[hunter56]

Two bathes and F11 each year. An exception - if I get caught in bad weather and mucky roads - add one bath. The rest of the time its a bucket of warm water and micro fiber towel to wipe down the dust and bugs.

 

[John Byrum]

I clean my RM 2 or 3 times a year or when the bugs get too bad. I just use it to ride and enjoy

 

[richardkwheeler]

I, too, commute multiple times a week, even in the rain. As long as there no ice to be seen, I'll be out on Dorathea, my new-to-me '16 Roadmaster. Oregon DOT uses sand and not salt where I'm at, so she gets dirty, which is why I haven't gotten a good pic to post yet. I'm out riding her and enjoying the heated grips and heated seat, but when the clouds break, I try to wash her down and take care of the gift God gave me.

I do respect you guys who keep your rides pristine, but unfortunately that doesn't match my life.

 

[jimtom]

I try to keep my motorcycles as clean as possible. I wipe them down after every ride. It doesn’t feel right putting a bike away dirty. Am I the only one or am I crazy? How often do you clean your bike?
(Lo2’ the Challenger - 8000 miles - back to near showrooms condition after todays ride.)
View attachment 791491 View attachment 791492 View attachment 791493

Years ago, I was anal about cleaning my bikes. Now I go weeks , even months without cleaning sometimes. I always try to keep the shield and mirrors clean though.

 

[SHIBYB]

I’ve always been of the mind that if you take care of your bike, car whatever, it will take care of you. I’m not OCD so much for cleaning but I am about PM. I tend to keep vehicles for a long time.

 

[IndianWannabe]

Old Pilot trick, Pledge from the dollar store, softens bugs and has a wax effect. After every flight or ride I wipe my plane and bike down- very nice to see a clean steed waiting for you next time.

 

[Lindian]

I thought this may fit in here!

 

[Todd f]

I try to keep my rides spotless. The condition on my ride is a reflection on me. That said, my effort has somewhat diminished as I got older.

Having the matte finish has benefits for me. I can honestly say I’ve never washed my bikes with soap and water. Then again, I avoid riding in the rain.
Most of the time, I’ll use a damp soft microfiber and clean and dry the bike as I’m doing my pre-trip checks. I’ll put some Chemical Guys Matte Detailer on the painted surfaces weekly.
I’ve owned show cars and am used to doing extra to keep my machines looking good. But there’s a point where “good enough is good enough” for daily use. Nevertheless, I’ve caught some issues before they became serious by checking everything before rides.

I’ve actually refrained from riding with others whose bikes are (really) dirty more often than not. I figure if they don’t take care of the outside, they’re likely not taking care of the mechanical systems either and become a liability on group rides.
Yeah, I know - OCD snob. I’m okay with that. 😉

Ok snob. I'm the other end of the spectrum... I don't clean our bikes after every ride, but I do keep up with all the maintenance. If it's a choice between riding and cleaning, I'm riding. I dont care what others think of me or my bike, ( not attitude, just fact). Our bikes paint is protected by a product called " Dr Baesleys matte paint treatment. " it has worked very well.

 

[eskimo]

I also try to keep them clean as possible, "showroom floor new" looking if possible. It requires scrubbing the whitewalls and rims really well, but I enjoy detailing my bike. Since I've put 35,000+ miles on it since acquiring it 2.5 years ago, that means I detail it quite often.

Need advise how to get rid of the swirls on the paint finish. I bought a floor model snd the dealership must have wiped down the bike every day! The result was swirls , no scuffs from people boots or shoes.
is their a wax polish to buff them out ?

 

[Lee-Bro]

Need advise how to get rid of the swirls on the paint finish. I bought a floor model snd the dealership must have wiped down the bike every day! The result was swirls , no scuffs from people boots or shoes.
is their a wax polish to buff them out ?

I wish I could help you on that but I don't have the swirls (very fortunately).

That being said, I'm sure someone here will have the info and then we'll both know.

 

[Moe1962]

The best stuff I’ve found is chemical guys butter wet wax.

 

[SlidePicker]

Old Pilot trick, Pledge from the dollar store, softens bugs and has a wax effect. After every flight or ride I wipe my plane and bike down- very nice to see a clean steed waiting for you next time.

My wife does that to my leather shoes. I've used it a lot as tire sidewall shine.

 

[Charlie Chaplain]

Old Pilot trick, Pledge from the dollar store, softens bugs and has a wax effect. After every flight or ride I wipe my plane and bike down- very nice to see a clean steed waiting for you next time.

Yep, works well. Use the plain Pledge, not the lemon Pledge, as the hornets LOVE the lemon scent, lol
Charlie

 

[Grunch]

😳 they need to be washed ????

 

[SlidePicker]

😳 they need to be washed ????

I figured that was the point of matte finishes, never having to wash it.

 

[Taco mike]

Need advise how to get rid of the swirls on the paint finish. I bought a floor model snd the dealership must have wiped down the bike every day! The result was swirls , no scuffs from people boots or shoes.
is their a wax polish to buff them out ?

Is it a matte or gloss color? If matte (most dark horses, think dull not shiney) then I am of the understanding that the swirls are there to stay. If shiney, generally you'd want to start with some sort of polish which will remove small surface scratches by "cutting" down the clear coat and then you would finish with a sealant such as wax or ceramic. I've had good results with turtle wax polishing compound and I'm also reading good things about Maguires compound (compound would be more aggressive) and Maguires polish (less aggressive). Think of these as a liquid form of sand paper. If using the more aggressive stuff, you'd want to finish with the finer stuff before applying your choice of wax to seal and protect it.

 

[Kost]

I try to keep the Chieftain reasonably clean, the machine has thousands of surfaces to clean/wipe which seem over whelming when first starting the cleaning process, so I take my time, removing saddle bags and highway bars at the rear on 1 side does take time, I figure since I am digging that deep into the bike to clean, I take my time to get to those hidden surfaces....then ride it to dirty it up again...that's the FUN part!

 

[BikesandGuitars]

I always stress in my windscreen. Sooo many murdered bugs with hard shells, when it’s cleaned during rides, tends to scratch. When riding out west almost needs cleaned every gas up. Not to be picky, but to see through it. On paint I put ceramic, hopefully that keeps it a little slick and cleaner

 

[Hijinx1812]

I wash mine every few weeks or so unless I get caught in the rain or it’s extremely dirty. I commute on it almost every day that it’s nice out. If I washed it every time I rode it, I’d go broke from spending my money on soap!

 

[eskimo]

The bobbers make more cleaning than it should be! The front oil filter , horn and all the fins on the motor make it quite a job to clean ! I admit , I ride it over cleaning my bikes !
Although it feels good to shine them up !