Superbike Washing Technique

shrini78 · 1st June 2011, 20:21

How do you wash your superbike in IND
1.Do you use detail + wax to keep her shine?
2.Do you use regular soap & water to clean off the dirt & debris from road?

I hear that soap wash solution which has ammonia will damage & fade your paint on the longer run so is there some kinda solution without ammonia in it?

Inputs would be appreciated

n_aditya · 2nd June 2011, 10:11

I use the below products for my Ninja. I dont have any coating such as teflon on my bike.

1. ArmorAll Wash n Wax - Its basically a car shampoo with carnauba wax so you dont need to apply wax polish separately after washing the bike. Just pour a couple of capfull's of this in a bucket of water. Costs around 350/- for a 477ml. bottle. I bought one last year and wash my bike at least once a month and i still have some left to last me for another 5-6 months.

Armor All - Product Detail

2. Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell - I use this once or twice a month for the added shine and gloss. Cost - Rs. 250/-

Turtle Wax - Super Hard Shell

3. Microfiber cloth / Towels - Highly recommended. Regular cloth WILL scratch the paint. Use microfiber towels for washing the bike, drying it and for wax polish. Turtle wax has a set of 3 such towels in a pack for around 560 odd rupees. Highly absorbent and leaves no scratches.

4. Chamois Leather - use this to wipe water particles off the bike. Highly absorbent and leaves no scratches or water droplet stains. Cost - around 250/-

This is how i wash my bike:

1. Connect a hose to a water outlet and rise the loose dirt and mud off the bike.

2. Soak a microfiber towel in the bucket containing the wash-n-wax solution.

3. Wash the bike with this solution

4. Rinse the bike again with plain water to wash off the solution

5. dry the bike with another clean MF cloth or with the chamois leather

6. Wax the bike with a fresh MF towel if needed

Tip:

Always wash the bike top-down so you dont gather muck and dirt from the bottom of the vehicle and spread it on the top (causing scratches).

When using a hose to rinse the dirty bike, run your hands on the surface of the vehicle to loosen dirt. Remove all jewellery such as rings, bracelets, watches etc. to avoid scratches.

gthang · 2nd June 2011, 21:12

^^^ @n_aditya, you have covered the procedure quite well, , of one of my favorite pastime, and I follow a very similar routine with a few differences:

1.I start with some cheesecloth/toothbrush and some kerosene on the chain and other grimy parts first. Spray chain lube on last.
2. I have been using Amway Car Wash ~Rs.250 for 1/2 Lt. bottle. It's biodegradable and seems to cut tar and bird poop a lot better than some other products I have tried.

Note: If using pressure washer, stay clear of radiator, or get a guard ( I would still be careful in that area) lest you damage some cooling fins.

Dunno if you follow step no.7 for me which is walking circles around the bike with a MF cloth in hand obsessively looking for spots that I might have missed till I think I am going paranoid

.

Cheers,

Ride Safe.

EssYouWe · 4th June 2011, 02:58

Some pointers on cleaning grime and mud deposited on the radiator fins would be very helpful.

Also, doesn't it make sense to avoid pressure wash altogether unless one has been riding on extremely slushy roads?

1st June 2011, 20:21	#1
shrini78 BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 258 Thanked: 56 Times	Superbike Washing Technique How do you wash your superbike in IND 1.Do you use detail + wax to keep her shine? 2.Do you use regular soap & water to clean off the dirt & debris from road? I hear that soap wash solution which has ammonia will damage & fade your paint on the longer run so is there some kinda solution without ammonia in it? Inputs would be appreciated
	() Thanks

2nd June 2011, 10:11	#2
n_aditya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Namma Bengaluru Posts: 5,348 Thanked: 3,684 Times View My Garage	Re: Superbike Washing Technique I use the below products for my Ninja. I dont have any coating such as teflon on my bike. 1. ArmorAll Wash n Wax - Its basically a car shampoo with carnauba wax so you dont need to apply wax polish separately after washing the bike. Just pour a couple of capfull's of this in a bucket of water. Costs around 350/- for a 477ml. bottle. I bought one last year and wash my bike at least once a month and i still have some left to last me for another 5-6 months. Armor All - Product Detail 2. Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell - I use this once or twice a month for the added shine and gloss. Cost - Rs. 250/- Turtle Wax - Super Hard Shell 3. Microfiber cloth / Towels - Highly recommended. Regular cloth WILL scratch the paint. Use microfiber towels for washing the bike, drying it and for wax polish. Turtle wax has a set of 3 such towels in a pack for around 560 odd rupees. Highly absorbent and leaves no scratches. 4. Chamois Leather - use this to wipe water particles off the bike. Highly absorbent and leaves no scratches or water droplet stains. Cost - around 250/- This is how i wash my bike: 1. Connect a hose to a water outlet and rise the loose dirt and mud off the bike. 2. Soak a microfiber towel in the bucket containing the wash-n-wax solution. 3. Wash the bike with this solution 4. Rinse the bike again with plain water to wash off the solution 5. dry the bike with another clean MF cloth or with the chamois leather 6. Wax the bike with a fresh MF towel if needed Tip: Always wash the bike top-down so you dont gather muck and dirt from the bottom of the vehicle and spread it on the top (causing scratches). When using a hose to rinse the dirty bike, run your hands on the surface of the vehicle to loosen dirt. Remove all jewellery such as rings, bracelets, watches etc. to avoid scratches.
	(4) Thanks

2nd June 2011, 21:12	#3
gthang BANNED Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 805 Thanked: 1,346 Times	Re: Superbike Washing Technique ^^^ @n_aditya, you have covered the procedure quite well, , of one of my favorite pastime, and I follow a very similar routine with a few differences: 1.I start with some cheesecloth/toothbrush and some kerosene on the chain and other grimy parts first. Spray chain lube on last. 2. I have been using Amway Car Wash ~Rs.250 for 1/2 Lt. bottle. It's biodegradable and seems to cut tar and bird poop a lot better than some other products I have tried. Note: If using pressure washer, stay clear of radiator, or get a guard ( I would still be careful in that area) lest you damage some cooling fins. Dunno if you follow step no.7 for me which is walking circles around the bike with a MF cloth in hand obsessively looking for spots that I might have missed till I think I am going paranoid . Cheers, Ride Safe.
	(1) Thanks

4th June 2011, 02:58	#4
EssYouWe Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lucknow Posts: 1,391 Thanked: 18 Times	Re: Superbike Washing Technique Some pointers on cleaning grime and mud deposited on the radiator fins would be very helpful. Also, doesn't it make sense to avoid pressure wash altogether unless one has been riding on extremely slushy roads?
	() Thanks