Who washes their bike while touring?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 3
From: Southeastern Michigan
Who washes their bike while touring?
No not while riding! 
While you're out on the open road.
I take long weekend and week long trips several times a year, and find when I get home, the bikes a wreck visually!
I usually have no space for bike wash stuff while traveling.
So who washes their bike and what are your techniques?
While you're out on the open road.I take long weekend and week long trips several times a year, and find when I get home, the bikes a wreck visually!
I usually have no space for bike wash stuff while traveling.
So who washes their bike and what are your techniques?
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 491
Likes: 1
From: Northern VT
It really depends on how dirty the bike gets. Wife and I did a 9 day trip last year around VA/NC....it rained about 5 days out of 9. Bike was so dirty I couldn't stand looking at it. I brought it to a car wash and bought a rag in one of those machines. I used the soap coming out of the brush to hand wash it and then used low power rinse and hand dried with a "hotel" towel. I felt like a new man afterwards
Tourer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Sometimes it needs it. For example, while riding Florida the bugs on the windshield were so bad I HAD to wash it! While riding in Iowa, several days of rain and grime had to come off.
So, yes, I do wash during touring - sometimes...
So, yes, I do wash during touring - sometimes...
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: south of Kansas City Kansas
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,241
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From: Daytona, Fla.
In over 40 years of riding I've had one (1) motel refuse to give me some of their used towels to clean my bike with. I ask when checking in & assure them that I'll only use old towels they use as rags. With the exception of that one place they're all happy to hand out a couple of their better "rags". I take those & one of their plastic waste baskets full of water & give at least the windshield a warm water bath as I'm packin' up the next morning. Usually I wipe down most of the bike. I start the day with at least a clean windshield, & often a reasonably clean bike. Big difference between crawlin' out of a tent without a shower to ride off on a dirty bike, & comin' out of a room fresh from a mornin' shower & startin' the day with a clean bike.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,277
Likes: 4
From: Austin, TX - Some call it heaven.
Usually I just clean the windshield, but I have taken it to a car wash a couple of times after riding in the rain. I just use the low power spray, and don't point it at the wheels or inner fairing. I don't worry about getting it perfect, but I don't like riding a bike I can't hardly tell what color it is either.
I usually carry a couple of micro fiber towels with me, they'll do the trick.
I usually carry a couple of micro fiber towels with me, they'll do the trick.