| Author | Message | ||
     Cbig |
I can't find a way to avoid streaks or white marks. What do you guys use to clean off the newer xb's? | ||
| Midknyte |
heheh, [channeling Cityslicker] Clean??? [/channeling Cityslicker] | ||
| Buelltroll |
WD40 works good. Till it gets dirty again anyway. | ||
| Gunut75 |
Dishsoap and water, with a soft clean brush works on black wrinklecoat. | ||
| Hughlysses |
S100 "Motorcycle Engine Brightener", that you can get from your HD dealer or indy shop, works miracles. I used to use it on my 2000 S3 that had a krinkle black painted engine and tranny. http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/S100_Engine_Br ightener--38-S100-5.html Clean engine with soap and water, let dry. Spray this stuff liberally on black painted surfaces, wipe off any excess. It will look like it's freshly painted and won't leave a sticky residue. | ||
| Greg_e |
Clean? I sprayed mine with a hose this spring but that's about all it's getting. I'd rather be riding than washing unless it gets really dirty. BTW the hose seemed to do a really good job and left it clean enough for me. | ||
| Sloppy |
Two things work extremely well - WD 40 or Tire Shine. I would suggest you purchase a Mr Clean Autodry water filter to remove minerals from your water. IMO, it's the minerals that give that gray appearance even after you wash your bike. After you wash your bike, hose it down with the Autodry rather than plain garden hose. Then follow it up with either WD 40 or any "Tire Shine" product. I recommend WD40. Note - if you don't want to use an Autodry, then purchase a few gallons of distilled water from the store and do a final rinse with the distilled water. It will look real nice!  | ||
| Saratoga |
Air compressor. Works great for all the cooling fins and fasteners that hold water. No white streaks from the hard water. | ||
| Geforce |
I use soap/water to clean the dirt. Rinse with water and spray it down with a gentle engine brite or WD-40 coat. Let it set for about a minute then start rinsing it off then air dry it with an air compressor. Looks new! | ||
| Nvr2old |
S100 Engine Brightener, works great. | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
I use WD40 on my muffler, hadn't thought about using it on the engine. Good idea.  | ||
| Donniej |
A friend of mine used to work at a delaership. He told me when I got my 883R sportster that I *had* to use S100 engine brightner or the black wrinkle would eventually turn grey. I washed the bike and liberally applied it 4 times per year. I got ~2 applications per can. After 15,000 miles and just over 2 years the bike still looked like new... even without cleaning it very often. I will definitely do the same with my Buell. PS. The S100 Engine Brightner also prevents the crud from sticking and makes it easier to clean. | ||
| Lovematt |
WD-40 works good...but then I started using the Maxima SC1 Clear Coat silicone detailer spray. Just clean it good, blot it dry with a microfiber, spray the SC1 on it so it is even and don't wipe it off...works good for me on a 7 year old XB9R. | ||
| Blackm2 |
The problem with the WD-40, Armore All and other protectants is they leave an oily film that helps collect more dust and grime. I use a microfiber cloth and either Simple Green or Meguiars Quick Detail. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Run it through the puddles, Turn around and Repeat as necessary  Yes, that is clean for me. Sorry I was late with the photo  | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Dirty bike? Fabulous.  As filthy as that is... its actually chocolate pudding on the front exhaust, it baked on there and smelled like an easy bake oven brownie gone zombie How do you get pudding on your bike ?  You run it through the pit when the girls are done wrastlin in it. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
city you must have a loving wife to be willing to wash your cloths after you go out for a ride. (Message edited by firebolt020283 on April 06, 2010) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Not married. Career Bachelor You think a married guy would get to go to a Moto Rally with Pudding wrestling girls? Much less camp over the weekend with the girls ?... Garage full of bikes, No kids, No wife, No Ex's, No Regrets | ||
| Hughlysses |
The problem with the WD-40, Armore All and other protectants is they leave an oily film that helps collect more dust and grime The S100 Motorcycle Engine Brightener looks like WD-40 or Armor All when it goes on, but it doesn't leave a sticky film. I'm telling you, this stuff makes black crinkle paint look new. Parts guy at my local HD/Buell dealership sold me on the stuff 7 years ago and he didn't lie. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
So you got cleaning down. Let me know when you are ready for a custom exhaust mod  | ||
| Greg_e |
Be anti harley... Ride your cycle instead of spending all your time polishing the chrome. Cityxslicker, I would probably hit that with a hose once in a while to get the clumps off. | ||
| Cbig |
Gotta be me! Clean once in a while. Thanks for the tip. The S100 stuff worked pretty good - did have to remember to rinse thoroughly tho! | ||
| Glitch |
I wash my bike once a year, need it or not. I use whatever the wife hands me when I ask, "what do I use to wash the bike?"  My bike doesn't see the dirt though... well, not on purpose anyway... | ||
| Cbig |
very slick Glitch.. You don't find the Firebolt tail restricts you from moving around on the back? (One of the reasons I got the lightning ss was to ride punishing roads with some dirtbike like riding) | ||
| Iman501 |
haha washing......not a big part of my life....it stays dirty untill i decide i cant stand all the dead bugs on the front of the bike, then i just go over it and scrub w/ soap and water | ||
| Glitch |
That bike is strictly a pavement bike. All the off roading it's done was me low-siding. I like the seat better than the Street Fighter seat I had before. It's more suited to my style. Compared to the stock seat, I'm up higher, and it's actually easier for me to slide back and forth. Wolfridgerider, and I swapped, he used his 12R with the S tail section and Street Fighter seat on the track, because it suited his riding style best. | ||
| Cbig |
Interesting - does look clean. |
