Cleaning Practices?

[gspd]

What process do you use for cleaning?

If I told you I would have to kill you

[kmisterk]

What process do you use for cleaning?

If I told you I would have to kill you

LOL Fine.

How about...
What processes *don't* you use?

[gspd]

LOL Fine.
How about...
What processes *don't* you use?

pressure washer

[Zombie Master]

A pressure washer is fine as long as you keep the jet away from wheel bearings and other 'vulnerable' areas... there aren't many on an airhead. What it will do, however, is reveal any areas where the paint is (was) loose and tend to remove any protective coatings you have applied.
Rob

A pressure washer is fine as long as you keep the jet away from your entire bike and clean your driveway with it.

+1

[kmisterk]

A pressure washer is fine as long as you keep the jet away from wheel bearings and other 'vulnerable' areas... there aren't many on an airhead. What it will do, however, is reveal any areas where the paint is (was) loose and tend to remove any protective coatings you have applied.
Rob

A pressure washer is fine as long as you keep the jet away from your entire bike and clean your driveway with it.

+1

Lol. Noted.

LOL Fine.
How about...
What processes *don't* you use?

pressure washer

All I needed to hear

[ME 109]

If I knew how to post a pic these days I'd show you two how good a pressure washer works in professional hands.
I haven't killed anything with a pressure washer on the same RS in 27 years. (I have other ways to break shit.)
Except I blew the bullet holes off my tank with the pressure washer in one fell swoop. I was a bit annoyed about that.

[SteveD]

Pressure washer bits to avoid as mentioned include the wheel bearings but also the speedo cable at the trans, the handlebar controls and the instruments.

A mate found his 81 RS would only start and run intermittently after a pressure wash. It'd die after ~ 1km. That was a coil problem in the end.

My RS doesn't do the kms it used to anymore so it doesn't need as much attention. It gets a decent wash when I do an oil & filter change. I tend to remove the exhaust system to clean and polish, that gives access for cleaning some other bits and pieces. I just use an auto cleaning detergent or truck wash...depends what's on sale when I need it.



When finished, the paint gets a good going over with a quality polish. I find that allows me to give the bike a light wash occasionally without spending much more time on it.
https://juicepolishes.com.au/product/speed-wax/

The powdercoated snowflake wheels get a good wipe down when they're off for tyre changes. They usually need a little degrease spray, then I spray some detergent over them to sit for a while then wipe off.

[Zombie Master]

PXL_20210426_220513063 copy.jpg (770.88 KiB) Viewed 852 times

I just let mine stay out in the rain....it rains a lot on Vancouver Island.

[kmisterk]

If I knew how to post a pic these days I'd show you two how good a pressure washer works in professional hands.
I haven't killed anything with a pressure washer on the same RS in 27 years. (I have other ways to break shit.)
Except I blew the bullet holes off my tank with the pressure washer in one fell swoop. I was a bit annoyed about that.

If you're serious about wanting to know how to post pics in today's forum spaces, I'd be happy to help you.

Pressure washer bits to avoid as mentioned include the wheel bearings but also the speedo cable at the trans, the handlebar controls and the instruments.

I think for now I'll stick to non-pressure-washer methods just so I don't mess anything up that I don't know how to fix.

I just use an auto cleaning detergent or truck wash...depends what's on sale when I need it.



When finished, the paint gets a good going over with a quality polish. I find that allows me to give the bike a light wash occasionally without spending much more time on it.
https://juicepolishes.com.au/product/speed-wax/

The powdercoated snowflake wheels get a good wipe down when they're off for tyre changes. They usually need a little degrease spray, then I spray some detergent over them to sit for a while then wipe off.

Wow, very nice looking bike, SteveD. Makes me definitely want to put some solid effort soon into getting the grime off the bike and making it look nice once more.

There's a gnarly dent on the right side of the gas tank. I'd like to get that removed, but I don't have the tools to get that going.

PXL_20210426_220513063 copy.jpg

I just let mine stay out in the rain....it rains a lot on Vancouver Island.

Ayyyyye you're not too far from me, then. I was up in the San Juan Islands a couple of weekends back. Not on the bike, but the wife and I were on a bit of a mini-vacation. Was nice out there.

Also, very pretty bike.

[Zombie Master]

"Ayyyyye you're not too far from me, then. I was up in the San Juan Islands a couple of weekends back. Not on the bike, but the wife and I were on a bit of a mini-vacation. Was nice out there.

Also, very pretty bike."

When the plague has receded let's do a meet up. I often come over to Port Angeles. Canada has no good Mexican food.