I just got by bike back from the post winter storage detailing and the detailer started to bitch me out for wiping scratches and swirls in to the fairing. I just got this bike so it must have been the other owner. So the question is what do you use to wipe your bike down after a ride? I heard not to ever wipe it down dry but I don't want to wash it after every time I ride it.

thoughts and advice.

Mt

 

Scratches happen. Clay and good polishes make them unhappen. Nonetheless, to minimize scratches you gotta add water (not merley a wet rag). Soapy water is best. Plus, waxed surfaces are much less likely to scratch.

 

Mtsstringer, You have a Beautiful bike ! After every ride, I get a clean bucket of water and a clean wash cloth towel. I wet the wash cloth and with it still moist, wipe down the bike and remove the road dust.Then I dry off the water with a clean micro towel. I clean the wash cloth out in the water, until the water becomes a little dirty and then I change the water .. If, you have swirl marks, I use 3m "fill and swirl to polish them out of the clear coat by hand. Let it haze and wipe if off.. Then I'll go over the bike with Collinite insulator wax. Wipe it on, let it haze, wipe it off, wipes right off black rubber without any residue left.. Leaves a beautiful shine, that lasts and lasts. Hope this helps.. Ride safe..

 

Be careful what you use for a rag. Don`t use something like a ripped up sheet or other too smooth material. I use terrycloth and window cleaner, which removes bugs and light dirt really well and fast. I follow that up with another clean same type rag, and then use a spray wax with cleaners in it, along with the two rag procedure. I hardly ever have to wash my bike, either. The trick is to have enough clean rags available so you don`t have to worry about some speck of something left in the rag to scratch your paint. As far as waxing, don`t use it on the chrome, especially the pipes. Anything left on hot chrome is a bitch to get off. If you happen to get your heel mark on a pipe, and it gets burned on, I`ve had great success with carburetor cleaner. However, make sure you don`t get any of it on a painted surface. I always stand away from the bike and spray it into a clean rag and immediately clean the pipe before the cleaner evaporates. Then follow that with window cleaner, so the shine will return. Window cleaner (Windex, etc.) to me is the "holy grail" for cleaning chrome. The chrome will stay looking new every time, unless a scratch is there.

 

you Guys do know that swirl, clay scratch remover etc. removes clearcoat and paint from the body?
this'll lead to differences in gloss and will attract the eye- it'll also give dirt a rough place to live

hot soapy water, if you have bug guts, wet a towel and lay it on the fairing. 10 minutes will soften them.

hot soapy water, rinse clean- a good quality wax will help keep dirt, grit, dust and bugs from making as much an impact into the future.


the saddest thing ever is a "car detailer" using a buffer to etch swirl marks all down the side of a car- that stuff can't be undone.

mike

 

I use Pledge Multi-Surface cleaner on the painted/chromed surfaces, and Lemon Pledge on the windshield. I probably only "wash" my scoot once a year. And I've found that old type cloth diapers work as well as any expensive micro fiber cloth.

David

 

I use a good car wash soap, a cotton towel, and a light touch for washing.

For drying, I blow the water off with an air compressor set to 12 or 13 psi and just use a towel for chasing the occasional droplets. It's faster and easier than towel drying, doesn't leave swirl marks, and it gets the water out of all those allen and torx head bolts so I don't get a bunch of runs after the next ride.

I've heard our local dealer uses one of those Hog Dryers. I think I'm going to give that a try.

 

I get the hose and rinse it off and use a terry cloth drying towel to dry it

 

http://www.fw1shine.com/

Purchased a case of this product back in 2001 out of a van at a Mobil gas station. I love this stuff. My 2001 is black and only gets washed with soap and water when it gets filthy i.e. caught in the rain etc. No scratches or swirl marks.

 

what's wrong with a detailing spray? been using it for years and no scratch's. unless i get caught in the rain i don't wash it very often.