Right, what kit do you use for cleaning your bikes? I've obviously got the basics, shampoo, clay bar, polish, wheel cleaner etc etc but what about round the engine and rear shock/swing arm and that? I'm looking at the autogylm motorcycle cleaner which seems to be the thing I'm after, anyone use it? Then motorcycle degreaser for the manky bits, chain lube spats etc. 

 

Anything else worth getting to make life easier? 

 

Cheers

Matt

Hi Matt

I'm lucky having a shaft drive on mine but the wife's bike has the usual chain gunk so my routine is as follows:

On cool dry bike spray iron X over wheels, swing arm, calipers etc. Whilst it does its main spray muc off everywhere else.

then agitate the iron X and rinse the whole bike off. Then 2 bucket method wash followed by another rinse. Then a clay all over with a weak car wash solution then a final wash and rinse.

While the bike is wet I use a drying towel with a little rapid detailer to get a base shine. Then I spray bike protect over the non painted areas, black plastics, switches etc.

finally use my usual waxes and sealants to finish it off.

For the chain lube a snotty old towel and a bit of cheap car polish gets it straight off if it's proper moody a dab of wd40 on a rag and spot treat does the trick. Just make sure you clean it off.

sounds a long routine but 2 hrs sees it done.

Autoglym motorcycle cleanser seems good enough for most stuff. Although its not too strong

Muc off or similar is good but make sure you wash it off properly or it attacks alloy.

Proper engine degreaser will shift anythin

Cheers guys, I've reserved some motorcycle cleaner, more shampoo, metal polish & a clay bar while halfords have 3 for 2 on cleaning kit. Annoyingly the AG motorcycle cleaner isnt included because the offer is for 'CAR cleaning items'. So once I've watched F1, been to the inlaws for the MIL birthday lunch I can come back and have a go and getting some of the fiddly bits cleaner.

 

Also going to nip next door to wickes and grab some fine wire wool to attempt to sort my down pipes out

Hope you have better luck than me.  Started mine this morning on what should have been a good general spruce up and noticed that the front fog light has paint flaking off and the alloy is corroding.  Rubbed it down sprayed it with the only black paint I have at the moment which is for black plastic and then put it all back together apart form the lower fairing and I have been rained off.  Oh for a garage!!!!  Haven't even got around to cleaning the rest of the bike.  My down pipes are minging as well.

Nope, totally fuming with Halfords. Went to collect the bit's only to be told they dont have the motorcycle cleaner in stock, so I asked what the point of me traveling nearly a hour (my nearest store was showing non available) to collect items if they wernt even in stock. The woman apologised and offered to order it in but I declined and left the rest of the stuff. 

 

I know they get a bad rep but I use Halfords quite often for bits. Normally for branded cleaning stuff they are not too bad on price and I can get it when it's convenient for me, plus if we dont use real brick built shops we'll have nowhere to go when they're all bust. They can get ****ed now, I've told them my feelings on their Facebook page, I'll be using online stores from now on. 

You're kidding ? I've had this a couple of times with Halfords. Ordered a Haynes manual and some other stuff, all in stock. No sign of the manual when I arrived.

Frustrating as they carry a good line in branded stuff.

You're kidding ? I've had this a couple of times with Halfords. Ordered a Haynes manual and some other stuff, all in stock. No sign of the manual when I arrived.

Frustrating as they carry a good line in branded stuff.

I've had that happen more than once. Also they did have it but it took three staff to find it. Only thing was that the thing they couldn't find was a kids car seat in a massive box that was right next to the door.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

You're kidding ? I've had this a couple of times with Halfords. Ordered a Haynes manual and some other stuff, all in stock. No sign of the manual when I arrived.

Frustrating as they carry a good line in branded stuff.

 

 

I've had that happen more than once. Also they did have it but it took three staff to find it. Only thing was that the thing they couldn't find was a kids car seat in a massive box that was right next to the door.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

Sounds like a regular thing. I do wonder if the items ARE in the stock room somewhere just awaiting being booked into the store or unpacked or something. Either way it's no good telling people it's there if it isnt available. Argos and the rest of them manage it so no reason why Halfords shouldnt. See what their reply is, I've wasted an afternoon that could have been spent doing this to my exhaust;

 

 

See what their reply is....

Edited 5 July, 201510 yr by matt1chelski

As my current bike is a bit of a s#hit kicker hack, I just wipe it down and ride on One day in Feb ish I didn't have the cover on and it was covered in condensation so I got a cloth and made the most of it and took all flies and dirt off with the condensation  

 

It's so so much easier not really having too much invested in it The wee chav I bought it off who had it for a couple of weeks dropped it and got scared has left some scratches on one side and I am not even that fussed. Only annoys me in case other bikers think I did that

 

 

Hi matt

Get yourself some scotchbrite pads to get the muck off then a rag and some metal polish - soon have them looking like that !

Go to pound land they sell a bottle of pink liquid identical bottle to muc off but called 'no more dirty bike'. It's just as good as muc off bike cleaner and for £1 it's excellent value. All the bikers in the north east bikers group are buzzing off it!

Go to pound land they sell a bottle of pink liquid identical bottle to muc off but called 'no more dirty bike'. It's just as good as muc off bike cleaner and for £1 it's excellent value. All the bikers in the north east bikers group are buzzing off it!

