Washing your motorcycle during winter...

[TimmyTheHog]

okay...so who here does it?

and HOW do you do it?

and yes, I am talking about where it does get cold with freezing temperature...

been thinking about riding in the winter but I just don't like salt...so been wondering what I should watch out for when cleaning the bike after riding.

[cookiemech]

Of course I do. I have a climate-controlled garage (61°F and less than 50% relative humidity in winter), so I just wash the motorcycle in the garage.

After washing, I wipe it down and blow off water I can't access with a rag using a very old Electrolux vacuum cleaner with the hose connected to the outlet rather than inlet. It has such a powerful motor (pulls something like 7 amperes) that the air is warm coming out of the vacuum.

The dehumidifier(s) pull the R.H. down in a matter of an hour or so. Bike's clean and dry.

[Doug McLaren]

I spray my bike liberally with a wax based rust inhibitor around about mid November before there's too much salt on the roads. I do keep it off the brake parts of course. The bike is used throughout winter and around about February or March when it's a bit less cold and not so much salt I use a degreaser to get the waxy coating off. Bike comes up clean as a whistle.

Bear in mind though that over here in the UK we don't get the extremes of temperature that you do in the USA.

[charlie b]

Yep, mine got washed every spring to get the winter crud off it.  :)  They didn't use salt where I commuted, just sand.

[HarveyMushman]

People's experience of Winter varies, but around here there are usually enough mild days to do a quick wash. 

[normzone]

Holy snowbank Batman - that's a mild day?

There's no place like home, there's no place like home ....

[Ncdan]

The only time my calvin gets washed with water if I get caught in the rain. Any other time I use spray and wipe products.

[TimmyTheHog]

Of course I do. I have a climate-controlled garage (61�F and less than 50% relative humidity in winter), so I just wash the motorcycle in the garage.

After washing, I wipe it down and blow off water I can't access with a rag using a very old Electrolux vacuum cleaner with the hose connected to the outlet rather than inlet. It has such a powerful motor (pulls something like 7 amperes) that the air is warm coming out of the vacuum.

The dehumidifier(s) pull the R.H. down in a matter of an hour or so. Bike's clean and dry.

sadly I don't have heated garage, but I will def look into the vacuum cleaner method

I spray my bike liberally with a wax based rust inhibitor around about mid November before there's too much salt on the roads. I do keep it off the brake parts of course. The bike is used throughout winter and around about February or March when it's a bit less cold and not so much salt I use a degreaser to get the waxy coating off. Bike comes up clean as a whistle.

Bear in mind though that over here in the UK we don't get the extremes of temperature that you do in the USA.

good call on the rust inhibitor

Yep, mine got washed every spring to get the winter crud off it.  :)  They didn't use salt where I commuted, just sand.

we do 50/50 here...that being said, salt are still used :(

People's experience of Winter varies, but around here there are usually enough mild days to do a quick wash. 

if this your mild, I can't imagine what is harsh...

my area doesn't get that bad, but sometimes it does get to similar as you...

do the water not freeze too fast for you? I find it does with my car...and a bike is more "open" in terms of body and electrical...

The only time my calvin gets washed with water if I get caught in the rain. Any other time I use spray and wipe products.

I do wipe my bike down but how about the area such as swingarm where I can't get to with rags??

Thanks all for the input :)

[Idontwantapickle]

If it's not freezing and I really need to wash it I just roll out and do it as Harvey does. It lives in the semi-heated garage so the bike isn't too cold for it. I also use a water de-ionizer that eliminates water spots so that I don't have to worry with drying it off. Less rubbing = less scratches. I bought it mainly for the cars but it's great for the bike as it won't leave deposits in all those hard to reach places.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056HDCUM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hunter

[slowmover]

I try to get out throughout the winter whenever the conditions are good enough. I'll wash the road salt off and rinse with a tank sprayer with hot water.Then l'll blow the excess water off with a leaf blower.

[oldlegs]

My V711 gets a good coat of ACF50 and is used on dry days if possible but I usually get wet before I get home. So I also have a Beta Motard 350 as my winter bike it is covered in ACF50 and never gets washed until I park it up in spring.

[TimmyTheHog]

It starts to sound like I better get a can of ACF50 eh...

where do you spray? the whole engine or just underneath????

I can imagine it can be a pain in the ass and dirt gathering if spray between the cracks? Or I am asking for trouble for not spraying between the cracks???

[HarveyMushman]

Holy snowbank Batman - that's a mild day?

There's no place like home, there's no place like home ....

