly as often but these things ride in driving rain and if all is connected well and you are not "jetting" water at the ignition wiring washing should not be a problem.

 

Don't use a power washer, and avoid spraying it with a hose. Water could get into the electronics or air breather. It's o.k. to use a light spray to rinse off soap, just be careful to keep it out of areas it doesn't belong. I've ridden in rain more days than I can count this year and haven't had an issue with water creating problems with the bike running...although my fuel gauge crapped out altogether one day, guessing moisture caused that. It started working again the next day.

 

They say Harleys are touchy about water.

I dunno....Iride in the rain lots and never had any kind of problem.

I do avoid spraying the bike when I do wash it--just water straight from the garden hose--but because I am more concerned about spraying some road grit into some place where it ought not go.

(a simple wipe-down after every ride can do a lot to keep your bike clean and rust-free; I wash my bike only 2-3 times a year, but wipe it down at the end of every day. only takes 30 seconds)

 

I've got an 09 sportster. Has about 2,000 miles now on the odo. How do you guys just wipe it clean? Im afraid it would scratch the chrome if you just wipe it with a wet cloth. Thats why i use power spray. But i have an air compressor & use it to dry out the bike. but i guess theres some areas that I didnt dry completely. Did i do anything that would damage the bike? Ive got a screaming eagle heavy breather that i accidentally sprayed with water. but it got that water resistant cover. Took off the cover & the filter felt it wasnt wet.

 

Doubtful you have done any damage but I would lose the power spray pronto and only use compressor if the air gun is very low volume.

Garden hose with normal spray gun on sprinkle at most, micro fiber wash mitt and a good automotive type soap. Gentle, gentle, gentle........

Of course we do several Pledge once overs in between but that is a whole other thread(s).

 

I power spray and blow dry my bike after every ride... it is mandatory here in the Florida Panhandle if you want to keep your bike nice. The salt spray is continuous and we have wonderful spur of the moment thundershowers all the time. As mentioned above, if everything is as should be there shouldn't be any problem with the bike running properly after a wash. Once a year, usually winter, I spay my entire bike... front to back... top to bottom... and in between with WD-40. "But doesn't the WD-40 attract dust", you ask... and I answer, "yep... but dust doesn't rust". I ride 12,000 to 15,000 miles year round with no problems whatsoever and my 03 Fatboy looks showroom new.

 

Damn new guys dont know nothing! Just watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv3HdXspRgA

 

micro-fiber works. doesn't scratch a thing

If you are really washing your bike, use a bucket of water with your favorite bike soap and wash it. Power spraying the dirt off isn't washing it That could force some grit into places where it could abrade things where you don't want abrasion. I use a sponge covered in micro-fiber "fingers" and the Harley sunwash (I got a zillion bottles of it for free once). Works fine for washing/cleaning.

If you wash the bike properly, drying with a compressor shouldn't be a problem. I use a leaf blower. But it is better to pat the bike down first with a large (micro-fiber) drying cloth.

Anything that doesn't get dry like that, will be dry after I ride around the block.

No damage. Your bike is fine.

 

In case you didn't see it yet there is a Whole Sub-Forum on this site dedicated to cleaning your Harley.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/detai.../?daysprune=75