Any of you guys with the shiny bikes ever use a clay bar to restore your shine and remove swirls, oxidants etc.? I don't have that issue with a Denim bike but used the Meguires clay bar kit on my vehicles and it works very well. Just wondering.

 

Clay bar is one of the prep steps. All it does is pull out imbedded debris from the paint. Washing should remove stuff on the surface of the paint. The crap clay bars pull out have penetrated the paint. Put a sandwich bag on your hand and run it lightly over the paint. All the tugging you feel is the imbedded stuff. After claying, try the sandwich bag trick again and it should just glide smoothly.

Claying does not really add any gloss. The next step is polishing. That is the gloss maker. (Wash then clay then polish then wax).

 

+1 on beastie's reply. Use a good quality product and micro fiber towels to handle your bike.

 

Yep, I would agree with whats been said. I would also add that because of being the dumbass that I am, I know first hand that it also takes off dried enamel over spray very well.