ladies gentlemen and everybody else as there are so many questions about cleaning your bike, how to get to parts, what to use and generally how to do it, I have decided to post this multi part thread about what to do and how to do it.
tonight I'll be starting with the basics, then I'll move on to different areas of the bike and post a complete walkthrough/guide of a thorough cleaning including pictures. I'm just going to edit this post rather than making multiple posts along the way but any questions/comments I'll answer with new posts.
So without further ado or any more kerfuffle.
PART ONE - CLEANING EQUIPMENT.
what are you going to need to get your bike looking as good as possible?
basically these fall into two catagories.
Chemicals; any cleaning agent including water.
Aggitators; brushes, sponges etc.
every body has a preference on what to use, some people only buy specific products and won't change some people buy whats on offer at the time they are in the shop and happen to be looking. I can only give personal experience on what I've used.
My main chemicals are
Muc Off nano tech bike cleaner. comes in a spray bottle and you can get it in bulk fairly cheap (10litres for £20). Good all round cleaning, doesn't damage your bike and works well for me. I've heard good things about Auto Glym sprays. somethings however have a tendancy to dull your paintwork if left on for too long, and it's best to avoid solvents for cleaning large areas of your bike as you wont be able to clean it off properly before it does damage. I've known people use all sorts from washing up liquid to cheap cola. in my opinion you get what you pay for. buying decent bike specific products will give you piece of mind and good performance.
WD40 and GT85 for water penetration and protection. also for removing sticky stuff.
Parafin(kerosene, paralene etc etc) I use this for chain cleaning and cutting through all that grease taht builds up around the back end of the bike.
Muc Off disc brake cleaner. for cleaning disc brakes
Auto Glym super resin polish. Some people don't like it, but it works for me.
Aggitators.
the golden rule when it comes to what you use on your bike is ALWAYS USE SOMETHING SOFTER THAN THE MATERIAL YOU ARE CLEANING
so if you are cleaning steel, something softer than steel, but if you're cleaning painted steel(such as a motorbike) then you want to use something softer than the paint finish.
so for me, I use the following
Muc off 3 brush set . a large, small and thin brush set which covers most parts of the bike. soft enough not to damage the bike, but firm enough to get rid of caked on filth. Brushes are largely much of a muchness. Any you buy from a reputable bike shop/auto store should be ok for the task, some are shaped better than others however.
an old plastic card(debit/credit card type thing) good for removing stickers, stuck on stuff.
general sponge. for wiping. Almost any will do.
chamois leather for drying. genuine chamois, not your imitation stuff.
Shop paper towels, for cleaning up after myself.
Now, persoanlly I prefer to use a hosepipe to clean my bike as its a constant supply of fresh water rather than using the same dirty water from a bucket. I don't usually use a pressure washer, ecept in the depths of winter when I really can't be arsed with scrubbing too much.
If you intend on using a pressure washer, keep your distance and don't aim to close to the intricate parts or electrics. better safe than sorry. don't spray into your exhasut pipe either, same goes for the hose pipe, it's just generally not a good idea.
I also prefer to have my bike on the stand when I clean it as it gives me a more stable base and access to all of the bike easily. I have an abba superbike stand and use a trolley jack and block of wood to lift the front end when I need to get to the front wheel.
importantly give yourself plenty of time to clean your bike as well as you want to. I tend to do a quick wash every week without taking off teh fairings, and a more in depth clean once a month, cleaning under the fairing chain sprockets etc.
A proper full cleaning will take over an hour, maybe over 2 depending on how much effort you wanna put in. a quick wash is exactly that. 10 to 20 minutes. also accept the fact that you wll get dirty. you will get wet and your hands will get covered in grease and road muck and all kinds of nasty stuff. it will wash off, don't worry.
That's it for tonight, next time taking your bike apart, what you can leave on and how to take the rest off.
Part 3 will be actual cleaning and part 4 will be checks and maintenance. unless of course you all boo me off stage, the I'll just go and cry in the corner.
