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I'm a big fan of Original Bike Spirits and Honda Spray Cleaner for quick cleanups. But for the annual waxing I just tried Chemical Guy's HydroSlick and was very pleased with the results. HydroSlick is kind of a wax and ceramic coating all in one. The Limited is vivid black so it requires clay bar and a scratch removal polish first.
To be brutally honest, any car wax is just fine. Spend what you want on the "exotic" waxes if you want to feel good but all are OK and basically the same. The more you spend, the more you'll convince yourself it's the BEST, the GREATEST, the LONGEST LASTING etc etc etc..... In truth, there's so little surface to wax on a motorcycle that frequencyis much more important than the brand you use or how much you spend.......IMHO, Turtle Wax, bought at Walmart, for a few bucks a bottle, is just fine!
I typically use Griot's Garage Ceramic Spray Wax and also their Best of Show Detailer Spray. For the windshield, I use what many of us use on aircraft windshields - Plexus. For the engine, I like Harley's Pig Spit...I also use a variety of homemade detailing brushes, swabs, etc. I could spent hours detailing my Harley - spit and shine...oorah.
It has been my experience there are some really good products out there. There are also some "snake oils" or high priced products that are no better than the cheaper ones, except for their marketing hype...
Just make sure you know what you are using.. there's many types of wax, sealant, glaze, etc, etc, etc Each has pros & cons. Some can be used together with excellent results..
When I used to deatil my Corvette that I would take to shows...... I found that the "process" was more important than the "product brand"..
Wash, clay bar, polish (depending on condition of finish, this could be two steps), then sealant or wax, and if desired a glaze on top for great shine..
IMHO.... Any time you touch the paint, you are leaving swirl marks.. how deep and how bad, depend on what you use to touch the paint... The darker the paint color, the more obvious the swirl marks are. I always use QUALITY microfiber products and never touch the paint dry, I always use some type of detail spray for lubrication, for wipe downs in between a full detail...
I used to use the same sealant/wax on the chrome or aluminum, but now I use a specific chrome or aluminum polish. They seem to work much better.
My blacked out Harley engines are treated with Pig Spit... I buy it by the case, but I have 3 Harleys to clean/polish...
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
