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what do you use to clean the gloss black on the new bikes without getting swirl marks,as in wheels, forks, engine covers.
thanks for any help.
I use a McGuires polish from the auto stores. Apply to a foam pad driven by your battery powered drill. Use the McGuires pads or some other brand. Just make sure the one you use is the "finishing" foam pad. I do my cars and bike the same way. Get lots of compliments. So it must look pretty good in the eye of the beholder. Make sure your paint surface and the foam pad are absolutely clean. Otherwise you can induce a swirl scratch if not. Patience and a little time create a stunning effect. Then a coat of polymer based wax. Best of luck.
Moved from a vivid black 2008 Road King to a vivid black 2019 Ultra Limited this past year, and have a lot more gloss black paint to deal with now. Just had the bike ceramic coated, which should help reduce the inevitable swirl marks and scratches.
To emphasize what others have already said:
1. Use good products. Don't reinvent the wheel. Start with what the professionals use.
2. Be careful when washing. This is where a lot of swirl marks come from. Use waterless washes or other products that lift dirt and lubricate. If my bike's really dirty, it gets wet. Also, make sure you are using clean, good quality microfiber clothes. You want something that will keep dirt and debris away from your clear coat.
3. Swirls and scratches will happen. When they do, clay and polish are the best remedy.
4. Protect your clear coat. I waxed my bike religiously for many years and it kept my paint looking great. But, it does attract dust. I am truly impressed with some of the new coatings and, in particular, the ceramic products. Nothing seems to stick to ceramic, dust doesn't collect nearly as much, and it's long-lasting protection from the sun and elements.
Also, I want to thank eaglefan1 because I've read a number of his posts on detailing and paint care and have learned a lot from him and this forum.
Never wipe it dry, resist the urge to "Dust it off". Always spray at least "Something" before wiping. Always use a new clean dedicated quality microfiber cloth when you touch the paint.
I have a billiard blue bike, it might as well be black. I used a utility sponge to wash it and that's all it took to put swirls in the paint. Now I use a super soft wash mitt, it is blue polyester, around $7.00 at AutoZone, it's the right size for a motorcycle. I also recommend Chemical Guys Honeydew soap, super quality microfiber towels from the Rag Company, and Wolfgang microfiber cleaner to wash them. I rinse the bike with water and let it sit wet for 10 minutes or so while I wash the wheels (with a separate sponge of course), then I wash the bike with the mitt, just wiping the surface, not scrubbing or pressing hard. Then rinse and dry, again not pressing hard.
I used Wolfgang polishes and a Griot's 3" random orbital polisher to get the swirls out, it took machine polishing to do it right, and Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant for a final coat as it has no abrasives.
Coop, You have a lot of good products and seems like the right approach. Nice to see.
I use this wash mitt on the bike and only on the bike's paint. Doesn't touch the caddy or the avalanche. I really believe this has helped keeping the paint the way I want it. If you want to get crazy, polish angel cosmic and their high gloss spray. I have never used any LSP that has added as much as that combo https://www.carpro-us.com/wash-mitts...ool-wash-mitt/
Never wipe it dry, resist the urge to "Dust it off". Always spray at least "Something" before wiping. Always use a new clean dedicated quality microfiber cloth when you touch the paint.
^ Notice he said "quality" microfiber. Not the kind you can buy a dozen of for ten dollars at Wally World.
^ Notice he said "quality" microfiber. Not the kind you can buy a dozen of for ten dollars at Wally World.
Dynamick, Ive said the same so many times. There is a huge difference between MF. Rag Company, Microfiber Madness are most of what I have. Detailed image and autogeek have sales on MF that are pretty good. Never wash them with detergent with scents. Microfiber detergent or, in a pinch All free&clear.
Final polishing and removing residue, wipe and it mars the paint. This is when tools get thrown
Had a friend that was a funeral director with a lot of black vehicles. He would always sprinkle a little corn starch on the applied wax just before he would wipe it out. Works surprisingly well to eliminate swirls.
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