 

I bought a bottle of muck off and that stuff once to test side by side and I couldn't tell them apart. Swapped the liquid in bottle after a mate 'borrowed' the cheap stuff and said it was ****. When he 'borrowed' the muck off it was much better apparently.... FFS! 

As my current bike is a bit of a s#hit kicker hack, I just wipe it down and ride on One day in Feb ish I didn't have the cover on and it was covered in condensation so I got a cloth and made the most of it and took all flies and dirt off with the condensation

 

It's so so much easier not really having too much invested in it The wee chav I bought it off who had it for a couple of weeks dropped it and got scared has left some scratches on one side and I am not even that fussed. Only annoys me in case other bikers think I did that

 

I've washed mine about 3 times since september but recently got the itch to get it shiny. 

 

Hi matt

Get yourself some scotchbrite pads to get the muck off then a rag and some metal polish - soon have them looking like that !

 

 

Go to pound land they sell a bottle of pink liquid identical bottle to muc off but called 'no more dirty bike'. It's just as good as muc off bike cleaner and for £1 it's excellent value. All the bikers in the north east bikers group are buzzing off it!

 

Cheers for the heads up, I'll have a look for that in the week.

 

I've started, I took Madrunners advice and got some scotchbrite type pads. Started out washing the headers with soapy water and a brush to get in the gaps. Then I wiped them over with brake cleaner and they looked like this

 

 

Pretty rank, so I got the packet of 3 pads, rough to fine, I started with the medium one because I didnt want to over do it, used the soapy water as lube and started rubbing the pipes down. It was surprising how much crud come off just from this, much cleaner already...

 

 

Got in as many as the gaps as I could, worked it down through the 'fine' pad, and now just at the point of getting in the last bits with the fine pad before getting the metal polish out. Just having a rest as the assistant needed a ****

 

 

And it started raining a bit. Going back out once the shower has passed. Hard work but rewarding, I'm hoping the polish will bring more of a shine out and get rid of the dullness. 

Edited 6 July, 201510 yr by matt1chelski

 

 

Finished for the day, took a good 5 hours and they're far from perfect BUT they're much better than they were. Going to hit up the rest of the bike in the week. 

They look better than mine but then I only spent an hour on them with Solvo Autosol.  Mine look better as well but I bet as soon as they get hot again they discolour.

They look better than mine but then I only spent an hour on them with Solvo Autosol. Mine look better as well but I bet as soon as they get hot again they discolour.

You really do have to keep ontop of it

It was bad enough with the 1 front downpipe on the sv haha

I use a mixture of muc-off or weldite bicycle cleaning products (all depends on what my supplier has on special offer), once cleaned/dried I the coat the externals in ACF50 and use motul lube on the chain as I find that rarely splatters onto the rear wheel once applied.

Finished for the day, took a good 5 hours and they're far from perfect BUT they're much better than they were. Going to hit up the rest of the bike in the week.

Stunning work matt ! That's proper dedication and elbow grease. Scotchbrite really gets the manky stuff sorted. Trouble is as soon as they got hot it'll discolour again but that really does look good !

They look better than mine but then I only spent an hour on them with Solvo Autosol.  Mine look better as well but I bet as soon as they get hot again they discolour.

 

 

You really do have to keep ontop of it

It was bad enough with the 1 front downpipe on the sv haha

 

 

Stunning work matt ! That's proper dedication and elbow grease. Scotchbrite really gets the manky stuff sorted. Trouble is as soon as they got hot it'll discolour again but that really does look good !

 

I've cleaned them with brake cleaner to remove any oil deposits from my hands so when they heat up they'll hopefully darken to a bronze colour but stay clean, even and shiny, as much as I'd love them to stay this colour and condition.

 

It was hard work, I'm amazed I kept at it myself tbh, I tend to get half way through then pack things in if it's too hard lol. I'd probably not have bothered on a faired bike but when it's all on show it's worth it. 

 

Thanks for the comments  :sun:

Which bike is it by the way?  Now I have got the worse off mine I shall continue to keep them clean.  I am also going to buy a fender extender to keep 'some' of the crap off the pipes and radiator then hopefully the cleaning will be a little easier.  They are hard work to keep clean if you ride them but as far as I am concerned riding is where the pleasure comes from.  One of my fellow RATS says he likes cleaning his bike as much as riding it.  Sick puppy!

Which bike is it by the way? Now I have got the worse off mine I shall continue to keep them clean. I am also going to buy a fender extender to keep 'some' of the crap off the pipes and radiator then hopefully the cleaning will be a little easier. They are hard work to keep clean if you ride them but as far as I am concerned riding is where the pleasure comes from. One of my fellow RATS says he likes cleaning his bike as much as riding it. Sick puppy!

Looks like the cb1000 i think.

Yeah fender extenders are worth it. Ive had one on nearly every bike tbh.

It's a CB1000R

 

This was back when I first got it. 

Nice!!!! :clap:

I love it, passed my test in June last year, had a little CB twin for a couple of months then got a bit bored and got this. Initially looked at 600s but got a bit carried away, it's easy to ride though, nice and docile, I barely use more than half throttle if I'm just cruising about.