cleaning tips
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,872
Likes: 83
From: Canton, Michigan
RE: cleaning tips
In thirteen years, I think my bike's been to maybe three coin-op car washes...All when I was on the road and couldn't hand wash it. Or find some strippers doing a charity bike wash.
Mine gets done in the driveway.
1) Cold bike and cold beer
2) Simple Green (S100 works good, but is pricey) sprayed on the chrome/engine area
3) Rinse. Yell at the OL to bring me another cold beer.
4) Ordinary low suds car wash in a six gallon pail...Yes I will use it all, damn bug crap!
5) Hand wash with a soft mitt. (Doesn't help protect my fingers, I still draw blood every time I wash it.)
6) Rinse again. Time for 'nother beer and bandaid.
7) Electric leaf blower. I bought one for under $20 at Sears for exclusive use on the Harley.
8) Microfibre cloth to polish up the chrome and painted metal. No lint and works great.
9) Start it up, ride around the block, then wipe any spots off.
10) Park it in the driveway and admire it with another beer.
Mine gets done in the driveway.
1) Cold bike and cold beer
2) Simple Green (S100 works good, but is pricey) sprayed on the chrome/engine area
3) Rinse. Yell at the OL to bring me another cold beer.
4) Ordinary low suds car wash in a six gallon pail...Yes I will use it all, damn bug crap!
5) Hand wash with a soft mitt. (Doesn't help protect my fingers, I still draw blood every time I wash it.)
6) Rinse again. Time for 'nother beer and bandaid.
7) Electric leaf blower. I bought one for under $20 at Sears for exclusive use on the Harley.
8) Microfibre cloth to polish up the chrome and painted metal. No lint and works great.
9) Start it up, ride around the block, then wipe any spots off.
10) Park it in the driveway and admire it with another beer.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 624
Likes: 0
From:
RE: cleaning tips
S100 or simple green for the engine and wheels. Harley has tire and wheel cleaner that is preety good. I use harley glaze and mothers or semichrome for the chrome. Two things don't soak down the electrics and with continued good waxing of the tins most times water and micrfiber cloths will keep it clean and shinning. I wash weekly mostly to keep dust off the rear belt and prevent brake dust staining the wheels. I started using windex and microfiber to remove and unwanted bugs from chrome or steel. Last thing if you keep good wax on tank gasoline will just evaporate without problem.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,022
Likes: 3
From: Hudson Valley- NY
RE: cleaning tips
Washing tips? Oh crap, I thought this was another thread about, well, never mind. 
Another dedicated driveway washer here. Nothing fancy used either. Regular liquid dish detergent, a sponge and good lint-free cloth is about all you need. Started using the Turtle Wax ICE this spring, so far it works pretty well. Dry it and ride it.
Another dedicated driveway washer here. Nothing fancy used either. Regular liquid dish detergent, a sponge and good lint-free cloth is about all you need. Started using the Turtle Wax ICE this spring, so far it works pretty well. Dry it and ride it.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
RE: cleaning tips
When you're done washing, give it a good go over with Rejex and you're future cleanings will be a piece of cake for the next 6 months+. I use it on my car, bike AND bass. 
http://www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html
http://www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 707
Likes: 38
RE: cleaning tips
i just got my bike about two months ago, and while i was there i just bought a bunch of the harley stuff. this is what i generally do. first is just a simple spray off with a garden hose to get the loose stuff off. then if there's alot of bugs, i use harley's bug remover. spray on and let sit for a minute, then they just wipe right off. then i rinse again. then fill a bucket with water and a little of harley's sunwash. wash whole bike with this, then i have a little brush with nylon bristels to scrub the black part of the engine, then srub the spokes with a harley brush designed for this purpose, and rinse again. then i wipe down everything with a chamois and then blow out all the nooks and crannies with a Cycle Dry blower(got it in sturgis for $35). now that everything is clean, i eaither wax the paint with harley glaze and polish with harley gloss, or use the S100 detail and wax. the halrey stuff gives a better shine, but the S100 comes pretty close. one tip here if you're using something from a spray can is to spray it onto a cloth and wipe it on the paint, then use a clean cloth to wipe off. that way you don't get overspray on the areas you've already cleaned.
once all of the paint is done, i move onto the chrome. for this i use a foam, non ammonia window cleaner. and again spray onto a cloth then wipe down chrome and wipe off with a dry cloth. for chrome, i start on one side of the bike and work my way around. once both sides are done, i do the front, followed by the wheels.
this method probably seems a little time consuming, and it is, but when finished my bike looks like it just rolled out of the showroom. when i first started doing this, it took about 2 1/2 hours, but i've gotten that down to about 1 hour.
oh yeah, for the cloths, my wife gets me microfiber cloths from the dollar store for ...well..$1
once all of the paint is done, i move onto the chrome. for this i use a foam, non ammonia window cleaner. and again spray onto a cloth then wipe down chrome and wipe off with a dry cloth. for chrome, i start on one side of the bike and work my way around. once both sides are done, i do the front, followed by the wheels.
this method probably seems a little time consuming, and it is, but when finished my bike looks like it just rolled out of the showroom. when i first started doing this, it took about 2 1/2 hours, but i've gotten that down to about 1 hour.
oh yeah, for the cloths, my wife gets me microfiber cloths from the dollar store for ...well..$1
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,872
Likes: 83
From: Canton, Michigan
RE: cleaning tips
ORIGINAL: RoadViking
I use the Mrs.
I use the Mrs.
Ahhhhh!!, I know...You must still have a couple kids living at home.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,531
Likes: 0
From: Taylorsville, KY
RE: cleaning tips
Just washed mine tonight
- I clean my wheels first with S100 wheel cleaner (stuff works great, especially on my solid disc rear wheel) and wheel brush to scrub
- I wet the bike with a garden hose, low pressure, cover my high flow air cleaner assembly, and use a soft wash mitt and automotive soap
- Leaf blower to dry and spray water out of little crevices, then natural chamois and terry cloth towels to finish drying and removing water spots from chrome
- Usually wax tins
- I clean my wheels first with S100 wheel cleaner (stuff works great, especially on my solid disc rear wheel) and wheel brush to scrub
- I wet the bike with a garden hose, low pressure, cover my high flow air cleaner assembly, and use a soft wash mitt and automotive soap
- Leaf blower to dry and spray water out of little crevices, then natural chamois and terry cloth towels to finish drying and removing water spots from chrome
- Usually wax tins