hey guys i have a few questions about cleaning a bike. my bike is a 97 f3 specifically if it matters

i'm looking at cleaning everything external on my bike: plastics, rims, swingarm, rearsets, pegs, and anything else i missed. i don't want to damage anything and would like to minimize scratching if possible

is using water/soap and a brush safe enough? and should i be using any special tools to clean any of the above items or can i use something simple like a toothbrush?

also wondering how i should do my chain maitenance? i've read a lot about using kerosene but a lot of people say kerosene is only needed for very poorly conditioned/maintained chains.
any recommendations for cleaners/lubricants for chains and materials to use to clean them?

thanks

 

I use car wash soap and a soft terry cloth towel that has been cut into several small pieces. I find it works well especially when getting into tight areas that a sponge really cant get. Im not sure where you use a brush though. I don't use one anywhere except my chain when I clean it.

For rims and tires, I use wesley's bleach white. It cleans really well and doesn't leave behind any residue on the rims or your tires. For paint, once its washed, I use mothers pure gold wax. I only wax it twice a year though.

As for your chain cleaning, it will all depend on where your drive. If your on a dirt road, you should be cleaning it a lot. If you drive mostly clean roads, cleaning it is going to be much less. I only clean mine about every 4-5000 miles, but I lube it every 1000 or so. I also use the kerosene when I clean it.

On all of my plastic and rubber, I use amorall. Of course, this doesnt apply to the seats or grips, and in your case, the foot pegs.

If you have any exposed aluminum, I use mothers aluminum pollish. It also works well on clear plastics for removing haze. I use it on my rear tail light all the time to remove the exhaust discolorization.

as far as not scratching anything. Just make sure you spray off the bike initially really well. Most scratches will come from dirt being picked up by your wash cloth. Also, go from top to bottom when washing and leave the wheels and lower fairing for last. Thats where all of the nasty crap is and you don't want to mix that into the water and wash your entire bike with dirty water.

 

Here's a good video on cleaning (part 1 of 5).: LINK
The only part I don't agree with is how he liberally sprays WD-40 on the chain; that's not recommended. Another thing, WD-40 is good to clean nasty gunk build-up off, like in the video, but once you get that initial "detail cleaning" done, regular auto soap, or even dishwashing liquid is all you'll have to use to maintain it.

For the plastics, I gave them an initial good cleaning & degreasing with dishwashing liquid (in the bathtub with hot water), followed by a polishing wax, then several coats of a protective wax (3M). After that, mild auto soap will do, with an occassional wax in between. The front cowl I wax everytime I clean it.

For the chain, I clean the rear sprocket teeth (both sides) with WD-40, then I take a towel and spray WD-40 on it so that it's moist, and wipe down the chain. I'll spray lubricant mainly on the rollers, which also acts to spray away dirt, then I remove the excess lube from the side plates with a WD-40 moistened towel.

As for which products to use, I'm partial to Original Spray Cleaner & Polish for the metal parts, and Dupont Teflon Multi-Purpose Lube for the chain, available at Lowes ($5).

 

Honda Polish & micro fiber cloth for basic cleaning. Plus, I like to wipe down my plastics a couple times a wk...maybe more if the bugs were thick. I rarely ride on/thru dirt roads, so there's no need for water hose car wash type cleaning.

A couple of times a yr, I'll use a quality cleaner-wax on all of my plastics.

On my wheels, I use SimpleGreen first to clean & Honda Polish to shine...being careful not to get any on tires.

Cleaning the chain, I do a variation of what has already been said in previous posts w/ WD40 & lube w/ PJ1 or equivalent. I clean & lube my chain every few hundred miles. If going on a trip, I'll clean & lube beforehand, no matter what.

On aluminum parts, like swingarm, pegs, etc, I'll wipe clean w/ mineral spirits followed by Honda Polish. The mineral spirits will remove grease, oil, & nasty road grime, quicker than anything else.

I rarely use anything like Armorall on black plastics, although there's nothing wrong w/ it. I just prefer the Honda Polish. SimpleGreen is ok for rubber hoses & the like as well. We're talking about a standard diluted solution of course.

I never let anyone else wash my bike. If there's a bike-wash fundraiser, I'll just donate money but not allow a foreign sponge/cloth touch my bike. I've watched those folks drop their sponges on the ground, pick them up w/ grit on them, & have at it on someone's bike.

Happy cleaning!

 

great info guys, much appreciated

one last question before i have at my bike:

should i take off decals/stickers before i start on the plastics or is it fine to leave em on while i clean/wax?

 

You should leave them on. Soap & wax won't damage them.

 

Incognito, excellent video! That was the filthiest bike I have ever seen.

Deltemis, after you get your bike cleaned and detailed the first time, it will be much easier to maintain. I try to do a quick, once over clean after every ride. I will detail maybe once every other month.

Great advice on this thread guys!