What Motorcycle Detailing Products Do You Use?

I'm curious about what you use to detail your bike. The bike I own is a '82 Yamaha Maxim 650. Choose any word like rusty, dirty, chips,dents, faded, oxidation, etc....

That word would describe her.

But I have still spent many hours (not this year) getting it to shine the best it can. Some products seemed to do a great job at certain things. Some stuff I used was crap.

So let's see if we can come up with the best and the worst stuff out there that supposed to make our bikes look great.

Views: 118

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Macman on April 23, 2009 at 4:45pm
I don't wash mine much. When I do, I use boat soap, warm water, etc. Rinse, then dry, polish with some stuff called Novus Clean and Shine...spray on, wipe off. I am not much into apperance, but I do keep fresh oil, etc always up to date.
Permalink Reply by Willie {Bear} on April 23, 2009 at 4:48pm
You Need to Wash THEM?????? I thought thats what the rain was for?
Permalink Reply by Reb on April 23, 2009 at 4:55pm
I generally just use car wash with a sponge. I use 2 or 3 different sponges. One thats only for painted surfaces, one thats kind of "rough" for bugs and stuff, and one for all non painted surfaces. Rarely I will use some chrome polish and alm polish. I do that maybe 3 times a year, in between that I use this stuff called Bike Brite. Works awesome. Just spray the entrie bike with it and rinse it off. If all heavy mud, bugs and dirt is off this works great, really makes the paint and chrome shine without much time or work.

Rebil
Permalink Reply by Waytootall on April 23, 2009 at 7:40pm
I treat mine pretty much like my car(sorry, I have a car, too--I live in Maine after all). I wash it with a gentle carwash soap(turtle wax car wash), rinse, wipe with a soft cloth, then finish air-drying. I wax all painted surfaces with a good quality wax. Then windex the windshield, trying not to scratch the plastic. Wipe down the tires with a tire foam(or armor-all), spraying the cloth and wiping on the tires, being sure not to get any on the brakes. Then I put a little armour-all on the seat(and watch my wife slide off when she mounts pillion for the first time). When she(the bike) is all clean, I take her out and get her all dirty again!
Permalink Reply by Timothy Roux on April 28, 2009 at 10:26pm
Im a big clean freak when It comes to my bike

I clean it before I ride ( whipe all surfaces down with honda polish, check chain, tighten all fairing bolts as well while im doing this )

1. Once a week she gets a nice HOT soapy wash with dawn and hot water from the tap inside ( buckets thrown on the bike and washed and more buckets thrown on it to wrinse it )
2. Then Clean with honda polish ( incase theres any dust on it )
3. Then I put coat after coat after coat of Mcguires Carnoba wax... usually 3-5 on the tank, 3-5 on the front and 5-10 on the under tail ( gets lots of crap on it )
4. With this weekly cleaning I also clean the chain ( havent had to use kerosene yet but will if i need to ) then i take the bike for a quick ride, come back put it on the rear stand and spray the chain down with chain wax
5. Clean rims with honda polish, then use a silicone spray, spray it on, let it sit for about 40 seconds, then start the bike and put in gear and hold the rag on the rim and watch it shine :-)
6. Whipe down all rubber parts, cable covers, any black plastic with more honda polish.
7. After this is all done. I tighten all fairing bolts once a week as well as almost every ride

Am I to anal about my bike?? 1800 miles on it and nobody would know it didnt just come off the show room floor.
Permalink Reply by Jeff Neil MBN Founder on April 29, 2009 at 4:51am
All that detailing sounds like love to me Tim.
Permalink Reply by Timothy Roux on April 29, 2009 at 8:29am
Yeah... It's my OTHER baby... my 2 other babies are my fiance and my 3 year old son. This bike is and will be a labor of love.
Permalink Reply by Macman on April 29, 2009 at 6:42pm
Wow...you clean your bike more in one session that I do in a whole season! You inspire me!
Timothy Roux said:
Im a big clean freak when It comes to my bike

I clean it before I ride ( whipe all surfaces down with honda polish, check chain, tighten all fairing bolts as well while im doing this )

1. Once a week she gets a nice HOT soapy wash with dawn and hot water from the tap inside ( buckets thrown on the bike and washed and more buckets thrown on it to wrinse it )
2. Then Clean with honda polish ( incase theres any dust on it )
3. Then I put coat after coat after coat of Mcguires Carnoba wax... usually 3-5 on the tank, 3-5 on the front and 5-10 on the under tail ( gets lots of crap on it )
4. With this weekly cleaning I also clean the chain ( havent had to use kerosene yet but will if i need to ) then i take the bike for a quick ride, come back put it on the rear stand and spray the chain down with chain wax
5. Clean rims with honda polish, then use a silicone spray, spray it on, let it sit for about 40 seconds, then start the bike and put in gear and hold the rag on the rim and watch it shine :-)
6. Whipe down all rubber parts, cable covers, any black plastic with more honda polish.
7. After this is all done. I tighten all fairing bolts once a week as well as almost every ride

Am I to anal about my bike?? 1800 miles on it and nobody would know it didnt just come off the show room floor.
Permalink Reply by harold c newhall jr. on June 8, 2009 at 10:13pm
I use S1 products,spray it on ,gets all nice and soapy by itself,wait a few minutes,don't let it dry and spray it down with garden hose,then wipe down with a shammy or 2,I should and will start polihing it and the wheels,then do the leather and vinyl stuff.I don't have alot of patience doing this,if I bend over alot or get down too low,my back and knee hurts etc.Got to detail it like some of you do,you really inspired me too.I talked to a biker the other day that rides a nice looking flh harley dresser,he said he uses honda polish and wash from honda,it evenfills the small scrathes in,I will try that after I use my cans of S1.I also like Mcquires wax too.
Permalink Reply by D. R. Webb on October 19, 2011 at 1:04pm

I like S100 for washing.

They also have a foam for quick cleaning of areas withvery little dirt and grime.

Also use NeverDull for chrome.

Plastic Clean & Shine for windshield

 

Permalink Reply by Mark Elliott on October 21, 2011 at 5:30am
You forgot step #8 Tim: Smoke a cigarette!

Timothy Roux said:
Yeah... It's my OTHER baby... my 2 other babies are my fiance and my 3 year old son. This bike is and will be a labor of love.
Permalink Reply by Mark Elliott on October 21, 2011 at 5:31am
I use all WURTH product Jeff! -->> http://www.wurthusa.com

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Download the Free AMSOIL Catalog Now

© 2012   Created by Jeff Neil MBN Founder.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

Maine Motorcycle Information
Farmington, Maine 04938