How often do you clean/wash/detail your bike?

Yamerhaw · 02-16-2009, 01:11 PM

Just wondering, mine stays pretty much spotless and very shiny, even the wheels, usually unless its dark when i get home from riding, i wash and dry it, i figure i paid good hard earned money for it, might as well take care of it, i usually just ride it on the weekends, so sometime during the work week, its gonna probably be detailed, just about every week, i just enjoy doing it and like having a sharp looking bike

ZUKIMON · 02-16-2009, 01:48 PM

You do keep a clean looking ride! I keep mine semi clean. It's pretty dirty now, like I told you, as it has been sitting in two different basements this winter with no time to clean it. ...........I know, that's no excuse.........

fnfalman · 02-16-2009, 01:54 PM

I clean mine when something impairs functions.

rogue · 02-16-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fnfalman

I clean mine when something impairs functions.

I stopped reading right here because this almost sounds like me! I give mine a good cleaning whenever I'm doing maintainence stuff....oil change, new tires, etc. Other than that I just make sure the change stays cleaned and waxed. My bike has a function....and that function is to not sit and look pretty. It's to be ridden. And I don't care what anyone says, silver rims are a total PITA to keep looking nice. I wish I had black ones.

My bike gets a good bath about twice a year or so. I will wash her before going on a trip...although I don't know why. By the time I get to my destination, she's dirty again...oh well....

Archren · 02-16-2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue

I stopped reading right here because this almost sounds like me! I give mine a good cleaning whenever I'm doing maintainence stuff....oil change, new tires, etc. Other than that I just make sure the change stays cleaned and waxed. My bike has a function....and that function is to not sit and look pretty. It's to be ridden. And I don't care what anyone says, silver rims are a total PITA to keep looking nice. I wish I had black ones.

My bike gets a good bath about twice a year or so. I will wash her before going on a trip...although I don't know why. By the time I get to my destination, she's dirty again...oh well....

Black isn't much better, I assure you.

Black shows even the tiniest amount of dust.

rogue · 02-16-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archren

Black isn't much better, I assure you.

Black shows even the tiniest amount of dust.

Huh....then how come Wade's black rims always looked better than mine after washing then riding?

I admit it...I was jealous of his bike. Black frame and rims and blue fairings....

You know, he offered to trade bikes with me after I fought him over my bike, but I turned him down.

Yamerhaw · 02-16-2009, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue

I stopped reading right here because this almost sounds like me! I give mine a good cleaning whenever I'm doing maintainence stuff....oil change, new tires, etc. Other than that I just make sure the change stays cleaned and waxed. My bike has a function....and that function is to not sit and look pretty. It's to be ridden. And I don't care what anyone says, silver rims are a total PITA to keep looking nice. I wish I had black ones.

My bike gets a good bath about twice a year or so. I will wash her before going on a trip...although I don't know why. By the time I get to my destination, she's dirty again...oh well....

my bike's function is to ride too, but might as well look good while its doing its job

rogue · 02-16-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamerhaw

my bike's function is to ride too, but might as well look good while its doing its job

My bike isn't as pretty as yours either, whether it's washed or not.

Plus it doesn't take much much to make mine look dirty. Why bother if I'm only going to get 20 miles down the road before she looks like she went mud hoggin' again?

Cutty72 · 02-16-2009, 01:55 PM

Mine generally looks like it gets ridden every day, hard, often in the rain, on sometimes muddy roads.

Wash it once a month or so... maybe more now that I should have more free time with my new job.

DLIT · 02-16-2009, 02:01 PM

I wipe it down before every ride. I try to anyways. That includes the wheels too. Clean wheels are the final key to a clean bike. People roll around on clean ass bikes, but their wheels have 6 months of brake dust and crap on 'em and it kills me. Every chance I get, I tell/show buddies what I use to keep my bike clean.

I never wash with soap and water. Before I get into it, I gotta take pics of what I use and I'll post them up later...

Here's an example of what my old R6 looked like w/ 12,000+ miles on it.

02-16-2009, 01:11 PM	#1
Yamerhaw Country Boy Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hicktown in NC Moto: 07 R1 Posts: 797	How often do you clean/wash/detail your bike? Just wondering, mine stays pretty much spotless and very shiny, even the wheels, usually unless its dark when i get home from riding, i wash and dry it, i figure i paid good hard earned money for it, might as well take care of it, i usually just ride it on the weekends, so sometime during the work week, its gonna probably be detailed, just about every week, i just enjoy doing it and like having a sharp looking bike __________________ “If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.” It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. Last edited by Yamerhaw; 02-16-2009 at 01:13 PM..

02-16-2009, 01:54 PM	#3
fnfalman Europhile Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SoCal Moto: Aprilia RS125, Aprilia SR50 Factory, Aprilia Tuono, BMW Rockster, KTM 990 Adventure Posts: 1,875	I clean mine when something impairs functions. __________________ *Cogito Ergo Vroom - I think therefore I ride*

02-16-2009, 02:01 PM	#10
DLIT Clit Commander Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Las Vegas Moto: 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale S Posts: 4,189	I wipe it down before every ride. I try to anyways. That includes the wheels too. Clean wheels are the final key to a clean bike. People roll around on clean ass bikes, but their wheels have 6 months of brake dust and crap on 'em and it kills me. Every chance I get, I tell/show buddies what I use to keep my bike clean. I never wash with soap and water. Before I get into it, I gotta take pics of what I use and I'll post them up later... Here's an example of what my old R6 looked like w/ 12,000+ miles on it. __________________ Dress for the crash. Not the ride. Last edited by DLIT; 02-16-2009 at 02:04 PM..

02-16-2009, 01:48 PM	#2
ZUKIMON Is this thing on? Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ashe Co, NC (Near Boone) Moto: '01, 929RR Posts: 398	You do keep a clean looking ride! I keep mine semi clean. It's pretty dirty now, like I told you, as it has been sitting in two different basements this winter with no time to clean it. ...........I know, that's no excuse.........