[arun ezhil]

Hi guys this is arun.
I got my cbr 250 5 days back and i am enjoying the ride.
Till now i havnt washd my bike.
guys pls suggest me if thr is any techniques to follow while washing an cleaning.
i have got some mild scrathes on my tank.
suggest good bike shampoo and wax for polishing also.
Is that advisable to do a teflon coating to remove those mild scratches.
my dealer askd to do it when cming for 1st service.

Thank you.

 

[Top]

my favourite has to be the garden hose.... used when parking at the inlaws.

tank protectors help with the scratches.

 

[Skyway6]

I use a bucket of water with a drop or 2 of dishwashing liquid and a microfiber cloth. Then buckets of clean water with a new microfiber cloth to rinse. If you going to use a hose make sure its low pressure and dont spray up into the bike. but the bucket method works fine. Dry the bike and use a quality auto wax on the paint and you done.

last year after each ride (on scooter) used a damp microfiber cloth and gave the bike a once over to remove bug guts and stuff. The upcoming season going to try using some waterless car wash stuff.. "GoClean"

GoClean.ca -- Your Waterless Car Care Solution
used some of it last weekend just to see how it is. works great. and leaves the bike smelling like oranges

PS - i like the bucket method because i can avoid getting the chain all wet and then have to relube it.

 

[Street Sniper]

cover the switches , the exhaust , the ignition , and the gauges....simple green degreaser on the bottom and soap on the body...happy times

 

[Metalstorm]

I don't know which part of the world you live in but where I'm at right now I just ride it in the rain then towel her dry

On a more practical note, the Honda shop near me is also a Suzuki dealership and they have this stuff I think is called Suzuki Wash. They're telling me it is like S100 motorcycle cleaner as in you spray it on then hose it off with the garden hose but it isn't as corrosive.
S100 works well but if you don't rinse it thoroughly it can corrode things. I'm assuming the Sukuzi stuff has a milder degreaser.
Products like those are quickest way but not always the best.

All I do is grab a bucket of water with some dish soap once or twice a year and a sponge and wash my bike by hand then hose it off. If the wheels are bad I'll use Simple Green on them. Then I take it for a quick spin (air dry) and finish microfiber towel drying her when I get back.

Avoid pressure washers as they can drive water into areas where normally water wouldn't and shouldn't get into.

On edit: If you live on a dirt road or in a dusty area leave out the quick spin before towel dry or you'll come back with dirty bike

 

[Street Sniper]

she loves to air-dry
some go as far as to take the body completely off the bike every time they wash it


this will be done when she turns 8000. which should be any second now

 

[Cire 5th]

whats this I see that you can buy waterless cleaners. Are those good? I haven't washed mine yet. Its due for its first 600 mi service. I just don't want to use the garden hose and spray away lol.

 

[BBRMotosports]

I just rinse it with a hose, wash it with a soft mit rinse again, dry it with a chamois and blow it off with compressed air.

 

[Stratton]

I will wash mine with just a couple drops of liquid soap, dishwashing liquid when it is really dirty but then you've got to spen a fair amount of time making sure you dry everything to avoid waterspots.

For daily wipedowns, I use a product that used to be called "Honda Polish", but it is no longer licensed through Honda so the original manufacturer produces it without the Honda label and it is called "Bike Spirts". It is a spray cleaner and wax that leaves no residue, no white waxy stuff in the crevices. Use a microfiber cloth, spray the cloth, not the bike, start with your windshield then move to the paint then the dirtier hard parts and finally the wheels. Keep turning the cloth to a clean surface, spray more product on the cloth, and avoid rubbing to hard. Wash the microfiber cloth EVERY time so you start fresh with each wipedown.

Bike Spirits is available at most Honda dealers still.

It is also awesome for removing glue left over from peeling off stickers. Spray it directly on the glue, let it sit a few minutes, repeat if neccessary if the glue is thick. Again, keep turning the cloth to a clean surface as it needs to be able to pick up the glue, not just spread it around.

