So, as I said earlier I came from the Wide Glide. Had that bike for 7+ years and by the last couple my idea of washing it was riding in the rain until the end of the season when I would spray it with sea foam buff off and rinse.

Now that I have this beautiful Road King, I want to keep it looking like the king of the road without spending 3 days/wk washing the damn thing.

How do you guys keep these touring bikes clean, or what is a fast way to keep wash it? S100? Sea Foam? just an old fashion washing every week? I know some of you have garage queens and get out there with qtips and a toothbrush, but I would rather be riding than washing. I only have 6-8 months to ride in MN most years.

I know there used to be a spot on the forums where they had a million different threads on this but I couldn't find it.

 

If I am giving it a good cleaning I use a car wash soap with (supposedly) wax in it. Armorall I believe. S100 works fine but if you are gonna wash the bike you will get the same results. I am due for some S100 engine cleaner but that is few and far between. I have the HD bike dryer and it is quite helpful. Finishing off with Pledge will not only help it stay clean but easier to clean off next time.

 

strange..for me washing the scoot is an hour of mental health..almost blissfull after dealing with the public all day in sales.. i look forward to it,,bucket of warm sudsy water and a microfiber mitt..done in no time

 

Sea Foam - only use that to keep the insides clean.

I use soap for trucks then Meguiare wax, then a bit of Bug Slide on top for the fairing, windshield, front fender and lights. Use Bug Slide all over in between washes/waxes. If I want a really nice wet look between wash/wax, I use Meguiare's Detailer Mist.

For aluminum, I use Purple metal polish.

 

I pull the bags and the shield every few weeks for a good wash job. Between them I take a California duster and clean the rear end, then a bucket of water and damp-wipe the leading edges to remove bugs, drying with a microfiber towel. Works well for me.

 

I'm one of those nuts that likes the bike real clean. It pains me to see her dirty. It's an 05 Ultra classic that will turn over 60,000 miles this week - so I do ride it. I wash it all the time, have a red baron dryer because my town water is hard and the hard water spots on a black bike just hurt my eyes. Not to mention they were a real pain to get off. Between washing, blow drying, waiting until all the water dripped out of the cracks and then fixing the water spots it just took too long. The wash and dry alone took an hour. I recently purchased a CR Spotless rinse system. Put a little car wash soap in a bucket, spray in some treated water. Wash and then rinse with the treated water and it all takes 20 minutes. It dries clean and spot free.

 

I buy S100 by the gallon. Takes almost one full squirt bottle to do the bike. Use a 200mph leaf blower to dry it. I use the old soap and water way about every 4th wash

 

Use Original Bike Spirits between washes and use it instead of washing at times. It really shines when buffed out with microfiber. Also heard Turtle wax ICE detailer is really good as well but haven't tried it yet. Also use PigSpit on the engine fins and black parts and she's gleaming.

 

I go to a metric dealer & get that Original spray cleaner. (They'll know what you mean.) Rain's the only thing that'll get bugs off easier than this stuff. I use it on everything --- windshield, chrome, paint, seats --- and it takes a whole lot less elbow grease than that Harley crap. You're right though --- sometimes, a nice ride in the rain, and a towel dry is better than almost anything else!

 

Detail wash and wax with Maguires, Doc's black on the bags, and chrome polish at beginning of the season. wash every couple of weeks thru the summer with blue coral car wash soap, wesleys bleach white on the white walls. leaf blower dry, and wipe down with S100. summer washes take about a half hour. Keeps her squeeky clean. I enjoy cleaning her almost as much a riding her.