Adventure Bike Rider Forum

robson wrote:car or bike wash in winter is not healthy anyway.

I bought a brand new GSA in 09. Rode it to Scotland for Christmas and it was covered in salt as it was snowing most of the way.

Washed it as best I could when I got there with wax etc but it was dark by the time I finished and the bike was then garaged.

The next morning I was almost in tears at the rot that had set in on all the exposed aluminium boxes etc.

I like to keep and ride a clean bike but am not over the top about it. My main hate is putting a bike away while still wet and if it is just washed will take it for a spin to dry out the electrics, discs and pads etc.

Many times in the past it has been when cleaning the bike that problems have jumped out, as yesterday when washing the Blackbird, got to the rear end and noticed a small cut in the tyre and with some prodding pulled out a sliver of metal that was on its way through. Maybe over the next few miles, had this not been found, it might have gone through and wrecked a 2,000 mile old tyre!

So my bikes do get washed, but not for the sake of it. If they are in the garage, dirty but dry, then they stay like this, but when the weather is good and a ride upcoming, then out comes the washing kit and polish.

Ride it when you like, wash it when you like....keep it serviced
Enjoy motorcycling (thumbs)

Total OCD when it comes to my bikes
they have to be perfect or I don't even want to ride them :pinch:
Bought this
Few days later it was like this
Nearly there (thumbs)

Tink wrote:Ride it when you like, wash it when you like....keep it serviced
Enjoy motorcycling (thumbs)

perfect description - do what you want - ignore everyone else (thumbs)

one-two-three-four wrote:

Tink wrote:Ride it when you like, wash it when you like....keep it serviced
Enjoy motorcycling (thumbs)

perfect description - do what you want - ignore everyone else (thumbs)

I'm in this camp..... My mate carries a small bottle of polish / cleaner in his top box and uses it at every petrol refill .... doesn't make his bike go faster hmy: hmy: hmy:

I'm a bit like mikeyboy
Or is that i'm nothing like him :woohoo:

astrro wrote:I'm a bit like mikeyboy
Or is that i'm nothing like him :woohoo:

unnamed1.jpg

What have you done to it........it was spotless :laugh:
You told me you'd got into the habit of cleaning it before putting it away,what was that ...twice :whistle:
(thumbs)

In my defence the facking thing spat me off at about 20,
no damage to the bike but I didn't bounce very elegantly.
And it was dark when I got home

steve_h80 wrote:I wish there was someone local who was OCD about clean bikes.
I'd just park mine on his drive and wait for the OCD to kick in

We do the website for a guy who pulls dents on bike tanks- he has OCD and uses it to his advantage...he has to be the best mechanic I know- preferring to do things properly, but able to bodge..you can see any bodge he spots draining his very soul!
http://www.motorcycledentremoval.co.uk/

what he does to tanks is amazing!