Was 50 degrees that day, after the snow storm. 

[Mike Tashjian]

If you ride in an area with salt, just be aware that it gets everywhere and messes with stuff forever.  A guy I worked with used to tell everyone how he rode in every month of the year, on days that the roads were clear and mostly dry.  He would wash the bike thoroughly and dry it each time.  A couple of years go by and he is asking me why the powder coated frame is peeling and why turn signals are not working reliably.  The salt had reacted with just about everything on his bike and there was really nothing he could do to stop it.  He sold that bike and rethought his practice of riding with salt on the roads, even when the roads were dry.   Mike

[kingoffleece]

ACF-50 is your answer

[Kiwi_Roy]

Warm copy water out in the sun

Hose down

Or the car wash, hit it with the high pressure hose all around the engine and wheels.

Back into the underground garage where it's warm all year around.

[oldlegs]

It starts to sound like I better get a can of ACF50 eh...

where do you spray? the whole engine or just underneath????

I can imagine it can be a pain in the ass and dirt gathering if spray between the cracks? Or I am asking for trouble for not spraying between the cracks???

I don't spray ACF50 on to the bike I find it wastes too much, it runs on the floor for hours. I spray into the cap and then use a kids long paint brush to reach the awkward bits and dip a micro cloth into the cap to coat the easy bits. It's a bit tedious but worth it. No more than a wipe with ACF50 damp cloth on the hubs because centrifugal force could throw it on to the discs. Steve.

[Rusnak_322]

I don’t ride in the winter, but I do hand wash my cars. I ran a hot water line to the garage. It is amazing how much warmer you feel when using hot water vs cold water.  You freeze as soon as you are done, but during it is great.

[Edgo897]

In Central Florida I go for a ride in shorts and a tshirt to get it warmed up then drink a cold one to keep from sweating while I wash it. Go for another ride to dry it.

[zebep]

In Central Florida I go for a ride in shorts and a tshirt to get it warmed up then drink a cold one to keep from sweating while I wash it. Go for another ride to dry it.
[/quote.  ]must be nice!

[TimmyTheHog]

In Central Florida I go for a ride in shorts and a tshirt to get it warmed up then drink a cold one to keep from sweating while I wash it. Go for another ride to dry it.

Damn nice!...able to ride without much worry to weather that can freeze your ass off is def nice...

so I ended up wiping the bottom part of bike with ACF50...Hopefully where I wipe is enough...

[mtiberio]

My V711 gets a good coat of ACF50 and is used on dry days if possible but I usually get wet before I get home. So I also have a Beta Motard 350 as my winter bike it is covered in ACF50 and never gets washed until I park it up in spring.

what he said...

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/acf50.php

[Dilliw]

Damn nice!...able to ride without much worry to weather that can freeze your ass off is def nice...

so I ended up wiping the bottom part of bike with ACF50...Hopefully where I wipe is enough...

There are several videos of a motorcycle getting an ACF-50 treatment on Youtube.  I avoid the painted surfaces (you don't have to), the tires, the spoke nipples (on the Griso), and especially the brakes  but pretty much everything else gets a coating.  Either sprayed on or as oldlegs does brushed on with a spongebrush for sensitive areas.  Once a year is all mine needs.  It's a smoker on that first ride!!!

My bikes live in a garage and I've quit washing them with soap and water.  They get continually cleaned with Mequiar's Ultimate Waterless Wash and Wax.  A couple of minutes every time I walk by and there's no need for a bath.   

[Huzo]

 Winter ???

[Tom]

Something to do with white stuff falling out of the sky.   

[TimmyTheHog]

Something to do with white stuff falling out of the sky.   

LOL...yes...and the stupid white clear stuff on the ground...

There are several videos of a motorcycle getting an ACF-50 treatment on Youtube.  I avoid the painted surfaces (you don't have to), the tires, the spoke nipples (on the Griso), and especially the brakes  but pretty much everything else gets a coating.  Either sprayed on or as oldlegs does brushed on with a spongebrush for sensitive areas.  Once a year is all mine needs.  It's a smoker on that first ride!!!

My bikes live in a garage and I've quit washing them with soap and water.  They get continually cleaned with Mequiar's Ultimate Waterless Wash and Wax.  A couple of minutes every time I walk by and there's no need for a bath.   

Thanks man! I actually forgot about Youtube lol...so far there isn't much salt I got to worry about...crossing fingers...

[Tom]

Get some Playtex gloves as over mitts.  Warm water if you have to give it a bath and a  leaf/lawn blower to dry off.