just run by the car wash, drop a couple bucks in quarters, give it a good pressure spray every couple weeks or if it's particularly bad (storm riding, puddle jumping, etc.), avoid soaking the seat and ride on. quick, simple, fairly cheap and effective enough to keep it on the road.

my bikes been primer coated black since I rebuilt it back in '06-'07. I keep it clean but it's not a fantastic looker compared to everyone else's shiny, blingy bikes. it's not nasty, grungy or anything you could consider a rat bike... but riding it has always been my priority, not making it sparkle. I ain't tryin' to impress anybody. I just want to ride my Hog.

 

keep a long stem screw driver in the bags, and a few rags.

stop by the quarter squirter,

leave it running, pop the seat off & soap it down, hit the tank & what not with the rag.

then switch it to rinse,

pop seat back on, ride on!

 

I enjoy washing and detailing my bike. A 12 pack of Stella Artois and my music player make an enjoyable afternoon in the garage.

 

OP~ (or anyone else dealing with corrosion), try "ACF50."

Seems to work for the riders in wetter countries...

 

I'll say this: my 2003 RKC is dripping with chrome and I detail the hell out of it. It has 105,000 on it and looks like the day it was new. People are shocked at its year/mileage. It's a PITA to keep it like this.

When I added a 2015 RGS to the stable, I decided to be more lax with this bike as it's more of a functional bike for me....touring and reliable. I was it about 4 times a year. Simple green and a hose. Or the car wash on low. Sometimes I dry it. Sometimes I blow down the highway. It has 25K on it and looks pretty good. But not as good as the 15 year old bike with 105K.

 

I hate washing as much as the next guy but never washing it is just a bad idea. I live in Pa so my bike gets a long nap in the winter. Once winter is over I give the bike a good wash and wax first thing. Then maybe 2 or 3 more washes during the riding season, or if it gets really dirty in a rain storm or something. Then at the end of the year she gets another good washing before winter storage again.
My bike gets pretty dirty in between washes sometimes but so far following the same routine it looks brand new every time I do wash it.

 

Some great and easy ideas here. You all may have swayed me to keep it cleaner than I normally do....

 

 

I wipe mine down with a soft clotch and use pledge multi surface cleaner. I may use some instant detailer on it.

I rarely wash them. but they are clean.

A good idea is to wipe the bugs off of paint after a ride. The bugs have like an acid to them that eats at the clear coat or paint over time.

 

There is a certain amount of acidic crap in the air, an occasional wash will slow the erosion of time.

But it is your bike, far beyond me to tell you what to do with your bike.