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How do you wash your R1?

11K views 71 replies 32 participants last post by  IoMTT04R1 
#1 ·
#5 ·
So I general seems like most people are using the same method as me. That's good to know. Means that most of us have been around the block a few times to know what tends to work best. Also a side note for those of you that use a hose and bucket. If you have LightTech axle blocks make sure you dry it off really well because the it'll rust up your nuts and bolts quick. I had to order spare pieces for mine since it rusted so bad. That was the only time I ever washed my bike with a hose and I'll never do it again.

Honda Polish all the way. And One2 if you need a bottle to test it out I'll lend you one. It's a lot cheaper that Plexus and it's the same damn thing. Trust me, I've used both for years until Plexus became so damn expensive.
 
#10 ·
Alota people swear by water like you'll get scratches by not rinsing it of but unless your running some serious water filters the water is more full of grit and dirt and is more likely to swirl and scratch doesn't really matter thowe it's a machine not a show peice I keep it clean mainly cause it makes it much easier to spot problems.only thing I don't like about using water is your reguired to re grease everything a lot more often
 
#12 ·
im back online lol! finally got around to updating my login....here's how i wash my bike

rinse wheels with pressure washer (using filtered water down to >1 micron)
brush and clean tires/rims with wheel and tire cleaner
rinse wheels and tires

spray down entire bike with foam cannon. let sit for 2 min~
rinse off foam with pressure washer
if bugs are present still- spray bugs with bug remover
if bugs are not present- skip to 2 bucket wash method w/ grit gaurds

utilizing a sealant/coating safe shampoo and highest quality microfiber money can buy, wash bike from top down. constantly rinsing dirty mitt as I go and recharging with fresh clean shampoo water
rinse off soap with filtered water (while utilizing a deionizer as well in this step. making sure water is at 0ppm)

blow dry bike safely with a filtered professional blower called Metro Master Blaster

all done. using this method will provide best results as long as your technique and hand motion is correct and as long as you use the best products. you will not scratch or damage your bike in any way doing this. no swirls at all. only to be done if you are trying to maintain a show bike in perfect condition
 
#21 ·
pledge works great on lots of stuff... my buddy is the drum tech for lamb of god, meshugga and a few others he's worked for.. uses pledge on the drums and all the cymbals. :yesnod
 
#25 ·
I have washed all my motorcycles over the years, bucket and hose or even the car wash when I was away from home. I ride in all weather so my bikes get pretty grungy a few times a summer. A proper wash with a bucket and hose won't hurt anything, neither will a car wash if you use a little common sense. I have used various detail sprays and even Pledge in between to get the dust off.
 
#31 · (Edited)
to the guys that only use spray on cleaners and polishes do you even bother to ride or is your bike more of a trailer queen?
trailer queen? 15k kms in the 1st 4 months of ownership.. using spray on cleaners is just less messy overall and is mainly used so you dont have to do a lot of
scrubbing on the actual paint as the product itself loosens and eats at the grime w/out you having to work as hard. Generally you spray and let it 'sit' for a few min.
before 'washing' it off.. I mentioned fancy micro-fiber pads, these things are designed specifically to not scratch the paint while rather physically removing dirt,
grime, grease etc from your body work and allowing you to wash off the pad with nothing but water, leaving a fresh pad to work with every time.. The usual micro-fiber
pads remove dirt but are a PITA to get clean after each 'cycle' if you will, and can cause more scratches and swirls over time. It is a shitload way quicker to do a great
job with proper equipment / product than 'soap and water' by a huge margin.. I do have a life outside of 'washing bikes' >:)

also the idea is not to high pressure spray the living shite out of sensitive cabling, couplers etc with water while you're trying to 'wash' the rest of the bike.
 
#30 ·
:lol


to the guys that only use spray on cleaners and polishes do you even bother to ride or is your bike more of a trailer queen?
and if it does ever get rode through a little bit of rain do you cry?
I don't own a trailer. When it rains, I open my shield so you can't see my tears.
 
#54 ·
i quite enjoy keeping my beating heart where it belongs, instead of the side of the road in a 'cooler' till the next guy needs it :lol
 
#51 ·
So this is a case that in general seems pretty logical. Or is it?

For the longest time I've never thought much about washing my bike down with a water hose. Mainly being that I use a detail cleaner instead.

However, I see a bunch of guys that have no problem getting their bikes wet and sudsy. Just the thought of water hitting my bike kind of makes me cringe in a sense that maybe I've become idiotic that it's bad for my bike.

So I ask you all. How do you prefer to clean your motorcycle?
I don't.
 
#61 ·
its the interwebz.. where smart folk go to argue >:)
 
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