How often do you wash your bike?
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Novice
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: UAE
How often do you wash your bike?
Hello again guys and gals,
I live in the UAE where sandstorms and dust are just another fact of life, and having a black iron parked outside does not really makes me feel happy since i have to wash it almost 2-3 times a week. I tried to custom make a cover for it but that did not go very well (long and not very interesting story), so my question to you is:
1. How often do you wash your bikes?
2. Is there a good cover to buy, besides the HD one that costs a fortune? Keep in mind im planning on adding the 12" hanger apes and a mid height sissy bar.
3. If you do have a cover, how do you keep the cover itself clean???
I live in the UAE where sandstorms and dust are just another fact of life, and having a black iron parked outside does not really makes me feel happy since i have to wash it almost 2-3 times a week. I tried to custom make a cover for it but that did not go very well (long and not very interesting story), so my question to you is:
1. How often do you wash your bikes?
2. Is there a good cover to buy, besides the HD one that costs a fortune? Keep in mind im planning on adding the 12" hanger apes and a mid height sissy bar.
3. If you do have a cover, how do you keep the cover itself clean???
1. Not often enough...lucky to do a wash and wax twice a year. I'll wipe it down with Bugslide every few months when it just gets too embarrassing. Just would rather ride than clean it in my little free time.
2. I am fortunate to be able to park inside when at home.
Many years ago, when I had nowhere to park inside, bikes just sat out in the weather. Course, I do not live where there are sandstorms.
About 5 years ago someone gave me a bike cover as a gift (some generic brand from JC Whitney)...I used it a few times when traveling and there was some pretty serious wind. It stayed in place well with the bungees that came with it.
2. I am fortunate to be able to park inside when at home.
Many years ago, when I had nowhere to park inside, bikes just sat out in the weather. Course, I do not live where there are sandstorms.
About 5 years ago someone gave me a bike cover as a gift (some generic brand from JC Whitney)...I used it a few times when traveling and there was some pretty serious wind. It stayed in place well with the bungees that came with it.
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Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 220
Likes: 2
From: oklahoma
i wash mine every Saturday its not raining... along with my truck and wife's Yukon... i bought my bike in September of 2011 brand new with 1 mile on the odo. and it has 4000 miles on it... so i do ride occasionally in-between washes... 
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 36
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From: .
Chrome can start to blister/peel if left covered with road grime and brake dust for too long, I know this from experience, unfortunately, so I wash more than once a year now. The bike, that is. To cover it I use old bedsheets, as long as they aren't covered with suspicious looking stains. They breathe nice, are washable, can even be used for touch-up cleaning or polishing, and they're essentially free so you can still afford beer. Won't keep the bike dry though, so you might want to put an old shower curtain over the seat area. Some bricks or rocks might hold it all down (but strong wind might still blow it all away), and it will then look like a pile of garbage so nobody is likely to mess with it, although somebody might toss more garbage on. A tarp would be another inexpensive and equally ugly way to go, with the added benefit of reinforced holes for bungees.
Cheers!
Cheers!
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