 

[Luke]

I just use carwash liquid in a bucket, soap everything up and rinse it off.
Rear wheel gets SimpleGreen to remove chain lube if needed
Then the whole bike get blown dry using a leaf blower, and the fairings/windshield gets chamois.

 

[feliz]

I do the same as the above poster. Between rides I'll occasionally wipe the painted areas and windscreen down with lemon pledge. I also wipe my shield with pledge if I'm wearing a full face helmet.

 

[Robbo14]

Plexus plexus and plexus, I rinse her down with water to get the dust off the wait for her to dry (she never too dirty) then use plexus.

Plexus is soo fluffing good, I will never try anything else.

I also have to reccommended tank slapper, looks good and stops scratches on your tank

 

[cbr9927]

California Duster and spary it down with water and air dry it by riding the bike.

 

[may2nd]

ive washed mine once with hose, warm water and car washing liquid soap..lightly spraying down all areas of the bike then soap it down with a clean car washing micro fiber sponge, then rinse..after that air dry followed by bike spirits..love that stuff..

 

[live_to_ride]

I do the same as the above poster. Between rides I'll occasionally wipe the painted areas and windscreen down with lemon pledge. I also wipe my shield with pledge if I'm wearing a full face helmet.

I'm a fan of the lemon pledge as well. Great at debugging carcasses off the windscreen and helmet sheild

 

[PAJKRUBI]

Ya'll should REALLY not be using dish soap on any vehicle or bike! It will strip the wax off in as little as one wash and then your paint/clearcoat is left unprotected. Unless you're gonna wax it everytime you wash it avoid dish soap. Use a car wash soap because it's designed to clean but not strip off the wax. I like mothers and mcguires soaps. They're pricey but lather up very thick with a small amount of soap and do an exellent job cleaning.

 

[Corehound]

Ya'll should REALLY not be using dish soap on any vehicle or bike! It will strip the wax off in as little as one wash and then your paint/clearcoat is left unprotected. Unless you're gonna wax it everytime you wash it avoid dish soap. Use a car wash soap because it's designed to clean but not strip off the wax. I like mothers and mcguires soaps. They're pricey but lather up very thick with a small amount of soap and do an exellent job cleaning.

^This - I'm surprised to see so many peeps using dish soap on auto paint, HUGE no-no.

That being said... I'm almost ashamed to say that I haven't actually "washed" my bike in the almost year / 3200 miles I've owned it. Outside of getting wiped down after riding in the rain/snow and cleaning the chain all I do is ride her like I stole her! Granted, I think the pollen is going to force me to actually have to soap her down soon...

 

[Aufitt]

If I did not have an air compressor to dry it off immediately.. I'd never wash a motorcycle.
If I was not prepared to wipe it over fully with Inox or wd40 and polish it again.. I'd never wash a motorcycle.

So.. end of the day.. wash it well, dry it well, prevent the decay or better to leave it be.

 

[Conundrum]

Ya'll should REALLY not be using dish soap on any vehicle or bike! It will strip the wax off in as little as one wash and then your paint/clearcoat is left unprotected. Unless you're gonna wax it everytime you wash it avoid dish soap. Use a car wash soap because it's designed to clean but not strip off the wax. I like mothers and mcguires soaps. They're pricey but lather up very thick with a small amount of soap and do an exellent job cleaning.

Same -- Use a soap designed for cars/bikes, not for dishes lol.

Also, if you want to go hose-less, then two options are either Optimum No Rinse (ONR) or Quick Easy Wash (QEW). Essentially you wash it the same way (with microfiber towel or a wash mitt), but you don't need to rinse before and after. Follow it up with a spray wax like AquaWax and you're good to go.

I actually use the above method on the car more times than not since moving to a condo -- I could use the wash bay, but then people line up and get annoyed when I take a good hour on the car, so I'd rather take my time in my own slip. Car is a 2006 and almost no scratches and/or swirls to really speak of, but then I never let her get really dirty to begin with.

 

[synapt]

I like to take her out for a full tank of ethanol free, then close the garage for & give her a slow deliberate cat bath.