Cleaning Denim Black
 

Hello all, less than a week and I get my new and first Harley. A Denim Black Street Glide. Any tips on keeping the flat balck looking good? Cleaning Products?

Congrats on the new X. I love the denim. I use windex most of the time. I also use hot water to get the bugs off. Once in a while I use the harley denim cleaner. The denim is real easy to clean and looks good.

Congrats again.

I've had the Denim Black fatboy Lo for almost a year now.despite all the negative stories I've heard about maintaining it,I found that it's almost maintenance free.All I do is wash the bike regularly with simple quality car wash shampoo.Many a time during refueling,I had spilled a whole bunch over the tank,surprisingly with a simple wipe of my gloved hand is good enough.There is no oily residue even...touching up a scratched section maybe another ball game though.

Congrats and don't worry about cleaning...just ride with pride & let the grime show your enjoyment.

Windex on the paint???

Thanks for all the ideas. this waiting game SUCKS.

HD paint cleaner works exceptionally well. They recommended windexbor something at one time but the denim cleaner works way better. I've used them side by side.

yep. in my 2010 owners manual they specifically stated window cleaner with ammonia (don't use it on the windshield), but have since come out with their own denim cleaner so of course they now recommend that.

it is really easy to clean up, and will continue to look good for a long time with minimal care.

Windex does work well, but the harley denim paint cleaner is awesome its only harley cleaning product i actually use

I just bought my Black Denim a month ago and love it.. My wife likes pretty bikes and says it looks like primer.... But I am in love !!!! Anyway, I am a stickler with cleaning my bike, I use the Denim Cleaner stuff that Harley makes and I purchased a product from a few recommendations on here by chemical guys. http://www.chemicalguys.com/ProductD...16&Click=56722
This stuff is great, all the bugs just wipe right off, it does not make it shine and adds a slick feel to it. It also says it adds UV protection in it. Now I don't know about all that since it can't be seen with the naked eye. But this is the best product I have found out there available to clean it with...

the important thing is not use a wax on your denim, i dont even use and car wash or soap because most have a wax additive. i use dawn or joy dish soap. they are made to cut grease or wax so if i do get detail spray onthe paint it doesnt stay on there. im sure its probably overkill but i have seen what wax can do to denim first hand. and im periticular w my bikes. SG gets washed 2-3 times a week every week

Another vote for the Harley denim paint cleaner. Seems to loosen up the bugs easier.

Windex with ammonia here.

I will second this but also add to the list the wax for matte finishes from swissvax. It is made especially for matte finishes and it works unbelievable. Water will bead on the pain, bugs wash off with the hose, no chalky look to the paint. I highly recommend it.

i use the denim cleaner and windex. both recommended by the dealer i bought from and seem to work well for me.

Meguiers spray detailer and a microfiber cloth...hands down the best thing u can do for black denim! Did it on my denim fatboy for yrs and it still looks like a million bucks.

Swissvax....WTF $250+

Dr. Beasley's is another fine product but also expensive.

I mainly use Windex and a soft rag. But I don't scrub or do a lot of wiping. I also use Windex all over my bike.

you think that's bad, check out the glaze:

the denim paint set isnt much different as its just a flat base coat with an eggshell clear coat vs a gloss base with a satin clear coat. Cleaning isn't much different other then HD suggests not using wax based products that will build up on an eggshell finsh. Denim cleaner isn't much more then glass cleaner where as HD gloss cleaner and many other gloss cleaners has a cannuba additive.

I can't believe how expensive that Swissvax. For that kinda money you can get a new paint job every few years. What is it made of, gold?

I dont make my kids clean and wash their toys.
I dont clean and wash mine either...

Ride it! The rain will rinse it off eventually.

They have a small 65ml bottle which will last forever on the bike. Buy it direct and I think it is like $45-$50. You don't need 200ml for the bike unless you have a fleet of them.

I want sooo bad. The days must go by like years. Congrats and welcome. I like the dish washing detergent idea.

interesting pricing concept there. 200ml for $250.00 or 65ml for $50.00. buy 3 of the smaller bottles and it equals $150.00 for 195ml......

sure, makes perfect sense :icon_rolleyes:

Another vote for Windex. I have HD Denim Cleaner & Wizard's Matte Paint Detailer as well. I personally think the Windex works better, is cheaper, and is always around the house.

http://www.cyclecare.com/mm5/merchan..._Code=POLISHES
I use this company's products on my on my shiny black paint and it works great. I would think this product would also do a good job on a denim finish.