Dont Use a Pressure Washer to clean your motorcycle!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 5,315
Likes: 4,272
From: Granville New York
Que the " I'd rather ride than clean my bike" guy in 4...3...2...1...oh thats right hes too busy riding to be here posting. Lol. Also I can't believe I've been filling my tires backwards after all these years.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,399
Likes: 8,509
From: Spartan Country, Michigan
too busy riding to clean.... my bike looks worse than Omaha does....let the rain clean her....
Just kidding.... Sir Harley.... you do bring up some valid points. You will get a lot of smart assed replies....have thick skin..... this is a topic that has been gone over more than once...people sometimes don't like repeat posts!
But hang in there kid.... you have some solid input. I would only car wash on a trip if the bike was really bad....and that would be from a few feet and enough to knock the **** off the front. Keep reading and keep posting.... you will get used to our ****!!!!
Just kidding.... Sir Harley.... you do bring up some valid points. You will get a lot of smart assed replies....have thick skin..... this is a topic that has been gone over more than once...people sometimes don't like repeat posts!
But hang in there kid.... you have some solid input. I would only car wash on a trip if the bike was really bad....and that would be from a few feet and enough to knock the **** off the front. Keep reading and keep posting.... you will get used to our ****!!!!
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 5,175
From: SWMO
The pressure washer wand sprays water in Atomized droplets much finer than a water hose on the side of your house. Tiny atomized water droplets get into thread orifices, and electrical connections and can begin the cycle of corrosion.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 559
Likes: 113
From: VA-Nelson Cty
Pressure wash and memories. I ride 3 hrs and kid brother rides 3 hrs to meet in the middle and ride together for day and half. Pulls in a couple hrs late, as usual. Just had to change oil before leaving. Didn't put oil cap on right and got oil over some of bike until someone honked and he noticed trail of smoke. Gotta get quart and darn if there isn't a HD a couple of blocks away (had to be HD oil). Sitting around outside waiting. Finally find him and ask what the hell the hold up is. Well he is paying some shop gofer to wash his bike. Christ. Another hour shot. Hey bike is done. Hey bike won't start. I look over and see power washer. Yep power washed. I couldn't believe it. Looks beautiful. After few hrs of various mechanics and yada yada the bike was left and I road him home on the back of my bike of the day, 1800GW at the time. I wondered what people thought of a good-sized pirate (no kidding) on the back of the GW as we went down the PA TPK, lol. I knew that he was not digging it, although he did comment on how the bike seemed to haul *** (pun intended). Had to go back a week later and get bike. They gave him a big bill for checking it all out and finding nothing. Yeah, it was just wet somewhere. Told him that. I would leave it dirty rather than pw, Just my experience and opinion.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 127
Likes: 44
From: Seattle Wa
Ok read thru this thread. I been washing my bikes for the last 8 yrs at the car wash. And not one time ever had any problems. With the power washer hurting any part of the bike.
Also have friends that use a home power washer and they never had any problems.
Also have friends that use a home power washer and they never had any problems.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 35,774
Likes: 38,461
From: Post Falls, ID
Watch out when riding past a full service car wash that smears that glossy snot on the side of car tires. That snot slings off the tires as the car drives away, making the street we ride on very slippery.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 4,353
Likes: 1,966
From: PA