Cleaning your Harley
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,551
Likes: 57,095
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Bingo "Geoff" ... If you're not "floating " the water off ( especially on a Black scooter ) you're doing more harm than good with any of these type of cleaners!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 537
Likes: 120
From: DELMARVA
Forever Young
Keep a great coat of carnuba wax on every painted surface and avoid washing as much as possible as a Harley is like a gun---let it stay greasy and oily as you don't want to rust it. Use water hose gently to avoid penetrating bearings etc. Only time to wash it thoroughly is if you see enough dirt to trap water as dirt holds moisture.
Bugs eat the paint with the acid in their bodies. I get dead bugs off as soon as possible using a wet chamois soaked in water, no chemicals to strip off the wax. Remove superficial grime and dirt the same way. A sacrificial chamois that picks up a little grease and dead bugs can be washed out occasionally. Spare a better newer chamois for when you are detailing a freshly washed bike for showtime.
Once in a blue moon use tire black to richen up sidewalls and keep them from cracking. Do not let any get on the tread or you might slide out in a corner. Be extra careful cornering the first 50 miles in case some migrates down the sidewall.
Twice a year spend an entire day using Macguire's three step cleaner-polisher-carnuba wax process. Ditto chrome polish. And lube cables and moving parts. Change oil religiously.
Good to go. Bike will stay "new" for darn near forever. Or until the sun fades the paint and you are forced to get a beautiful new custom paint job.
Bugs eat the paint with the acid in their bodies. I get dead bugs off as soon as possible using a wet chamois soaked in water, no chemicals to strip off the wax. Remove superficial grime and dirt the same way. A sacrificial chamois that picks up a little grease and dead bugs can be washed out occasionally. Spare a better newer chamois for when you are detailing a freshly washed bike for showtime.
Once in a blue moon use tire black to richen up sidewalls and keep them from cracking. Do not let any get on the tread or you might slide out in a corner. Be extra careful cornering the first 50 miles in case some migrates down the sidewall.
Twice a year spend an entire day using Macguire's three step cleaner-polisher-carnuba wax process. Ditto chrome polish. And lube cables and moving parts. Change oil religiously.
Good to go. Bike will stay "new" for darn near forever. Or until the sun fades the paint and you are forced to get a beautiful new custom paint job.
Last edited by rleedeuce; Jun 25, 2013 at 09:02 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 824
From: Nevada
For those of you who say you use a spray detailer between washes, what do you do about the 6000 splattered bug carcasses all over the front end? I feel like just trying to wipe that mess off without water would not go well. Did mine yesterday and used a 50/50 mix of water and peroxide to soften the bugs, then hosed off.
I use the mr clean car wash and it does a fantastic job. Unfortunately it is no longer available so I'm currently using the product sparingly. I have a few bottles of soap left and 3 Filters. I don't understand why they stopped making the system. It works great.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Vulcanet is the best by a country mile. Does everything from one product, waxes , polishes , cleans, the lot
http://akb.ie/shop/index.php/vulcanet.html
I have used dozens of different products and nothing compares
http://akb.ie/shop/index.php/vulcanet.html
I have used dozens of different products and nothing compares
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,956
Likes: 75
From: CA
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 552
Likes: 1
From: Northern VA
Slightly off topic, but I am wondering why they discontinued the Mr. Clean setup? You could barely find it in stores when it was on the market, and it did a great job washing everything, having that soap, rinse, and filtered after rinse in one convenient package. That streak free rinse did work very well.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 824
From: Nevada
Slightly off topic, but I am wondering why they discontinued the Mr. Clean setup? You could barely find it in stores when it was on the market, and it did a great job washing everything, having that soap, rinse, and filtered after rinse in one convenient package. That streak free rinse did work very well.