Clean bike tips - post 'em

[Penderic]

Listening to music helps the washing a lot! See.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqYzwUVRLRU

[Dilliw]

Someone had found it for about $13 a while back. Some airplane supply house.

I won a can of that ACF-50 stuff at a charity auction a couple weeks ago.  Didn't know what it was for!  I think I paid $60 for it but we raised over $800 for the Tellico Plains Fire and Rescue so no worries.

As for cleaners, most of the commercial products that people rave about working use some % of 2-Butoxyethanol as an ingredient.  It's the stuff behind Simple Green, Purple Power and Westley's Bleche White and at its cheapest (my favorite) LA's Totally Awesome.  Over the years I have learned to be careful with it as it will discolor (even eat if you let it sit too long) aluminum.   I wet the bike prior to application then make sure I rinse thoroughly or there will be white milky spots.  I also dilute it if I use it on black plastic.

Simple Green Pro HD is the same as Simple Green Aircraft and doesn't contain  2-Butoxyethanol so it's safer on exposed metal.  I haven't tried it but people say it doesn't work as well as the all purpose stuff.  It would be a lot safer though on a motorcycle.

All of the mountain bikers use Dawn blue formula.  It eats wax so you have to re-apply if you wash painted parts.  People say long term use will dry out rubber or plastic parts but for a spring cleaning it's hard to beat.  The video posted earlier in the thread seemed to use a lot of it.

[normzone]

Does anybody use OxyClean? I use it for bathtubs and occasionally homebrew equipment, I'm not certain what it would do to a motorcycle. It will etch stainless is you leave it on too long.

It's probably overkill, but I was just wondering. I hit the oil seep stains with carwash pressure, staying away from electricals, and spend minimal time near seals with it. I've noticed my wheels are getting gunky, probably brake pad dust.

I miss the days when you could pay a couple of eager boys a few dollars to clean your bike. After the initial training curve it was a great deal. Now kids are just given everything (grumble).

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

a Mister Clean Magic Eraser will do all sorts of crazy stuff... seriously these things are magic!  Just remember it is mildly abrasive so go easy on the elbow grease and use for spot cleaning mostly.


*get rub/scuff marks off of carbon fiber
*shines the heck out of (cool) mufflers (not so good on headers)

[Vince in Milwaukee]

Surprised no one has mentioned using a paint brush to get into the nooks and crannies.  Buy yourself a nice, quality brush and wrap some duct tape around the metal area.  I have one just for use on the bikes.  I'm a fan of Simple Green.  When done washing, I use a leather shammy (sp?) to dry it off.  If I'm really motivated, I give it a good waxing with Turtle Wax.  I can almost get both bikes to look brand new once I'm done.  Forgot to mention, Windex with an old sock on my Bubs. 

[Dharma Bum]

Let's wait and see what Texas Turnip has to say about all this!

[kirkemon]

Am I the only one who uses butter to shine the tires?

[Wayne Orwig]

Am I the only one who uses butter to shine the tires?

Olive oil is healthier. 

[Penderic]

Another oil thread!  Its coconut oil for me!

[Triple Jim]

Another oil thread!  Its coconut oil for me!

Coconut oil actually makes a very good cutting oil, and doesn't stink up the shop.  I use it a lot for lathe and mill work.

[Texas Turnip]

Even the girls at the bikini bike wash wouldn't touch my bike. MPH abducted my bike and took it to the car wash.
I like to look at clean bikes, but I know it takes a lot of work. My 90th Ann Guzzi was clean until I went to Houston and sho nuff got to follow the water truck thru construction. Not only that, but a valve cover gasket blowed putting oil all over my boot and the bike.

Remember when I won the can of bike POLEish at the National in VA? Some told me it is called pol-ish. I made them all scatter when I shook up the can and pulled out my knife and stupidly asked if I open this end and dump it on the bike.

I do keep bike washing stuff for my Guzzi friends that visit me here at the Oleo Ranch.

Tex